1913: Mimicking Massacres and those who love it.
Before you could watch a big Indian battle film on the big screen, town after town would reenact their local histories - especially anything related to an Indian battle, or massacre, or an unverified tale about something horrific happening in their neighborhood. It was a HUGE event in many communities, sometimes an annual event, that would attract people from all over the state.
The Order of the Red Men, then later Boy Scouts, would often fill in for blood-thirsty, war-painted, savage, vilified Indians that scalped the young men and burnt innocent women at the stake. Of course, these stories were usually of mythological proportions, and never told the side of the Native Americans.
Eventually, Native people were pulled in to participate. Many of them were "Show Indians," early actors, who were usually told how to portray the indigenous characters, and usually the requirement was for them to look like a Sioux Indian, in full headdress, moccasins, half-naked and long hair.
Of course, kids would also reenact the battle scenes, and headlines of their deaths would shortly follow the headlines of the shows.
Soon, as noted in previous posts, the battle scenes were on the silent screen, and Native American's from all over the country took offense, and petitioned to President (Taft) to have them not just stopped, but prohibited, from all production. Of course, that did NOT happen. Never did, never has.
Actually, the scenes got bigger... and more popular... and reached an epic scale just a few years after the first moving-picture protest was uttered.
Guess who was behind the battle-scene grandeur?
If you guess Buffalo Bill Cody, General Miles and the US Government -- you are correct!!
But don't worry... the government was making "historical films" to keep as Indian War records.
That doesn't mean they had to be accurate and historical, right?
Next: The making of a not-so accurate historical document.
Eventually, Native people were pulled in to participate. Many of them were "Show Indians," early actors, who were usually told how to portray the indigenous characters, and usually the requirement was for them to look like a Sioux Indian, in full headdress, moccasins, half-naked and long hair.
Of course, kids would also reenact the battle scenes, and headlines of their deaths would shortly follow the headlines of the shows.
Actually, the scenes got bigger... and more popular... and reached an epic scale just a few years after the first moving-picture protest was uttered.
Guess who was behind the battle-scene grandeur?
If you guess Buffalo Bill Cody, General Miles and the US Government -- you are correct!!
But don't worry... the government was making "historical films" to keep as Indian War records.
That doesn't mean they had to be accurate and historical, right?
