Petition Message:

Dear Hollywood,

Since the beginning of cinema as an art form, Hollywood has told stories about Native and Indigenous people. Historically, of course, the Western genre cast us as antagonists dedicated to thwarting the heroes of manifest destiny. Our desire to hold onto and protect our sacred lands was subverted by perverse tropes such as scalping, raping, pillaging, and perpetual casting as grunting dunces. Meanwhile, the audience was invited to identify with white protagonists, often played by noted white supremacist John Wayne. Stereotyped Native characters in early Westerns were also often played by white actors in redface — face paint and costumes designed to make them approximate Natives.

Over the years, things “evolved.” In revisionist Westerns, the storytelling frequently portrays the Native as the noble savage, ignorant of civilized ways but inherently good. Our hero (think Dustin Hoffman in “Little Big Man” or Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves”) might side with Natives and perform heroic acts as our white savior.

It's time for further evolution. Even now, Westerns — and movies and shows leaning into Western tropes or storytelling modes — still fail to center Indigenous characters as the protagonists. These are legion. In 2023, "Avatar: the Way of Water” and “Yellowstone” were the most successful movie and show, respectively, in America. While they have, at times, done a better job of telling Indigenous stories, both franchises still mainly center white characters, written by white writers. And in both cases, unfortunately, non-Indigenous actors sometimes play Indigenous roles or those clearly written to convey Indigeneity. That’s not optimal.

Pandora, the world portrayed in the “Avatar” movies, is an alien one mainly rendered through computer-generated imagery. These movies still rely on the old white savior narrative, and now we’ve exchanged redface for blueface. While director Jim Cameron is under no obligation to cast Indigenous actors, he should. And not just one or two.

We know Cameron based his story on real Indigenous struggle — specifically ours, as Lakota people. In a 2010 interview with The Guardian, he admitted he was inspired by Lakota ancestors who faced the onslaught of the United States’ westward expansion during the 1800s. “This was a driving force for me in the writing of Avatar,” he said. “I couldn’t help but think that if they [the Lakota] had had a time-window and they could see the future… and they could see their kids committing suicide at the highest suicide rates in the nation … because they were hopeless and they were a dead-end society — which is what is happening now — they would have fought a lot harder.”

But the Lakota are not, in fact, a “dead-end society.” We’re still here and still struggling to maintain our cultures — which do, as portrayed accurately in the "Avatar" films, prioritize life in harmony with our natural surroundings. I’ll also point out that we could not have “fought harder.” We won several military victories over the U.S. during those years, despite being outgunned and outmanned. No one can ignore our decimation of General George Armstrong Custer’s 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Greasy Grass (which the history books call “Custer’s Last Stand,” because the colonizer always stands at the center of the narrative kids learn in U.S. schools).

We ask Hollywood casting producers, creatives, and casting agents to do better. Do the following four things in order to portray Indigenous stories in the right way and convey our truths more deeply and accurately.

1. Studios: Greenlight more projects by Indigenous creatives — and not just Taika Waititi.

2. Producers: Employ us in the writers’ room and/or as consultants when creating stories about or inspired by Indigenous cultures.

3. Writers: Center Indigenous characters in our own stories. For instance, it isn’t a great look for Jake Sully to “go Native” and remain the central hero of the entire “Avatar” franchise.

4. Casting directors: Do your best to make sure Indigenous actors play Indigenous (or Indigenous-inspired) roles.

If you want an example of how deeply affecting it can be when we’re given this type of agency, look no further than Hulu’s “Reservation Dogs,” which deserved Emmys for its exceptional second and third seasons. Each episode was resonant with humor and pathos that could only come from a predominantly Native writers’ room, cast, and crew who understood how to convey our stories for both our people and a larger audience.

Writers, producers, and casting directors: Reach out to us via email at press@lakotalaw.org. We're happy to answer any questions and/or connect you to talented Indigenous storytellers and artists who can help you produce a better, more truthful product. When Native writers, actors, and artists are given seats at the table, our stories resonate with truth, depth, and gravitas — and that’s a win for everyone.