Standing Bear

America has long been a nation built upon the differences of the various people who have inhabited the land. Over time, while many groups have tried to hide these differences and create a “civilized” society where the white male is the epitome of the American man, they have not been able to silence the opposition that has challenged this view of America. America is a mix of cultures and people that have continuously fought for equal representation and rights to prove that they too are not simply citizens, but human beings. There have been select individuals that have tried to challenge this status quo and present the numerous different people that make up America. The best representation of cultural change over time can be seen through

While many Natives such as Ruchard David Thunderbird and Lillian St. Cyr took part as actors in the film industry, it wasn’t until Standing Bear moved to film that the image of the Native was challenged. Standing Bear directly told director Thomas Ince that “non of the Indian pictures were made right.” He also hoped that more Native writer would be able to transform the “work of the culture industry.” Standing Bear also published books that challenged cultural politics of this era. In his books My Poeple Sioux (1928) and Land of the Spotted Eagle (1933), Standing Bear describes the policies of this period and tries to give a more accurate representation of this period. The most significant point of his writing is his insistence for “the creation of an Indian public opinion—as well as an Indian influence on the formation of state and federal policies” (Burt 628). Standing Bear tried to erase the idea that Americans had of Natives. He tried provide a factual alternative to the movies, newspapers and pictures that all sensationalized the idea that scalping and war dances was a common practice among Indians. Standing Bear hoped that one day Natives and Westerners would be able to govern themselves yet work peacefully