A scene from The Lone Ranger. Photo by Jerry Bruckheimer via Twitter
Hollywood is still keeping out Indian people despite attention to race and diversity, argues Myrton Running Wolf, an actor and member of the Blackfeet Nation:
It’s only been a few weeks, but here we go again. J.K. Rowling’s upcoming film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” pilfers “indigenous magic” to the exclusion of all Native participation. Rowling is known for her openness to fan questions but, strangely, not this time - not for a bunch of Redskins. DC Comics (Vertigo) and WGN America are also plowing ahead with “SCALPED,” a live version of their graphic novel (authored by non-Natives) set on an Indian Reservation. There is no indication that Natives will participate in adapting/writing, directing, or producing the show. Haven’t these productions gotten the note yet that diversity is about inclusion and not about hiring a few token darkies to prance around on camera? Actually, none of this is a surprise. “Oscars So White,” J.K. Rowling, and “SCALPED” are all indicative of the artful systemic oppression of American Indians. Mainstream film, television, and theater are the stories our nation tells about itself. They shape the ways we see ourselves, the ways we see others, and the ways others see us. These productions tell us who is valued in our society and who is not. These media events are economic and political forces. The people pegged to create and control these stories is a matter of Civil Rights, Human Rights, and social justice. Hollywood’s film industry hauled in $38 billion dollars in 2015, television nabbed around $190 billion, and Broadway’s booty alone (not counting national tours, Off-Broadway, and regional theater) was $1.35 billion. Together, these industries grossed over $230 billion — nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars — and constituted our nation’s 2nd largest export. This does not include new revenue from online media cash cows Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, and Youtube. If Native Americans were not erased from these productions and participated in this industry in a way that is reflective of our population, American Indians would have generated $5 billion dollars from mainstream film, television, and theater production.Get the Story:
Myrton Running Wolf: The $5B Erasure of Indians From 'Oscars So White' (Indian Country Today 3/22)
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