Arts & Culture
The content we watch may reflect our world, but it is also a powerful tool that shapes it. For a long time, the portrayals of Native culture and peoples were minimized and stereotyped in pop culture, thus robbing all of us of a fuller, richer understanding of our world. The future is already looking brighter as we are beyond excited that Native actors, directors, producers, show runners, and others are getting the recognition they deserve in the entertainment industry.
Take this opportunity to watch one (or all!) of our viewing recommendations and enter worlds that may be more connected to yours than you might think!
Rez Ball (2024)
After losing their star player, a high school basketball team rooted in Native American culture must unite to keep their state championship dreams alive.
Netflix
Fancy Dance (2023)
Following her sister's disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child's white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact.
Apple TV
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
The latest film from director Martin Scorsese follows the 1920s FBI investigation of the murders of the Osage Tribe after oil is found on their land.Nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture.
Apple TV
Slash/Back (2022)
A science fiction story about a group of Inuit friends who must fight back against an alien invasion with their makeshift weapons and horror movie knowledge.
Hulu
Lakota Nation vs. United States (2022)
A documentary on the Lakota peoples fight to reclaim control of the sacred Black Hills
Amazon (AMC+)
Love and Fury (2020)
Native filmmaker Sterlin Harjo follows Native artists as they explore the complexity of their identities and navigate their careers.
Netflix
Frybread Face and Me (2023)
A Navajo boy from San Diego experiences a cultural awakening when he spends summer vacation with his precocious cousin and their relatives on the reservation.
Netflix
War Pony (2023)
The interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men grappling with a world built against them as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.
Paramount+
Waikiki (2020)
When a hula dancer on the run crashes into a broken spirit of a man, they begin a journey into a hidden world, developing a connection through humanity, nature, and culture.
Prime Video
The Unknown Country (2022)
A young woman grieving for past losses receives an unexpected invitation, leading her on a solitary road trip across the American Midwest.
Prime VideoThrough multiple streaming services, series and media as of late have been providing diverse genres of of Indigenous-based stories. From comedy to dark thrillers, find your next binge-watching obsession!
Reservation Dogs
Four teenage friends experience the trials and tribulations of growing up while navigating life on their reservation in rural Oklahoma.
Hulu
Echo
Maya Lopez returns to her hometown where she must come to terms with her past, reconnect with her Native American roots, and embrace her family and community.
Disney+
Molly of Denali
The daily adventures of 10-year-old Alaska native, Molly Mabray, her family, her dog Suki, and her friends, Tooey and Trini.
PBS KidsVisual Art
Contemporary Art continues to be a vast and beautiful practice, cultivating several amazing persons who predominately discuss their heritage within their own work, or generally take great inspiration from it. While there are so many great indigenous artists (that we highly encourage you to look into), we suggest a look at a couple of notable individuals to help you get started in learning more about Native American Visual Arts.
We highlight here works from artists Rose Simpson (Tewa of Khaʼpʼoe Ówîngeh), Cannupa Hanska Luger (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation), and Kent Monkman (Fisher River Cree Nation). These works show a level of study between modern conversation, mixed with historical and cultural influence.
Artist: Rose B. Simpson (Tewa of Khaʼpʼoe Ówîngeh)
Featured Work: Dream House (2022), Images of Stills from Extended Play available on Art21.org (uploaded April 11, 2024).
As an immersive installation, Dream House gives way to Simpson’s psyche, allowing internal space to become external. The piece brings awareness to the importance of inanimate objects, things that may have at once been deemed only “decorative”, may care a layer of symbolism and value that goes deeper than the eye. Throughout the multi-room exhibition, Simpson’s signature ceramics are accented with textiles and video.
Simpson, a multimedia artist, has received a MFA in Ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design in 2011, and an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2018. Currently living and working in Santa Clara Pueblo, her work aspires to not only be sustainable, but transformative for years to come.
Artist: Cannupa Hanska Luger (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation)
Featured Work: (NO)stalgia (2020), Ceramic, repurposed materials, 10′ H x 5′ W x 8′ D
“Nostalgia, n. from Greek, nostos ‘return home’ algos ‘pain’… The deer represents a life destroyed by empty nostalgia.”
(NO)stalgia shows a great deal of comprehension for the honored relationship between animals, materials, and nature. Here, Luger chooses to not use materials on a consumer-level, but almost on a spiritual-level, reconnecting with their original purpose in fashion of the artist’s ancestors.
Luger’s work is extensive, featured in several reputable public collections, receiving numerous awards. “Luger’s work blends critical cultural analysis with Indigenous advocacy and deep respect for the diverse materials, landscapes, and communities he engages.”
Artist: Kent Monkman (Fisher River Cree Nation)
Featured Work: The Great Mystery (2023), Acrylic on canvas, 117.5” x 91.5”,
Collection of the Hood Museum of Art
Kent Mockman is a master of photo-realistic painting, using jarring visuals, sensitive subject matter, and explicit content, paired with vibrant and fantastical canvas, to create ultimate discussions of history. The Great Mystery serves a satirical approach, disarming viewers from how they normally see chief-figures being displayed.
In detail, Mockman explores themes of colonization, sexuality, and resiliency through several approaches, from visual, to performance, to video. These serve to provide a searing critique of the colonial gaze, switching around perspectives to subject very real and unsettling imagery through a romanticized lens.
EXPLORE WAYS TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER
There are many ways to immerse yourself in Native culture and appreciation. From social dances to a virtual book club with our President and CEO, Cheryl Crazy Bull, everything you need is below. We have also included resources like discussion guides and videos to create a rich and interactive experience.
