films with Two spirit or LGBT Native Americans/Canadians (2 Viewers)

[nikkif99uk]

I am currently studying indigenous cinema and am hoping to write a paper on the subject of Two Spirit and LGBT natives in film and television. I have a few examples like Johnny Greyeyes and the Business of Fancydancying if anyone knows of more with links to clips etc. Or even better academic articles, journals, books etc on the subject.

Please help

 

[nikkif99uk]

can nobody help me

 

[Jeff Gatie]

What exactly are you asking?


Wait, did a little googling. Check out Little Big Man starring Dustin Hoffman. There was a character in that film who fit the criteria. As I remember it, he rode his horse backwards. That is the closest I ever got to a mainstream film handling the concept of "Two Spirit". His name was "Little Horse" and he was described as a "'heemanee' for which there ain't no English word".

 

[Malcolm R]

The only film that I can think of that may partially fulfill the criteria is "Big Eden".

The film stars Arye Gross as Henry Hart, a successful gay artist from New York City who returns to his Montana hometown to care for his dying grandfather. While at home, Hart is forced to confront his unresolved feelings for high school friend Dean Stewart (Tim DeKay), while simultaneously beginning to fall in love with Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig), the shy Native American owner of the town's general store.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

Give me a bit of time nikki. I will see what I can dig up but it may take a couple days.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

NO NO NO NO NO!

 

[nikkif99uk]

thanks that would be great my presentation is Wednesday but more importantly I need it for my essay.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I did say it was mainstream. Maybe you could elaborate on your comment, for even you can admit this is a quite narrow genre probably not seen much by the general public and thus we plebes don't know what is considered offensive or not. I can't really learn much from "NO NO NO NO NO!", can I? Besides, the OP didn't request postive portrayals only and I would imagine an essay may seek to compare and contrast both positive and negative.

 

[Scott-S]

It might help if you told us what a LGBT is?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender.

It's a common acronym in academia, but I'm not sure of the widespread use outside of that sphere. As far as "Two Spirits" is concerned, I definitely had to google for that.

I guess you learn something new every day.

 

[Jeff_CusBlues]

Ah. And Two Spirit has a transgender meaning as well. I just googled the term.

Two-Spirit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A little more explanation by the original poster would have been helpful. Good luck with your essay.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

Not a lot of time there. I will contact a friend of mine who will be able to give me a good list later this evening.

You got the main one. The Business of Fancy Dancing

My hunka brother is a winkte, two spirit. I am trying to get a hold of him.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

Offering up a movie such as Little Big Man as a source for a serious topic on anything is laughable. It is unfortunate that the "general public" takes a film such as Little Big Man to be authentic or educational in any manner.

The original poster specifically stated indigenous cinema. Little Big Man comes no where near indigenous cinema. It can only be used as an example of stereotype portrayals produced by American/Canadian mainstream, something that Native writers, actors, directors, and producers are trying hard to reverse. Very few are interested in learning who we are and what we are they prefer to retain the old comfortable stereotypes, whether heathen savage or noble savage, in the end niether portrayal is accurate.

what I gather from the OP is that they are looking for a Native voice, Little Big Man is not a native voice.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Thank you. So much more informative than "NO NO NO NO NO!" I apologize if I barged in with an offer that offended, it's been a long time since I've been able, or frankly willing, to keep up with the latest in PC notions and even if I did, I much prefer being scolded than censored. Some people are funny like that.

Anyway, it looks like I learned more than one thing today and that's never a bad thing.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

I figured that as soon as I read your original post that any response would be brushed off as PC.

Well since I am at heart a hopefull fellow I will give another shot at trying to make you understand,

Why is this always related to a pc thing? It is not a pc thing, not for me and other Native people. People see me or ask me about my name and where it came from. When I answer Oglala Lakota many times they do not understand so I have to go with Sioux.

What happens next is "Oh like Dances with Wolves" or "Man Called Horse" or any other popular media creation. It is even worse for Native people who are not from a plains culture. Imagine if the majority of people who meet you relate to you in stereotypes.

You don't look Indian? you don't act Indian? don't you all live in tipis? Indians can can live off the reservation? blah blah blah. It can get much worse than that.

It would make my life much easier if people thought, Thunderheart, Skins, Smoke Signals, Doe Boy, The Business of Fancy Dancing.

In short you do not have to live your day to day life with stereotypes hanging over your head.

It is similar to a white person having to explain why they do not act, dress, and speak like the characters in Elizabeth. Or black people having to explain why they do not act dress and speak like characters in Zulu. Arab people not acting like the characters in Lawrance of Arabia. Asians acting like the characters in Shogun...

I know that the above may sound unlikely but I assure you that because the majority of Americans do not interact with Indian people on a daily basis that without a modern day baseline people resort to the only information they have.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

David,

I'm a white, single, never been married male, age 42 who likes classic films. If you don't think I have to live with stereotypes, you really don't get out much. Hell, some of those stereotypical assumptions are from my own family, and my family aren't morons like the people who ask you if you live in a tipi. If anyone asks you that, I hope you have a good joke, because I can think of a few. Shit, the least they could do is ask if you own a casino, this is the 21th century! (That's a joke. If you wish, you can do like my sisters do and question my sexuality. Go ahead, I don't care. )

Anyway, thanks for the insight. I didn't mean the PC comment to demean, only to say that the rules often change fast for us outside the direct sphere of discussion and being outside, we tend not to follow it. I did say I learned something and I meant it.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

also check out

Stryker

and

Without Reservations.

 

[nikkif99uk]

thanks have been looking at Styker will look out for Without Reservation. I have also been looking at films by non-native filmmakers to see it they are stereotypical or are realistic in their portrayal. Many films seem to conform to western identities of sexuality although from the reading I have done Two-Spirit includes all LGBT identities as well

 

[nikkif99uk]

By the way who stars in Without Reservations the only film I can see on IMDB is the 1946 John Wayne movie

 

[Marianne]

I googled: "Two Spirit" movies and there were a lot of hits. I don't know what to look for but did find this site:

American Indian - First Nations Two Spirit Internet Resources

You probably already have this information.