Through a Native Lens is a column from film critic and citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Shea Vassar, who will dive into the nuance of cinema’s best and worst cases of Indigenous representation.
By Shea Vassar
The Sopranos is great at showing how ignorant mobsters can be.
By Shea Vassar
Sure, everyone scalped. But there were those who were compensated for the bloody act and those who have to carry the stereotypical legacy.
By Shea Vassar
The film’s racist dialogue is the result of lazy writing. Still, it minimizes one of the biggest cultural movements for Native Americans in the last few decades.
By Shea Vassar
Nurse Ratched and R.P. McMurphy are the more famous characters, but Chief is the most important.
By Shea Vassar
Tough topics can be educational and empowering when handled appropriately.
By Shea Vassar
In order to understand ‘Wind River,’ the history and understanding of the modern threat to Native women must be understood first.