Native American Religions

This chapter examines the surge of new films and streaming series from 2021 to 2023 overseen by Native directors, script writers, and Native actors cast in starring roles. There are earlier examples of Native-helmed films or ones that strongly featured Native voices, but not many, and even when they met with critical acclaim they usually failed to achieve widespread distribution or reach large audiences. The advent of streaming services, coupled with the arrival of an array of social media platforms, helped propel the vision of Native creatives and expand the reach of their cinematic influences. This cinematic outpouring also departs from previous depictions of Native peoples which often lacked authentic representation and were portrayed as obstacles to be overcome in celebrating the myths of American exceptionalism and Manifest Destiny. Rather, the New Native Cinematic Renaissance allows Indigenous creatives to emphasize Tribal Nation diversity and accuracy, as well as centering their themes and storylines on Native peoples’ lives in the present with rich and dynamic ongoing histories. This remedies Hollowood’s long-standing pattern of highlighting Native Americans as peoples of the distant past, lacking agency and contemporary relevancy.