The indigenous population of America is known as Native Americans. Native American tribes had been residing on the land for at least 15,000 years before white invaders arrived roughly 500 years ago. Hence, you are compelled to evaluate the circumstances that contributed to such a drastic reduction in their numbers when you consider the number of people who are still alive. We won’t delve any deeper into this subject, though. We’ll spend all of our time here talking about American history if we start that. This is not a history lecture, but it is crucial to understand the past in order to comprehend the present and the future.
Every year, a lot of films are produced, but hardly any of them, if any at all, are centred on the stories of American Indians. Even now, their challenges go unnoticed because they existed before the arrival of the Europeans. Hollywood also doesn’t help. Even fewer of the films and television shows that are produced about them are available on Netflix. The best Native American movies available on Netflix are listed below.
Finding ʻOhana (2021)
Jude Weng’s adventure film “Finding Ohana” follows two siblings who were raised in New York as their mother takes them to Oahu, Hawaii. The twins discover more about their lineage and Oahu’s indigenous culture while they are on the island. The kids quickly become friends with their new home and set out on a journey to locate a hidden treasure. The movie is a family-friendly experience that promotes the value of learning about one’s culture and background and has gotten favourable reviews from critics.
Indian Horse (2017)
The Canadian movie “Indian Horse,” which is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Ojibwe author Richard Wagamese, centres on Saul Indian Horse, a young member of a First Nations community who endures terrible trauma while attending one of Canada’s Indian residential schools. His history haunts him even after he becomes a famous ice hockey player. Saul loses his older brother and grandmother after being essentially abandoned by his parents, who have recently converted to Christianity, before being made to go to a residential school where he will experience prejudice, maltreatment, and cruelty. At this point, he learns about ice hockey, and it quickly becomes clear how extraordinarily talented he is. Saul starts to attract attention and finally joins the Toronto Monarchs, a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the prejudice, mistreatment, and brutality he began experiencing all those years ago are still plaguing him.
Red Snow (2019)
The Canadian military drama film “Red Snow,” written and directed by Marie Clements, depicts the tale of Dylan Nadazeau, a Gwich’in-Canadian soldier who is kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Through Dylan and his captors, a Pashtun family, and the complicated bond that forms between them, the movie examines topics like war, home, and death. Dylan is apprehended and questioned about his nationality. His captors ignore the distinction when he says he is a Canadian because both are undesirable. In the first few minutes of the movie, Dylan and his captors become enemies. Nevertheless, as the movie goes on, Dylan begins to understand that his apparent opponents are more like him than other Canadians.
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (2017)
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, a Canadian documentary film directed by Catherine Bainbridge and co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana, examines the impact that First Nation musicians have had on the evolution of rock music. The 1958 instrumental song “Rumble” by the American group Link Wray & His Ray Men is referenced in the project’s title. Mildred Bailey, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Link Wray, Stevie Salas, Jesse Ed Davis, Robbie Robertson, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Castillo, Taboo, and Charley Patton are among of the musicians featured in “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World.” The movie, which has Tim Johnson (Mohawk) and Stevie Salas (Apache) as executive producers, premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
The Grizzlies (2018)
Russ Sheppard, a history teacher who accepts a job at a school in the Arctic village of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, to pay off his student debt while awaiting word from a prep school named St. Andrews, is the main character in the Canadian sports movie “The Grizzlies,” which is based on a true tale. Russ quickly understands that he faces a tough task ahead of him. The majority of his students don’t show up to class. Some of those who do are openly antagonistic to him. Yet the increasing suicide rates among his students are what really worry Russ. In an effort to create a school team and give his students something to focus on, he decides to start teaching lacrosse to them.
The Old Ways (2020)
Christopher Alender’s horror film “The Old Ways” follows Mexican-American reporter Cristina Lopez. During her journey to her homeland near Veracruz, Cristina finds herself entangled in a perilous magical game. Cristina travels to her hometown in search of a witches news scoop. But, a bruja (witch doctor) who thinks Cristina is controlled by a demon kidnaps her. The indigenous Nahuas people of Mexico and other Central American nations are featured prominently in the film along with their culture.
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