Let's face
it, the American Indian has been dealt a lousy
hand. From the introduction of European settlers
in the 15th century through the 20th century,
the American Indians were forced to loose their
lands, their religion, and their culture to make
way for a "better" more "politically correct"
culture that we now call the "American Dream."
Since I don't have the ability to change what
has happened, I can at least acknowledge their
existence and contributions on television.
The following
select list of shows portrays how Hollywood has
depicted the American Indians on television from
the 1940s to the present. The depictions range
from the Indians living on the plains before and
soon after the arrival of settlers, to their
Wild West days in the late 19th century, to the
present day as either assimilated Indians
working in American society or Caucasians who
claim Indian ancestry.
BORN TO THE
WIND/NBC/1982
*(Will Sampson) Painted Bear, leader of a
group of North American plains Indians
living on the frontier in the early 1800s.
Additional cast included Linda Redfearn as
Painted Bear's squaw, Prairie Woman; Rose
Portillo as his daughter, Star Fire;
Guillermo San Juan as his teenage son, Two
Hawks; Dehl Berti as One Feather, the
medicine man; and A Martinez and Emilio
Delgado as Indian braves Low Wolf and
White Bull.
BRAVE
EAGLE/CBS/1955-56
*(Keith Larsen) Brave Eagle, a young
Cheyenne Indian chief who lived in the
Black Mountain region of Wyoming in the
1860s. The series depicted the struggles
of the Indians from their viewpoint. Other
cast included Keena Nomkeena as Keena,
Brave Eagle's foster son; Kim Winona as
Morning Star, Brave Eagle's love interest;
and Bert Wheeler as Smokey Joe, a wise,
old half-breed. The series was also titled
BRAVE EAGLE: CHIEF OF THE CHEYENNE.
BROKEN
ARROW/NBC/1956-60
*(Michael Ansara) Cochise, leader of the
Apache Indians living on the Chiricahua
Reservation in the Arizona Territory of
the l800s. Cochise helped maintain a
tenuous peace between his people and the
local "white eyes" with the assistance of
U.S. Indian agent, Tom Jeffords. The
series was based on the novel Blood
Brother by Elliot Arnold. Michael Ansara
was a Shakespearean-trained actor of
Lebanese descent. In a 1960 interview with
TV GUIDE, Ansara stated that Cochise's
"acting range was rather limited. Cochise
could do one of two things-stand with his
arms folded, looking noble; or stand with
arms at his sides, looking noble".
CHIEF
HALFTOWN/ABC/1950's++
*(Chief Traynor Ora Halftown) Chief
Halftown, a full-blooded Indian who hosted
Philadelphia's longest running kiddy show
CHIEF HALFTOWN (aired on WFIL and later
WPVI) from the 1950s to the present.
Traynor O. Halftown grew up in Buffalo
about 25 miles from the Senaca
reservation. On camera he always dressed
in full Indian costume which included a
full feathered chief's hat, buckskin,
beads and bangles. Part of the program
(once sponsored by "Bosco" Chocolate
syrup) featured lessons about tribal
customs, folklore, sign language, chants,
and crafts. Last seen on Saturday mornings
at 7:00 A.M. on Channel 6 WPVI-TV, he
still ended his program with the his
classic Indian farewell sign-off
(phonetically) "E-Sah-Sah-Suss-A-way."
TRIVIA NOTE: The Senaca tribe was an
Iroquoian tribe in Western New York, the
most powerful of the Five Nations which
included a confederation of Mohawk,
Oneida, Onandaga, Cayuga and Senaca-later
joined by the Tuscarora.
DANIEL
BOONE/NBC/1964-70
*(Ed Ames/costar) Mingo, an Oxford
educated Cherokee Indian and close friend
of frontiersman Daniel Boone in the days
before the Revolutionary War. Ed Ames
accidentally created a classic comedy
blooper when he appeared on THE TONIGHT
SHOW in the 1960s. His role of Mingo
required that he throw a tomahawk on the
series, so he began to give a "how-to"
demonstration assisted by talk show host
Johnny Carson. Ames' throw however, landed
in the groin area of the practice target.
To this Johnny Carson remarked "I didn't
even know you were Jewish!" During the
1968-69 season, the Mingo character was
replaced by a Negro Indian named Gideon
played by Don Pedro Colley.
F
TROOP/ABC/1965-67
**(Frank de Kova) Chief Wild Eagle, leader
of a peaceful tribe of Hekawi indians who
lived on the Kansas Frontier of the
1860's. As he often said "Hekawi's not
fighters...invent peace pipe. Hekawi's not
mad at Nobody!" Don Diamond appeared as
the chief's second-in-command, Crazy Cat
who often reminded the chief that he was
the heir apparent to the tribe's
leadership. Cameo appearances included
Edward Everett Horton as the tottering
medicine man, Roaring Chicken; Phil Harris
as a 147-year-old Flaming Arrow; Don
Rickles as the ridiculous Bald Eagle; and
Milton Berle as a crooked Indian
detective, Wise Owl. The Hekawi Indians
did a rather lucrative black market
trading business, supplying beads,
trinkets, blankets to con-man/hustler, Sgt
O'Rourke, a Cavalry officer stationed in
the nearby frontier outpost known as "Fort
Courage. To complement the Hekawi's
apparent cowardice, the series featured a
ferocious tribe of neighboring Indians
known as the Shugs.
GO GO
GOPHERS/CBS/1968-69
*(Cartoon Characters) Set in the West of
the 19th century, this cartoon series
featured the adventures of two gopher
Indians, the double-talking Ruffled
Feather (Sandy Becker) and his interpreter
Running Board (George S. Irving). Their
constant adversary was U.S. Cavalry
Colonel Kit Coyote (Kenny Delmar) who in
the tradition of the U.S. Cavalry, sought
to eradicate the gopher population.
However, the superior cunning of these
gopher Indians always foiled the Colonel's
plans.
GUESTWARD
HO!/ABC/1960-61
*(J. Carrol Naish/costar) Chief Hawkeye, a
conniving American Indian and owner of a
local trading Post located in New Mexico.
The only store for miles, he supplied the
dude ranch "Guestward Ho" with life's
little necessities at the going
rate...his. Hawkeye's avocation was trying
to return the country back to its rightful
owners...the Indians. Pink Cloud (Jolene
Brand) assisted Hawkeye in selling his
wares, which included authentic Indian
trinkets made in Japan. J. Carrol Naish
was an Irish actor who had played a
variety of ethnic roles including a
Chinese detective on THE NEW ADVENTURES OF
CHARLIE CHAN; and an Italian immigrant on
LIFE WITH LUIGI.
HAWK/ABC/1966
*(Burt Reynolds) Det. Lt. John Hawk, a
full-blooded Iroquois Indian employed by
the New York City District Attorney's
office. He worked the night shift with his
partner, Detective Dan Carter. Burt
Reynolds was in reality part Indian. His
grandmother was a Cherokee.
HAWKEYE/SYN/1994-95
**(Rodney A. Grant) Chingachgook, stoic
Delaware Indian who befriended a frontier
scout named Hawkeye based at Fort
Bennington in New York's Hudson River
Valley of 1755. Together they battled the
hostile tribes of Huron Indians. The
series was based on James Fenimore
Cooper's "Leatherstocking Tales."
HOWDY DOODY/NBC/1947-60
**(Bob Keeshan) Featherman, Chief of the
Sycapoose indian tribe who lived near the
town of Doodyville. Three tribes of
Indians regularly appeared on this popular
children's program including the Sycapoose,
the Ooragnak, and the Tinka Tonka's. Bob
Keeshan played a dual role of Featherman
and Clarabell the Clown, so the two
characters were never seen on camera at
the same time. When Featherman was heard
approaching, Clarabell the clown would get
afraid and run off stage thus conveniently
paving the way for the appearance of
Featherman. The Tinka Tonka's tribal
representative was Princess
Summerfallwinterspring, one of the few
females on the show. The Princess,
originally a puppet, was transformed into
a real person namely Judy Tyler, an
attractive Broadway singer took on the
role of the now human Princess.
Unfortunately, Tyler died in a car
accident with her husband July 4, 1957
while on leave from the show. Her part was
never recast. The Ooragnak Indians
(Kangaroo spelled backwards) were the more
hostile of the three tribes. Their
villainous leader, Chief Thunderthud was
played by Bill Le Cornec. His favorite
remark was a boisterous "KOWA-BONGA!"
Howdy Doody, the puppet star of the
series, eventually tamed the wild ways of
the chief. Thunderthud thereafter became
the most popular Indian in Doodyville.
LAW OF THE
PLAINSMAN/NBC/ABC/1959-62
*(Michael Ansara) Sam Buckheart, a
full-blooded Apache Indian who took on the
responsibilities of Deputy U. S. Marshal
in the New Mexico Territory of the 1880's.
Educated in Harvard with monies inherited
from a grateful Cavalry officer he had
once known, Sam Buckheart returned to his
childhood homeland near Sante Fe with
hopes of serving his people and upholding
the Constitution of the U.S.A. He worked
under the supervision of Marshal Andy
Morrison. See also BROKEN ARROW.
THE LONE
RANGER/ABC/1949-57
*(Jay Silverheels/costar) Tonto, a young
American Indian from the Potawatomi tribe
who discovered the wounded body of Texas
Ranger John Reid, the lone survivor of an
outlaw ambush. After Reid recovered, Tonto
became his faithful companion battling
evil in the old American west. Tonto
called the Lone Ranger "Kemo Sabe" which
means "Trusty Scout" or "Faithful Friend"
(The term was derived from the name of a
boys camp called "Kee-mo-Sah Bee"). Jay
Silverheels, a real Mohawk Indian and the
son of a Mohawk chief, was born in
Ontario, Canada in 1920 at the Six
Nation's Indian Reservation. During the
1930's he was encouraged by actor/comedian
Joe E. Brown to consider a movie career.
He later went to the United States on a
Golden Gloves boxing tour and became a
leading contender in that sport. While
there, he began acting in the movies. His
first film was Captain From Castille
(1947) followed by Key Largo
(1948), Yellow Sky (1949), The
Cowboys & The Indians (1949). While he
starred as Tonto on THE LONE RANGER
series, his movie roles continued in
Broken Arrow (1950), and Walk the
Proud Land (1956). He made cameo
appearances on a variety of TV commercials
in the 1960 and 1970s. The character of
Tonto debuted on the 10th episode of the
radio version of THE LONE RANGER series in
the 1930's. His voice was supplied by John
Todd. In the subsequent movie spin-offs,
Tonto was played by Victor Daniels, a
full-blooded Cherokee, with a stage name
of Chief Thundercloud. In the summer of
1979 Jay Silverheels was the first North
American Indian to be honored on the
Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame His star
was placed between MacDonald Carey and
Frank Sinatra. Jay Silverheels died March
5, 1980 from pneumonia and multiple
complications.
NAKIA/ABC/1974
*(Robert Forster) Deputy Nakia Parker, an
American Indian caught between modern
technology and ancient Indian customs who
worked as a law enforcement officer in
Davis County, New Mexico. John Tenorio,
Jr. appeared as Half Cub, an American
Indian.
NORTHERN
EXPOSURE/CBS/1990-95
**(Darren E. Burrows) Ed Chigliak, a movie
obsessed Native American teen living in
the small town of Cicely, Alaska who
helped a newcomer doctor adjust to culture
shock by translating the peculiarities of
the people of this small northern town.
Later in the series, Ed studies to be a
Shaman. Born September 12, in Wichita,
Kansas, Burrows is one-quarter Cherokee
and one-quarter Apache. To get the part
for the series he dyed his dish-water
blond hair dark. Another Native American
cast member was Elaine Miles who played
Marilyn Whirlwind, a short, plump and
pragmatic Eskimo woman of few words who
volunteered to help yuppie Dr. Joel
Fleischman run his rural medical office.
Born April 7th, in Pendleton, Oregon,
Elaine Miles (half Cayuse and half Nez
Perce) was raised outside the Seattle area
as a member of the Umatilla tribe.
Elaine's mother, Armenia Miles, played the
role of Mrs. Anku, Ed's Chigliak's aunt
and wife of the local medicine man. Other
Native American cast members included
Julian Fox as Indian Chief Ronkonkoma;
Frank Sotonoma Salsedo as Ed's Uncle Anku;
William J. White as Dave, the tavern cook;
Floyd Red Crow Westerman as "One Who
Waits," a wise old spirit seen only by the
Indians; Dana Andersen as Lightfeather, a
red-haired preacher's daughter; Rosetta
Pintado as Mrs. Noanuk, a tribal elder;
Bryson Liberty as Ira Wingfeather, a flute
carver; and Graham Green as Leonard
Quinhagak, Marilyn's cousin, a Shaman
healer. The Indians on the program
celebrated Thanksgiving as the "Day of the
Dead" with traditional costumes, parades
and throwing tomatoes at white people. On
episode "Our Tribe" Mrs. Noanuk initiated
the Jewish Dr. Fleischman into their
Indian tribe and called him "Heals With
Tools."
RANGO/ABC/1967
*(Guy Marks/costar) Pink Cloud, a cowardly
American Indian who preferred the white
man's life style of comfort vs. teepee
living. He is the assistant to an inept
Texas Ranger named Rango stationed at Deep
Wells Ranger Station in the late 1800s.
Pink Cloud is also the name of a character
which appeared on the sitcom GUESTWARD HO!
RED RYDER/SYN/1956
*(Louis Letteri/costar) Little Beaver, a
young American Indian companion and
sidekick to the western lawman, Red Ryder.
Little Beaver's catchphrase was "You
betchum, Red Ryder". This 30-minute
western was based on the radio program of
the same name.
STAR TREK
VOYAGER/UPN/1995-2001
*(Robert Beltran/costar) Chakotay,
Starship First Officer of North American
Indian descent stationed aboard the
starship Voyager. Once the leader of the
terrorist group called The Maguis,
Chakotay joined forces with a Federation
starship Captain to return to the Alpha
Quadrant (after being transported against
their will across the galaxy). Chakotay
sported a triangular shaped tattoo over
his left eye. He wore the tattoo to honor
his father (played by Henry Darrow), who
wore the same tattoo design to honor his
ancestors, The Rubber Tree People of
Central America. Chakotay was inspired to
get his tattoo when his father was killed
by the Cardassians. The episode entitled
"Tattoo" explained the story behind the
tattoo and his ancestors who were once
visited by an alien race 45,000 year ago.
These aliens, referred to as the Sky
People, visited a nomadic Eskimo tribe on
Earth and influenced their development.
The tribe eventually migrated to the rain
forest and became The Rubber Tree People.
From time to time the Sky People revisited
Earth to see how the Indian tribe was
progressing. In honor of their outer space
benefactors, the Rubber Tree People
adopted the Sky People's triangular tattoo
as a tribal symbol. NOTE: On episodes No.
152 "Descent-Part 1" of STAR TREK: THE
NEXT GENERATION/SYN/1987-94 a starship USS
Crazy Horse was mentioned. It took its
name from Crazy Horse, the Lakota Sioux
chief, and one of the important North
American Indian leaders at the Battle of
the Little Bighorn.
TWIN
PEAKS/ABC/1990-91
**(Michael Horse) Deputy Tommy "The Hawk"
Hill, longhaired American Indian policeman
working in the Pacific Northwest community
of Twin Peaks. Hawk, the son of a Zuni
Shaman, was very wise with the heart of a
poet. Michael Horse's heritage actually
was a combination of Yaqui and Apache
Indian, Swedish and Hispanic.
THE
UNTOUCHABLES/ABC/1959-63
**(Abel Fernandez) Agent William
Youngfellow, a full-blooded Cherokee
Indian working with the elite squad of
undercover federal policemen (U.S.
Treasury Dept) known as "The Untouchables"
whose job was to bust the organized crime
syndicates of Chicago in the 1930s.
VEGA$/ABC/1978-81
**(Will Sampson) Chief Harlon Two Leaf, a
pony-tailed American Indian who
occasionally helped private investigator,
Dan Tanna track down clues and criminals
amidst the glitter of Las Vegas, Nevada.
In April, 1987 at the age of 53 years,
this 6 foot 2 inch tall Native American
Indian awaited a heart-lung transplant at
Methodist Hospital in Houston. He suffered
from Scleroderma, a degenerative disease.
WALKER,
TEXAS RANGER/CBS/1993-2001
*(Chuck Norris) Cordell Walker, a
half-white/half-Indian modern day Texas
Ranger raised by his Native American Uncle
Ray (played by Floyd Red Crow Westerman)
after Cordell's father died. Walker's
Cherokee family nickname is "Washoe"
meaning "Lone Eagle." Walker's parents
were killed by bigoted white men who hated
seeing a white man married to an Indian
woman.
YANCY
DERRINGER/CBS/1958-59
*(X Brands/costar) Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah, a
silent Pawnee American Indian sidekick of
gambler/adventurer Yancy Derringer who
operated out of the city of New Orleans in
the 1800's. Pa-hoo-Ka-Ta-Wah meant "Wolf
who stands in water". Although he was
short on talk, he was long on action.
Beneath a blanket wrapped about his body,
he carried a shot-gun which he used in
emergencies. Most of the time however, he
used a throwing knife sheathed on his
upper back to subdue the bad guys when the
situation warranted it. Jay X Brands (his
full name) was once honored by Brummett
Echohawk, a spokesman for the Pawnee
Indians when a letter to Hollywood
producers commended Brands (a Caucasian of
German-Dutch descent) for his authentic
performance and his ability at speaking
the tribe's language.
BONUS
KEEP
AMERICA BEAUTIFUL CAMPAIGN (TV AD)
*(Chief Iron Eyes Cody) Chief Iron Eyes
Cody, a Cree-Cherokee Indian and activist,
who starred in a "Keep America Beautiful"
public service campaign commercial (a
coalition of companies involved in glass,
aluminum, paper, plastic, tobacco and
solid-waste) with the Chief surveying the
wonders of Nature only to find them filled
with pollution. In the now classic scene,
the camera zoomed into follow the trail of
single tear that flowed from the Chief's
eye as he lamented the scarred landscape.
This ad spot, created in 1971 by the
Marsteller agency, moved a generation to
stop throwing garbage out of their car
windows, and sent the message that
individual consumers should take on the
responsibility of not polluting the
landscape. In 1996 the the New Orleans
Times-Picayune published documentation
saying Iron Eyes Cody was actually a
second generation Italian-American from
Louisiana, but Cody vigorously denied the
allegations. On January 4, 1999, actor
Iron Eyes Cody, who appeared in 100 films,
died in Los Angeles. He was 94.
* -
Indicates the person was the star or
co-star
** - Indicates the person was a
regular or a recurring actor
