Indian Actors Association facts for kids

The Indian Actors Association was a special group formed around 1936. It was based in Hollywood and helped Native American actors. This group was created because sometimes non-Native actors were chosen to play Native American roles in movies. The Association wanted to make sure that only "real" Native American actors played these parts.

Their main goal was to stop Native American culture from being shown incorrectly in films. The Indian Actors Association worked hard for fair treatment and jobs for Native American actors. This was especially important during the country's economic depression when many actors struggled to find work.

Challenges Faced by Native American Actors

During the Great Depression, many Native American actors found it hard to get jobs in movies. Most of these actors lived in Los Angeles. While some famous Native American actors like Will Rogers, Chief Yowlachie, and Chief John Big Tree got main roles, most others only got small parts.

Competition for Roles

Even for small roles, Native American actors had to compete with actors who were pretending to be Native Americans. Actors from other backgrounds would use makeup, braids, and dark hair to look "Indian." This meant that many jobs meant for Native American actors went to others. This made the real Native American actors very upset.

Misrepresentation and Pay Differences

Native American characters were often shown speaking in simple, incorrect ways. This was not accurate, and Native American actors were unhappy with how they were misrepresented. The Association started programs to teach movie studios about real Native American languages and cultures.

There was also a big difference in pay. Non-Native actors working as extras made eleven dollars an hour. But Native American extras only made five dollars and fifty cents an hour for the same work.

The Indian Actors Association, which was connected to the Screen Actors Guild, aimed to fix these problems. They demanded that only real Native Americans play Native roles. They also suggested that studios use Native American experts to make films more accurate. They believed this would stop wrong portrayals and teach studios about Native American ways.

Founder of the Association

The Indian Actors Association was first led by Luther Standing Bear. He was from the Lakota (Sioux) Tribe. Luther Standing Bear was a writer, activist, and performer who spoke out against injustice. He believed that Western movies often showed Native Americans in the wrong way. He used his position in Hollywood to try and change how people saw Native American characters.

His younger brother, Henry Standing Bear, also led a Native American activist group called the Society of American Indians. This group created plays and shows that shared true historical and cultural facts. Luther Standing Bear led the Indian Actors Association until he passed away in 1939. After him, leaders like Treaties and Bill Hazlet, a Blackfeet Indian actor, continued to lead the Association.

Luther Standing Bear, who helped start the Indian Actors Association.

Achievements and Impact

The Indian Actors Association eventually succeeded in some of its goals. They helped raise awareness about how Native Americans were shown in movies. One big success was getting rid of the pay difference for Native American extras. They eventually earned the same eleven dollars an hour as other extras.

The Association also encouraged other groups to form and work for change. Many Native American actors felt that the best way to improve things was to become a bigger part of Hollywood. One such group was the National League for Justice to American Indians (NLJAI). The Association also created a booklet called Screen Land’s First Americans. This booklet featured paintings and pictures of important Native American actors. It also showed the leaders and members of the Indian Actors Association.

Indian Actors Workshop

The Indian Actors Workshop was another important group that grew from the ideas of the Indian Actors Association. It was started by Jay Silverheels, who was famous for playing Tonto in The Lone Ranger. The workshop trained Native Americans for roles in movies and TV shows. Similar groups continued to form even into the 1980s.

Jay Silverheels as Tonto in The Lone Ranger.

The Indian Actors Association also acted as a support group. They provided money to Native American actors who were out of work. They raised these funds through membership fees, traditional Native American gatherings called powwows, and performances for local groups.