White Fawn's Devotion facts for kids

White Fawn's Devotion: A Play Acted by a Tribe of Red Indians in America is a very old movie from 1910. It's a silent film, which means it had no spoken words. Instead, it used music and text cards to tell the story. This film was made in the United States and was directed by James Young Deer. He also wrote the story, but his name wasn't shown in the movie credits. His wife, Lillian St. Cyr, was listed as playing the main character, "White Fawn." However, some people think she might not have been the actress.

This movie is special because it's the oldest film we still have that was directed by a Native American. It was also one of the first movies that a French company called Pathé made in America. In 2008, White Fawn's Devotion was added to the United States National Film Registry. This means it's considered very important for its history, culture, or artistic value.

What the Movie is About

This film tells a dramatic story set in the Dakotas. A settler, who is a person who moves to a new area, finds out he will get a lot of money. His Native American wife, White Fawn, becomes very worried. She thinks that if her husband goes back East to get his money, he will leave her.

In her sadness, White Fawn makes a desperate choice that causes her to appear lifeless. Her husband finds her and removes a knife, but their daughter sees him with the knife and her mother seemingly dead. The daughter believes her father hurt her mother. She quickly tells the nearby Native American village.

Several people from the village then chase the settler. When they catch him, they plan to punish him. But then, White Fawn amazingly comes back to life! She explains what really happened to everyone. This ending, where a couple from different backgrounds stays together, was very rare in movies from this time.

How the Movie Was Made

James Young Deer, also known as J. Younger Johnston, is thought to be the first Native American film director. His family were members of the Nanticoke people from Delaware.

The Pathé Frères company hired Young Deer to direct movies and write stories. He often worked with his wife, Lillian St. Cyr, who was an actress known as Princess Red Wing. James Young Deer made more than 100 movies in his career. White Fawn's Devotion is one of his many films.

See also

In Spanish: White Fawn's Devotion para niños