Reclaiming the narrative: Native American representation, images, and storytelling in contemporary film and media

Abstract

Historically, Native American characters and stories have been fraught with stereotypes and misrepresentation. Previous research has demonstrated Native Americans remain significantly underrepresented in mainstream media and are frequently portrayed through historical or clichéd narratives that fail to reflect the complexity of contemporary Native American life. Scholarship on media sovereignty has emphasized the importance of Native American participation in storytelling and visual production. As the number of Indigenous and Native American projects reaching mainstream media has peaked in recent years, questions remain regarding how audiences perceive these portrayals and how Native American media professionals navigate the entertainment industry.In this mixed-method study, the researcher employed a qualitative research design informed by Indigenous Research Methodologies (IRMs). The study conducted semi- structured interviews with nine Native Americans with experience in the entertainment industry. In addition, survey research examined audience attitudes toward Native American representation, authenticity, realism, stereotyping, and Native involvement in writing and directing. Interview participants stressed the importance of expanding Native representation beyond conventional narratives, advocating for more contemporary and nuanced portrayals that more accurately reflect the complexity of the Native American experience. Overall, these findings provided an important foundation for understanding how Native American media professionals navigate the industry as well as how audiences react to it. The survey findings similarly emphasized the importance of creative agency in Native American projects. Audiences generally perceived Native American representation as improving. However, respondents reported concerns regarding stereotypes, lack of complexity, and limited contemporary representation. Interview and survey findings suggest meaningful representation extends beyond visibility alone and requires Native involvement in writing and directing Native American stories. This study contributes to existing scholarship regarding media sovereignty by combining the lived experiences of Native American media professionals with audience perspectives. However, the study is limited by its reliance on online survey recruitment and a non-random sample, which may not fully represent broader audience populations. Similarly, the limited number of interviews does not represent the diversity of all Native American tribes, each of which are distinct. Future research should continue documenting Native American experiences in the entertainment industry. In addition, research should continue examining Native American films, television shows, and streaming content in conjunction with audience reception.