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James Young DeerWhite Fawn's Devotion (1910)

Likely the earliest film produced by a Native American.

Preserved by the Library of Congress.


This movie is part of the collection: Feature Films

Director: James Young Deer
Audio/Visual: silent, black & white

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: martin godinez - - January 7, 2009
Subject: Red Indian's Ignorance
The Red Indian's anger to kill this settler illustrates in a sense why many people think indians are sometimes ignorant. Indians did not have the time to develop a philosophy about how to resolve problems in society. They only act without questioning things. Here, they only though the setller was the murder without doing a little investigation about it. Moreover, I think the film demostrates how sometimes indians commited many errors since they did not reason before doing things.

Reviewer: Verified1 - - November 6, 2007
Subject: Disturbing
I found this film disturbing on a few levels. The Indians are ultimately portrayed as cruel and unreasoning, even with the child. Perhaps because she is not "full-blooded"? The Anglo settler is portrayed as the victim. It's hard to say more without giving away the ending, but if this was made by Indians, I think there was quite a bit of self-loathing and stereotyping going on here. Worth watching if only to explore these attitudes.

Reviewer: dudeman5685 - - June 21, 2007
Subject: The west from a different point of view...
This 1910 short, the first by an American Indian director, and made whithin living memory of wounded knee, shows the west from a different perspective than either the white triumphalist or white guilty conscience. It is actually from the view point of the Indians.

The plot revolves around a settler who married a native woman and had a child. When he learns that he has inherited a fortune, and has to go away to claim it, she appears to kill herself. When his daughter sees him with the bloody knife, she informs the tribe.

The rest or the movie revolves around the tribe chasing the settler across the plains to avenge her.

Wheres Johnnie Cochran when you need him?

Reviewer: B&W - - March 13, 2007
Subject: through forests down cliffs
the chief sure can run fast. i thought this a fast paced short that is kind of dark. but it is cute and easy to watch.