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According to Frank T. Hopkins’ biography, he was descended from a white father (who, coincidentally, was the only white survivor of Little Big Horn massacre) and a Lakota mother (who, coincidentally, was the chief’s daughter and a real Indian princess) (O’Reilly 2003). These two “facts” should have caused Fusco to stop and double check the historical record on Hopkins; however, it appears Fusco chose to believe Hopkins’ claims about his glorious past. When Vine Deloria Jr., noted Lakota scholar, was contacted by the Long Riders Guild about Hopkins’ claim of Lakota descent, he responded with the following: “Hopkins’ claims are so outrageously false that one wonders why the Disney people were attracted to this material at all….The problem is that these distortions of Indian history, the slandering of famous chiefs and leaders, and the presentation of these lies as history cannot be easily erased once they are promulgated as fact……But Hollywood in all its fictional ventures of the past has never treated history with just such a dismissive attitude” (O’Reilly 2003).
On the Road to "Hidalgo": Native American Representation and Performance
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According to Viggo Mortensen, tampering and tinkering are “what we do, it is what it means to be alive” (2003). Anthropologists are perhaps more aware of the costs and consequences of this tinkering than most. Performance, whether in film or in still photographs, serves the purpose of fostering a sense of collective identity and communal feelings among the viewers (Sponsler 1992).
So, what happens when Lakota history and culture is distorted and presented as a true story about a mixed-blood who likely was not Lakota (or even Native) at all? Not only is the Native American viewer damaged by this mis-representation, so is the non-Native whose perception of Native history has also been “tinkered” with. Ultimately, the complex truth of Wounded Knee is lost because, according to Disney, one mixed-blood Lakota dispatch rider unknowingly caused the Wounded Knee massacre. The audience and those on the screen have become victims of the camera. This same victimization happens when one mixed-blood Lakota, who was likely never present at these events, is given the stage to tell the story. The audience has become a tourist in an historical drive by event.
Rodney Grant stated eleven years ago if the white man did not tell the story, it would not be told. Mr. Grant is somewhat correct because, despite the growth of the Native film industry since Dances with Wolves, the non-Indian film industry still has superior means to create and tell “the Indian story.” This means to create should not give non-Indians the artistic license to shape-shift Native history to make it more commercially successful.
- 1 vote
#1 - Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:10 PM ESTI always find it interesting and disgusting that the liberal bastion of Hollywood rants about discrimination but have for decades screwed over Native Americans.
This is hypocrisy at it's best. It is why I have no use for Hollywood or it's hypocrites.
They make up history as they go alone, as long as it fits their view of NA's, which is at best slanted to a white viewpoint, or outright lies.
Thanks for the post Loretta.
- 2 votes
#2 - Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:43 PM ESTI found this article this morning while researching an article. I did not see the movie, but it still saddened me to hear it was based on fiction. Why didn't they back off and drop the "true story" tag line? There would have been no shame in that. As it is, my view of Disney has dropped considerably.
The quote about not making a movie about NAs unless it is told from the white perspective saddens me. What a treasure we are losing by that discrimination.
- 1 vote
Loretta, the Seneca Nations is financing a movie entitled ''First Allies''...The true story of Geo. Washington at Valley Forge and the role that the Seneca Nation played in saving his and his troops ass that winter.
It is also the story of Polly Cooper (Seneca) that was instrumental in helping the soldiers and the Seneca that fought against the British. "Polly Coopers Shawl'' is an important part of American history yet few know about it.
- 3 votes
I didn't know about the role of the Seneca or her, let alone her shawl. That's great news. I hope it does really well so there will be financing for more.
- 3 votes
When I was the President of the American Indian Association of Florida, Disney invited me and a few members of the Seminole, Miccasukee and Poarch Creek to view their version of Pocohontas in 1994 to make sure they were pretty close to the mark with their rendition. They also brought in some members of the Chicahominy, Nansmond, Tuscarora, Pammonkey(msp) and Mattiponi tribes as they were part of the Powahtan Confederation. All of us agreed, except for a few minor concerns, the film was good to go. However, the later film/movie that showed the naked beauty after her swim at the base of the falls definitely would not have made it through our review. But, at least Disney tried once.
- 2 votes
#3 - Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:10 PM ESTMovie makers make entertainment, they do not and never have striven to recreate "true" history. The movie "Pearl Harbor" for example has little to do with the historical events of that day; it is almost totally fiction, as is every John Wayne movie ever made, and pretty much any war movie ever made. Do Shakespeare's plays reflect true history, or instead is history merely a device to set the stage for the action.
Was Hidalgo true? Frank Hopkins said it was. Did he lie? Some say he did. Do WE know the truth? I sure don't, and I am well aware that the history as told by the victor in battle is dramatically different than the scraps of stories told by the vanquished.
And Disney is well known for changing stories to suit its entertainment needs. Go back and watch the fairy tales set to life, then read the story tales from which they sprang--the differences are massive, even though Disney had a script to work from which to work.
#4 - Thu Feb 2, 2012 2:05 AM ESTWas Hidalgo true? Frank Hopkins said it was. Did he lie? Some say he did. Do WE know the truth? I sure don't
If you read the article I seeded, you'll know it isn't true. The "facts" by Hopkins are lies. They never happened.
If Disney has not attached "true story" to the film, then they would be in the clear but when they claim "true story" knowing full well it is fiction, then the criticism is legitimate.
As to the fairy tales, isn't that a whole different ball of wax? Changing mythology is done all the time, including within religions. The mythology in the Bible was taken from the mythology of previous cultures, changed a bit to suit the Biblical culture and is still being changed today. Changing mythology that has never been claimed as fact is far different han claiming something is fact that they know is fiction.
- 1 vote
I did read the article, and the only evidence cited was the hearsay opinion of one Lakota elder. As I said, some say he lied. What is the real story? I have no idea, and Hopkins is dead, and no one is cited in the article as having actually researched the issue. So no, I don't know it isn't true, I know that it is alleged to be false.
Ever watched a historical recreation? These are based "on true events," but that doesn't mean much of anything, and is certainly no affirmation of historical accuracy. Even history is notoriously innacurate, one example being the history of King John of England (Richard the Lionheart's brother). He was portrayed by his original biographers as evil for political reasons, and that same bias appears today. Truth is always a relative thing.
They compare the reality of the events and the fiction of Hopkins. If the fiction cannot be substaniated by the facts of the events, then how can it not be fiction?
Again, why represent it as a "true story" when it is not? There is a difference between taking license with historical events and not claiming historical accuracy and what was claimed about this story. Not even the supposed race in Arabia existed, which is the heart of the story. If the race was not real, then the story was not real, so we're right back where we started. This article published in the Arab News: The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily also detailed the fraudulent claims in the U.S.:
Dr. Awad Al-Badi is the director of research at the prestigious King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. He is also an authority on Western travelers to Arabia over the centuries and has traveled across Europe in search of their records and journals.
With little time for impostors and frauds in this field, Al-Badi has rescued from obscurity several real long riders, equestrian enthusiasts, experts and travelers to Arabia of those times.
“There is no record or reference to Hopkins with or without his mustangs ever having set foot on Arabian soil. The idea of a historic long distance Arab horse race is pure nonsense and flies against all reason. Such an event in Arabia any time in the past is impossible simply from a technical, logistical, cultural and geopolitical point of view. It has never been part of our rich traditions and equestrian heritage,” says Dr. Al-Badi, who has edited and translated four volumes of accounts of travelers to Arabia and has a further four on the way.
BTW, this is not the only article proving the falsehoods in this movie:
Blue Corn Comics -- Hidalgo the Horse Hoax
- 1 vote
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