"Dances With Wolves" Analysis - Illustrate how Native-Americans & Native-American culture is represented in this film differently than in usual media presentations.

The misguided portrayals of Native Americans in the media can be retraced back to outdated Western films. These films had the reoccurring theme of Cowboys versus Indians. Native Americans have been portrayed as thieving, violent, lazy, hostile, uncivilized savages. The White man thought the Natives were undeserving of the lands riches, when in fact their contributions to their environment changed and enriched our world. The White man is portrayed as brave and heroic. Western films …

…and the White soldiers. The Natives killed Lt. Dunbar's wagoneer driver for no apparent reason. Yet, they were welcoming and accepting of Lt. Dunbar. The soldiers were cruel and brutal. However, Lt. Dunbar was understanding and compassionate. The moral of "Dancing with Wolves" that stereotyping is wrong. It follows the cliché, 'Don't judge a book by its cover.' This movie corrects the stereotypes that the media has portrayed over the years.