Native Americans History in “Thunder Heart” Movie

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Table of Contents

Issues
Other Implications
Conclusion
Works Cited

Thunder Heart is a movie that was shot in 1992 (“Thunderheart” par. 1). It is a film that reveals how Native American culture was perceived at that time in the country. Also, with the gradual development of the plot, the viewer can understand the way the cultural heritage was viewed throughout the years in the USA. The main point of the film is that historical events and their importance are formed during a long period, and they are directly linked to the ideas that become dominant. It should be stated that the historical significance of lands and the population living on it during centuries should not be underestimated and cannot remain underdeveloped notwithstanding the contradicting political views as they might hinder the cultural, social, and economic progress of the country and the society.

Issues

The objective of the film is to depict the exploitative policies that were imposed by the US government on the natives and that the only way people could stand for their civil rights was to protest. Further on, it explores such crucial topics as discrimination and oppression and the corresponding response to these events reflected in the political activism of the residents. It should be noted that the film vividly shows the civil movement of the native population, which was characteristic of the latest decades. The American Indian activism of that time strived for uniting the native population of the USA. It was especially intense in such historically significant places like Minnesota and Minneapolis (“American Indian History” par. 1).

As evidenced by the movie, the natives strived for achieving sovereignty and spirituality, which were also the core tenets of the civil movement in 1968. Consequently, it can be stated that the film was aimed at reflecting the historical perspective on this issue and it tried to express an idea that it takes rather a long time to make the views change. To be more precise, the movie highlighted the problems that the native population faced due to inefficient urban centers such as Minneapolis. The movement tried to respond to the existing issues and attract attention to the fact that the native population that historically inhabited the territory had to overcome rather adverse obstacles to be able to live and function in the society (Koppisch par. 2). For instance, the movie vividly depicted such problems as poor housing and poverty. More importantly, many of the people faced police harassment. Thus, the political activism of the American Native population had to meet strong opposition from the government notwithstanding the underlying reasons for their civil movement.

Other Implications

In general, the movie raises several questions that are related to the issues of urban planning. It should be noted that it takes time for cities to develop, and the population, as well as all the units of the city, have to escalate simultaneously to be able to reveal a positive tendency. Also, the development of a city is dependent on human growth. In its turn, it is gradually formed by cultures and institutional values. These values reveal the significance of historical structures and cultural patterns that are transformed during rather a long period (Koppisch par. 4). All of the values are country-specific; however, many of the issues faced in small towns are general. Consequently, the movie depicted the typical problems faced by many people around the world.

Moreover, the film raises such crucial issues like the mainstream political system and its effects on the culture of the native population and their way of living. It allows the viewer to analyze his or her judgment of other cultures and the ability to understand and accept them. Moreover, it dwells upon such problems that are actually at present, which are politics and corruption. The movie forces people to realize that many people are not aware enough of the historical heritage and rich background that Native American culture carries throughout history (“4 Facts About Native American Reservations” par. 16). Needless to say that even though many people might be knowledgeable about it, they might not understand it correctly. Unfortunately, urban centers facilitate the gap between historical events, city structures, and populations. It should be noted that one of the aims of the movie is to promote cultural awakening and awareness. Through the scenes of the movie, the viewers gain an understanding of the assimilation processes and the importance of social networking, which is often problematic in small towns.

As it was mentioned earlier, Thunder Heart dwells upon government officials and the way they cooperate with the natives. The difference between the two opposing sides has been intensified with the particular depiction of the reservation desolation and the beauty of the territory. Apart from the environment, the residents experience internal tension between each other. As shown in the movie, the territory is parted in government and anti-government factions. Part of the residents (ARM) strives for reconstructing the chief system, preserving the culture, and securing the territory as it has always been (“4 Facts About Native American Reservations” par. 11). The opposing party has different perceptions and most importantly, the government has supported it. With this political bilateralism, the movie makes the reservation residents more understandable to the viewers as the same political diversity is acute at present.

Thunder Heart is a movie that constantly contrasts the substandard of living, the feeling of despair, and the utmost poverty with the beauty of nature. It also compares the past and the present in the faces of the Native Americans that preserve their identity and the other representatives of the population that support the contemporary views. The main heroes who are both police officers represent the two contrasting parts of the population and their approaches to investigating clash while the officer representing the contemporary society rejects the ideas proposed by the police officer who secures and honors the historical background and the heritage of the US (“Thunderheart” par. 2).

Conclusion

The Indian reservations still encounter the same problems as raised by the movie. In the 20th century, when the tribes were accommodated with energy, a contradiction emerged in some of the states due to the issues of ownership. Even though many of the territories are still inhabited by the native population, it remains undeveloped. The majority of Native Americans do not have enough resources for adequate living; they have insufficient health care provision and limited opportunities for employment and education, which are all the outcomes of the governmental policies. Thunder Heart allows every person to assess the importance of securing and developing historical heritage as an essential part of the contemporary country.