In Part 5 of my bi-weekly essay series RHINESTONE COWBOYS at The Coil, I write about the lack of Native American representation and the erased role of the “other” in Western films:The pulp stories — and tall tales — that lived on before westward expansion and through today are, too often, harmful stereotypes. We learn in history classes so little about the West and then fill that vacuum with everything gobbled up in popular culture — it’s unlike any other genre in any other medium, perpetuating dangerous misunderstandings and racist stereotypes.
You can read the previous chapters here:
Coming in Part 6: Richard Harris in Unforgiven and Revisionist Westerns.