But lo and behold, what? 20, 30 years later here, here is a number of us. You know, it wasn't anything that I thought was even possible at the time. But as far as being a part of the production of film, or television, was certainly not a part of my psychology at the time. I met and gave support of their personalities. So we had people like Brando, and all those guys. WES STUDI: Being a part of Wounded Knee takeover, for those of us involved in the movement at that time, media was essentially a tool to get our cause out in the eyes of the public. What do you remember about being there for that, and being part of it? I mean, that's that's an event I've read about. There was more about the action and the adventure of it all.ĮTHAN ALTER: In the 1970s, I mean, you started getting politically active in Native American causes, and you were at Wounded Knee, which is remarkable to me. As a child, I didn't give it that much credence in terms of racial identities at that point in time. You know? And then the gunplay, that was all fun action adventure and all of that. WES STUDI: I really just sort of concentrated on the action, and the horses, especially Westerns. How did you feel when you see those stories on the big screen? He was one of the few that was actually on screens of one kind or another at that time.ĮTHAN ALTER: On the big screen that was obviously the era of classic Westerns with John Wayne, and those sorts of types. So in a way Jay was kind of an avatar, or an outlier avatar of sorts. And my dad said that, well, I don't know how he did it.īut most of the time, you have to be 6 foot tall, blond and blue-eyed to be on television, or in the movies. I must have been seven or eight years old. WES STUDI: That was the first time I ever saw a real native on screen of any kind. I remember seeing Jay Silverheels playing character of Tonto. And it aired sometime in the afternoon after school, as I remember it. WES STUDI: I don't remember exactly when 'The Lone Ranger' was airing on television. What do you remember about the first time you saw Native Americans on screen, in movies and television? Video TranscriptĮTHAN ALTER: You were born in 1947. Studi also looks back on his biggest roles in Dances with Wolves and Last of the Mohicans. Wes Studi talks Native American representation in television and film.

The iron bleep of pawnee