Dear John Ford

Dear John Ford,

Quite honestly, I am not a fan of your movie due to the indignant way Natives are portrayed in it. However, I realize the movie aimed to accurately depict general attitudes of the time in which it was produced- nonetheless, let us discuss the stereotypes and depictions of the Indians of the film.
The Natives are portrayed as ruthless savages, violent war-painted men who terrorize white families for no reason. Let me remind you that there is nothing Indians could have done that would have been as terrible as the terrifying exploitation, mistreatment, and brutality from white colonists towards Natives starting in the 15th century. Additionally, it made me quite sad when Ethan grotesquely shot the already dead body of an Indian to damage his eyes to supposedly prevent the man from finding Heaven according to Native believe. Disrespect and ill-wish to the dead is horrifying, and it sheds light on the fact that Ethan's kind truly did not view the Indians as deserving of even a sliver of empathy. In his eyes, an Indian was a barbaric enemy not to ever be confused as another human being.

Sarah

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