Media reflects and influences national culture. Whether in the form of films, books, art, or music, media is both inspired by the society that created it and can alter the perspectives of those who consume it. When scholars write about the origins of a movement, they’re taking a side over which came first—the media that produced the movement or the movement that inspired the media.

Reviewing a collection of films from a shared moment in time enables us to see patterns in the national zeitgeist. The films on this list tell unique and effecting individual stories, but they also collectively offer an inflection point. As always, I’m honored to share some films that can influence conversations in classrooms, dorm rooms, living rooms, and beyond.

Bearing Witness: Native American Voices in Hollywood is a documentary that examines the evolution of the depictions of Native Americans in film over the past 100 years. Weaving commentary from Indigenous actors and scholars, the film traces how Native people were presented in villainous roles at the same time that federal policies were taking their land and attacking their culture. The shift to sympathetic cinematic representations of America’s first citizens built stories of resistance during the rise of the 1960s-1970s Red Power Movement. More didactic than previous entries into this genre, the documentary crescendos with how Native people are asserting sovereignty over how their images and stories are being projected upon the silver screen today. (YouTube)

Hey, Vikctor! is a Canadian mockumentary comedy co-written, staring, and directed by Cree citizen Cody Lightning who played Young Victor Joseph in the seminal film Smoke Signals. This sequel-of-sorts imagines a fictionalized version of his life 25 years later. In the film, Lightning endeavors to restart his stalled career by producing and starring in a sequel to the celebrated Adam Beach-led drama. Raunchy, unapologetic, and drenched in satire, the film blends ridiculous plot points with heartfelt moments. Both affirming and dismissing nostalgia, Lightning’s latest is a must-see for people of a certain age who still shout “Hey, Vikctor!” to their friends-in-the-know. (Amazon Prime)

Bad River is a documentary that shares some of the stories of how the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin have fought to defend their land and people. Focusing on the Line 5 Pipeline that an energy company installed 70 decades earlier, the film illustrates how the United States has placed non-Native economic development over the sovereignty of tribal nations. Revealing stories of malfeasance, racism, and cultural elitism on both a local and national level, the film shares interviews with survivors who are unwavering in their tenacity to protect the physical and cultural gifts the Creator has given them and their descendants. Rich in breathtaking cinema, this documentary is as stunning as it is impactful. (Peacock)

Jazzy is a fictional film depicting the realities of how childhood friendship transforms during young adulthood. Focusing on a young Oglala Lakota girl growing up in Spearfish, South Dakota, named Jasmine “Jazzy” Bearkiller Shangreaux (playing herself), the film explores how lives and perspectives morph between the ages of six and 12. From finding some independence from her parents, to navigating the politics of an unrequited love interest, to the reality that adolescent friendships can derail at a moment’s notice, the film centers on the young women literally and figuratively, with the adults remaining out of the frame. A powerful examination of a time not captured in film often, this is a rich exploration of the first steps girls take on their road to adulthood. (Hulu)

Blood & Myth explores the true story of Iñupiat actor Teddy Kyle Smith’s trial and conviction for the attempted murder of two brothers. Smith claims that he shot the two men while they were out hunting because he believed they were little people named ińukuns, whom his tribal culture states live in the tundra and are endowed with non-human powers. Smith was on the run at the time of the shooting, fleeing from his mother’s house after her sudden, unexpected death. Although no evidence of foul play was uncovered during the investigation of her passing, Smith stated he feared that he’d be charged with her death. Revealing both Smith’s life and culture, the film challenges audiences to consider the mindset of a once-admired man’s darkest moments. (Hulu)

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National culture is perpetually in a state of flux, expanding and contracting both because of and alongside of the media it creates. The films on this list offer viewers ideas to ponder which stretch far beyond their streaming services. May they each influence you in a good way as we begin another year on Turtle Island.  

Ryan Winn, PhD, teaches in the Liberal Studies Department at College of Menominee Nation. 

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the Inquisitive Academic or any other opinion columns published by the Tribal College Journal (TCJ) do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TCJ or the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.