In the 1970s, new Westerns like Little Big Man, Soldier Blue, and A Man Called Horse promised moviegoers a more truthful, sympathetic picture of American Indian life and history than those found in earlier movies. Did they deliver? This talk places these 70s Westerns within the longer story of how the genre has portrayed America’s indigenous peoples, from the “pro-Indian” Westerns of the 1950s to the films of today. Along the way, it considers what changed, what hasn’t, and why the image of the “Hollywood Indian” has proven too hard to shake.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western.

Program Info:

Wednesday, Dec 2. 2026
3:00 p.m.
FREE for Museum Members (Members, log-in first to reserve tickets)
FREE with Museum Admission
$10 for just the program