Research Guides: Native American Studies Resources: Movies & Documentaries

Movies and Documentaries

This list features just a few of the films available in the library's collections. For more, search by title, director, actor, or screenwriter in OneSearch (see below).

Feature Films

Business of Fancydancing (DVD) by Sherman Alexie
Publication Date: 2003
Former Spokane Reservation best friends, Seymour and Aristotle have taken different paths when they are brought together for the funeral of an old friend. Both went off to college; one is now a successful poet, the other returned home embittered. Tensions and resentments flare as they meet again.
Dance Me Outside (DVD) by Bruce McDonald
When the Kidabanessee Reservation in northern Ontario is shocked by a brutal murder of one of the residents, four teenagers find their friendships put to the ultimate test. The struggle to become men and women becomes entangled with a fight for justice as they find their friendships and romances maturing into something unexpected.
Edge of America (DVD) by Chris Eyre
Publication Date: 2005
New man in town Kenny Williams has just accepted a position as an English professor on a reservation in Utah. Finding it hard to fit in with the Native American community, he decides to take on the challenge of coaching the girls' basketball team.
Education of Little Tree (DVD) by Richard Friedenberg
Publication Date: 2002
Little Tree is an 8-year-old Cherokee boy, who, during the time of the depression, loses his parents and goes to live with his mountain-dwelling grandparents and learn the wisdom of the Cherokee way of life.
Skins (DVD) by Chris Eyre
Publication Date: 2003
In the shadow of Mt. Rushmore, lies one of the poorest counties in America, The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For police officer Rudy Yellow Lodge, the painful legacy of Indian existence is brought home every night as he locks up drunk and disorderly Indians, including his own brother. Rudy's frustration leads him to take the law into his own hands. Ultimately, Rudy is able to honor his big brother, and his people with a life-affirming act of defiance.
Smoke Signals (DVD) by Chris Eyre
Publication Date: 2000
Depicts two young Native Americans, Victor and Thomas, who leave their small town to retrieve the remains of Victor's father.

Documentaries

Circle of Stories (Streaming Video) by Hank Rogerson, Jilann Spitzmiller
Publication Date: 2012
This unique and engaging documentary explores the extraordinary diversity and profound contemporary relevance of Native American storytelling. A feast for the eyes, ears, and mind, the film presents eight varied stories from the four directions and seasons. The collection includes "How and Why" stories, teachings from Spirit mentors, lessons in traditional ways, and instructions for environmental preservation.
Dancing in Moccasins: Keeping Native American Traditions Alive (Streaming Video)
Publication Date: 2008
For the nearly two million Native Americans, representing 500 Indian nations, life in the U.S. today is a frustrating struggle to retain their ancient ways while functioning in the modern world, to carve out an identity in an overwhelmingly non-Indian culture. This program examines the needs and problems of today's Native Americans, both those who live on the reservation and those who have chosen the mainstream. The conclusion focuses on celebration and survival as reflected in the continuing tradition of the Powwow.
Dawnland (DVD) by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip
Publication Date: 2018
For decades, child welfare authorities have been forcibly removing Native American children from their homes to 'save' them from being Indian. In Maine, the first official 'truth and reconciliation commission' in the United States begins an unprecedented investigation. Dawnland goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body deals with difficult truths, questions the meaning of reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.
A Good Day to Die (DVD) by David Mueller and Lynn Salt
Publication Date: 2012
Chronicles a movement that started a revolution and inspired a nation. By recounting the life story of Dennis Banks, the Native American who co-founded the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1968 to advocate and protect the rights of American Indians, the film provides an in-depth look at the history and issues surrounding AIM's foundation. Charts the rise and fall of a movement that fought for the civil rights of American Indians.
Thick Dark Fog (DVD) by Randy Vasquez
Walter Littlemoon, a Lakota author and public speaker, attended a federal Indian boarding school in South Dakota 60 years ago. The mission of many of these schools in 1950 was to 'kill the Indian and save the man.' The children were not allowed to speak their language or express their culture or Native identity in any way. This is the story of how Littlemoon confronted his past so that he could renew himself and his community.
Wind River (Streaming Video) by Dru Gunn Carr
Publication Date: 2016
Wind River is a modern-day story of cowboys and Indians. White ranchers on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming are fighting to protect their long-held water rights for irrigated agriculture. The Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes are fighting to save the de-watered Wind River and a part of their own heritage. This is a classic example of the changing face of the West, as environmentalists and Indian activists use the courts in an attempt to curtail some of the traditional, but harmful, practices of white ranchers and farmers.

Finding Videos

This list is only a starting point of videos in this area, not a complete list of videos on the subject. To find other videos on this subject, use the search box on the library's homepage. The search box defaults to OneSearch. To look for videos, toggle over to Videos. This will limit your search to only videos, including streaming media you can watch online and DVDs and Blu-rays.

Find Videos: UVU Fulton Library Homepage
Enter a few search terms, title, or the name of a director/actor into the box, then hit enter or click the magnifying glass. Once your search runs, you can filter your results by clicking the All Filters button under the search box.

Library Help

Call: 801.863.8840
Text: 801.290.8123