To better understand the context of our films and consequent discussion, the following pages offer a research deep dive into a specific context.

Native American Context

This page looks at the history of Native American frontier interactions, as well as an outline of the spiritual beliefs of the specific tribes, particularly the Plains Sioux.

The Abenaki

This page explores the Abenaki tribe of New England and its history before and after colonization.

Revisiting the White Savior Complex

This page examines criteria for “white savior” films, and whether or not Dances with Wolves, Avatar, and related films fall into this category.