Speaker looks at image of American Indians in film

The Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Affairs Office will host the Humanities Montana Speakers Bureau program, “The Changing Image of American Indians in Film,” with writer and lecturer Richard Ellis Jan. 30. 

During the presentation, Ellis will explore how Hollywood’s portrayal of American Indians influences public opinion and how movies reflect changing public attitudes toward Native Americans. He also will share a collection of visual images from movies that provide a catalog of inaccuracies and stereotypes. 

Ellis will invite discussion about whether filmmakers have an obligation to provide historical and cultural accuracy in films about Native Americans. 

Ellis, of Stevensville, holds a Ph.D. in Western American history and has taught at Murray State University, University of New Mexico and Fort Lewis College.

Ellis will deliver the presentation twice on the FVCC campus. Free and open to the public, the first presentation will take place at 10 a.m. in room 144 inside the Arts and Technology Building, and the second will take place at noon in the Board Room inside Blake Hall. Partial funding for the Speakers Bureau program is provided by a legislative grant from Montana’s Cultural Trust and from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information, contact the FVCC Multicultural Affairs Office at 756-3945 or mstembor@fvcc.edu