Native film-maker wants to inspire others

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In the entertainment industry they call him the 'Indian Police' because of his continuous fight to keep the images of Native Americans on film and television as true to life as possible

Sonny Skyhawk, a well-known Los Angeles-based Native film-maker from the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, believes the lack of contemporary Native American images on the three major U.S. networks is the reason he continues to confront the industry.

"In Hollywood and amongst the industry, I'm jokingly known as the "Indian Police. I take that with a grain of salt, because if standing up for your beliefs and where you come from is wrong, then I'm glad I'm doing it."

Skyhawk was in Edmonton Nov. 5 to 9 to participate in the Dreamspeakers Film Festival, which for the first time was held under the banner of the 2003 Global Visions Film Festival, the oldest documentary film festival in Canada, and one of only three in the country presenting documentaries alone since 1980. He also serves as a consultant to the ABC network. He is founder and president of the advocacy group American Indians in Film and Television.

His latest documentary, The World of American Indian Dance, had its Canadian premiere at Dreamspeakers. It is a look into the styles and artistry of traditional dances we now see at powwows throughout North America.

The film footage was captured at North America's oldest modern powwow, the Crow Fair at the Crow Indian Agency of Montana.

Skyhawk was the executive consultant on the ABC miniseries Dreamkeeper that will air on the network this Dec. 28 and 29. Dreamkeeper is a coming-of-age story about a Lakota grandfather who fears for his 17-year-old grandson, who owes money to a gang he is involved in. They travel cross-country to a gathering in New Mexico, and the grandfather takes advantage of their time together to recount the ancient stories and cultural teachings of his people.

Skyhawk expressed that asking permission and using the right protocol is the way he approaches filming.

"If we're going to film within First Nations, I always talk to members and the Elders and explain to them exactly why we're filming in their area. We are just the vehicles; the Elders are the story and they tell the stories through their eyes," said Skyhawk.

Skyhawk's was raised by his grandparents and with the values of their teachings. Growing up, Skyhawk experienced a great deal of racism. As an actor, now producer, he believes racism is a disease that is fed by the lack of knowledge and through his interest in utilizing television and film he can enlighten the masses of who we are as a people.

Skyhawk has appeared in such motion pictures as Geronimo: An American Legend, Young Guns II and television episodes of Little House on the Prairie and Magnum P.I.

Skyhawk acknowledged it's his generation's duty to improve life for the next generation of actors, as did the earlier Native actors in the 40s and 50s, including Luther Standing Bear, Eddie Little Sky and Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto in the Lone Ranger television series.

Actors like those mentioned have paved the way for others, said Skyhawk.

"These are the people I owe my aspirations to. They were the first ones that represented us on TV. It was because of these actors that today we see a whole new generation of Native actors, producers, directors, like Graham Greene, Adam Beach, Zacharias Kunuk and Tantoo Cardinal."

Skyhawk does not draw distinctions between First Nations and Native Americans because of the border between Canada and the U.S. because in his words, "We are all one."

"My contribution is to tell stories that are compelling, interesting and to educate people. My quest as a film-maker is to introduce stories of who we are in a contemporary setting. We owe it our ancestors and the price they paid."

As president and founder of American Indians in Film and Television, Skyhawk is promoting North American Indians in the entertainment industry by spreading th word that American networks like ABC and Fox are providing various internships at colleges in California for aspiring film-makers, writers, and producers.

"They are instituting these internships for Aboriginal people to give them a chance to tell their stories and ideas," said Skyhawk. "Be persistent and don't take no for an answer."