Genocide in America

8:42 minutes

Democracy Now!

Why did the U.S. military use the code phrase "Geronimo EKIA" when reporting that Osama bin Laden had become an "Enemy Killed In Action," and what are the consequences of equating a legendary Apache leader with a terrorist? Why are there U.S. helicopters named Apache, Commanche, and Blackhawk, and missiles named Tomahawk? This segment of Democracy Now! explores these questions with Winona LaDuke, author of The Militarization of Indian Country.

5:07 minutes

Bastard Fairy Films

This excerpt from The Canary Effect debunks several myths concerning Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of America. The video also describes what happened after Columbus's second voyage to the Americas, when Spanish soldiers tortured Native people and burned them at the stake in an effort to obtain gold.

5:30 minutes

Mel-O-Toons

This 1960 children's cartoon teaches that "a mapmaker named Christopher Columbus had an idea" that the earth was round rather than flat (in reality, Greek mathematician Pythagoras had reached this conclusion by the 6th Century BC). In addition to valorizing Christopher Columbus, the cartoon relies heavily on racial stereotypes of Native people.

5:21 minutes

Starz! Encore Entertainment

Movies, television programs, and cartoons often stereotype Native Americans as bloodthirsty savages, stoic chiefs, wise medicine men, or submissive Indian princesses. In this video clip, experts discuss the causes and consequences of these racial stereotypes.

5:27 minutes

Rich-Heape Films, Inc.

In this clip, Andrew Windyboy recounts how he was forced to attend Indian boarding schools as a child growing up in the Dakotas. While at these schools, his hair was cut off and he was beaten if he tried to speak his native language instead of English. As he explains in the video, however, "We have to have our own language, because... when we talk to our spirits, they don't understand English."

10:41 minutes

Cable Public Affairs Channel

This clip shows Canadian ministers formally apologizing for "a sad chapter in our history" in which indigenous children "were often forcibly removed from their homes" and suffered "emotional, physical, and sexual abuse" in Indian residential schools. Following these apologies, Native leaders declare that the event "signifies a new dawn" that will help "mark the end of this dark period."

2:44 minutes

Rich-Heape Films, Inc.

This video examines the poor quality of Native American health and healthcare. As Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell points out, the U.S. government spends more money per person on healthcare for convicted murderers than for Native Americans, even though the U.S. government is legally obligated to provide healthcare for Native Americans.

2:35 minutes

Todd County High School

Produced by Lakota students on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, this video vividly shows that Native Americans are more than stereotypes. Displaying words written on their bodies -- "individuality," "personality," "humor," "passion" -- the video moves beyond media images of Indians as poor, powerless, uneducated victims. For a National Public Radio story on the video, visit:

• Through Video, Lakota Students Reject Stereotypes