A Brief History
On September 23, 1981, Hollywood lost one of its iconic actors when Chief Dan George died at the age of 82. Born Geswanouth Slahoot to the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in Canada, he was the chief of his band from 1951 to 1963, giving his anglicized name credibility.
Digging Deeper
George is one of many Native Americans to find success on TV and in movies, another being Julia Jones, of Choctaw and Chickasaw heritage. A veteran of about 20 movies and several TV shows, she has had roles in the Twilight movie series and the Dexter: New Blood cable series.
Another Canadian of Native American descent, Adam Beach claims Saulteaux Anishinaabe heritage and has starred in more than four dozen movies and many TV shows. He plays Native American characters and even a DC Comics villain, Slipkinot.
A Native American activist, Russell Means adapted to film from 1992 to 2004, and beyond on TV. He was of Oglala Lakota heritage.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Who is the greatest Native American actor?
If you liked this article and would like to receive notifications of new articles, please feel welcome to follow History and Headlines on Facebook and X!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
George, Dan and Helmut Hirnschall. The Best of Chief Dan George. Hancock House Publishers, 2017.
King, E. Dennis. Native American Movie Actors. Kindle, 2020.
