Loren Anthony, a member of the Navajo Nation, who walked off the set of The Ridiculous Six in protest of its depiction of Native people. Photo from Instagram
The controversy over The Ridiculous Six has exposed the lack of career options for Native actors. According to the Screen Actors Guild, Native roles accounted for just 0.3 percent of all on-screen parts in 2008. The figures haven't been updated but prior data shows an extreme lack of options for Native actors. When Native roles do appear, they are often in Western-style movies. That's the issue facing Adam Sandler as the media continues to cover a walk-off among Native actors who were upset with the depiction of Native people in the Netflix production. “Our people are still healing from historical trauma,” Loren Anthony, a member of the Navajo Nation who walked off the set in New Mexico, told The New York Times. “Our youth are still trying to figure out who they are, where they fit in this society. Kids are killing themselves. They’re not proud of who they are.” The only current television productions with Native actors in prominent and supporting roles are The Red Road and Longmire. As for film, The Ridiculous Six cast includes Saginaw Grant (Sac and Fox). Get the Story:
Native American Actors Work to Overcome a Long-Documented Bias (The New York Times 5/5)
Native American actor defends Adam Sandler amid 'The Ridiculous 6' controversy (The New York Daily News 5/5)
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