Hollywood saw the North West Mounted Police with a romantic eye. They were handsome, dashing, brave, loyal, tough, proudly Canadian and every woman's dream. Conversely, they were also sometimes seen as bumbling, humourous and foolish. Unfortunately, Hollywood's image of the Indigenous people of North America is quite different. They were the villians, blood-thirsty and dirty. Sometimes, they were portrayed as the 'noble savage'. No matter how the Mounties or Indigenous people were portrayed, it was a stereotypical portrayal - one that did not show the reality of whom these people were.
Look at the following clips. How have the people here been portrayed?
"North West Mounted Police" (1940)
"Rose Marie" (1954)
"Dudley Do Right" (1999)
"Due South"
"Monty Python's Flying Circus"
"The Lone Ranger" (1956)
It is important to remember when you are watching television or movies that they are someone else's opinion and not fact. Look at the following links to find more factual information about the Mounties:
Click here.
For more information on the Metis:
Click here
For more information on the Plains people:
Click here.
In partners, choose one of the above three groups of people. On your blog, write the outline of a movie or tv program that would show the reality of the group you have chosen and not a stereotype. Include factual information and remember that your characters should portray "real" people, not just historical figures that you have read about or stereotypes that you might see in a Hollywood film.
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