The focus on Native American characters gives a unique perspective for understanding stereotypes and the interplay of racism, sympathy, and empathy in the historical periods of narrative film. Hilger traces the portrayal of Native Americans, from the silents and early sound films through films of each decade, covering over 800 films. An introduction discusses the traditional images of the Noble Red Man and Savage. The final chapter discusses new images based on tribal identities in recent films such as Powwow Highway . Each of the historical chapters begins with detailed interpretations of representative films such as The Vanishing American , They Died With Their Boots On , Cheyenne Autumn , and Dances With Wolves . With a film title index. This book will be useful not only to students of film but also of history, popular culture, sociology, social work, education, and ethnic studies. Each of the successive chapters opens with a detailed analysis of Native American images in a work representative of a particular period in filmmaking. ( Book News ) A welcome addition to the film literature, libraries may want to use this book as selection tool for their video collections. ( Booklist/Rbb ) Michael Hilger is Professor of English and Film at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has produced video documentaries on the oral history and folk stories of the Lac Court Oreilles Chippewa Band in Wisconsin. He also has published a filmography titled The American Indian in Film (Scarecrow Press, 1986).