Native Americans worried about stereotypes in new "Lone Ranger" film

Johnny Deep as Tonto and Armie Hammer as John Reid in Disney's "Lone Ranger."

/ Disney/Bruckheimer Films

(CBS/AP) The making of a new "Lone Ranger" Disney movie, and the announcement that Johnny Depp is playing sidekick Tonto, have reawakened feelings about a character that has drawn much criticism over the years as being a Hollywood creation guilty of spreading stereotypes.

The film is still in production, but the Native American community has been abuzz about it for months, with many sharing opinions online and a national Native publication running an occasional series on the topic.

Some Native Americans welcome the new movie, which is slated for release next summer. Parts were filmed on the Navajo Nation with the tribe's support, and an Oklahoma tribe recently made Depp an honorary member.

But for others, the "Lone Ranger" represents a lingering sore spot - one that goes back to the 1950s television version of Tonto, who spoke in broken English, wore buckskin and lacked any real cultural traits.

Depp's role attracted particular attention in April when producer Jerry Bruckheimer tweeted a picture of the actor in his Tonto costume. He had on black and white face paint, an intense gaze, a black bird attached to his head and plenty of decorative feathers.

"The moment it hit my Facebook newsfeed, the updates from my friends went nutso," wrote Natanya Ann Pulley, a doctorate student at University of Utah, in an essay for the online magazine McSweeney's.

For Pulley and her friends, the portrayal of Native Americans in Western movies is getting old.

"I'm worried about the Tonto figure becoming a parody or a commercialized figure that doesn't have any dimension or depth. Or consideration for contemporary context of Native Americans," she said.

But Native Americans are far from a monolithic group, and many are opening their arms to the new movie. Some are just excited to see Depp take the role.

In New Mexico, where some of the movie was filmed, the Navajo presented Depp, his co-star Armie Hammer, director Gore Verbinski and Bruckheimer with Pendleton blankets to welcome them to their land. Elsewhere, the Comanche people of Oklahoma made Depp, one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, an honorary member.

"In my niece's mind, I met Jack Sparrow," said Emerald Dahozy, spokeswoman for Navajo President Ben Shelly and a member of the Navajo group who met with Depp. "My personal view, I like him playing in a character which he can embody well."

Dahozy said the "Lone Ranger" production brought something more palpable to the reservation: money. The actors and the large crew lived on Navajo land, eating at local restaurants and staying in towns that rely heavily on tourism.

Disney representatives declined to comment, but Depp has said the film will be a "sort of rock `n' roll version of the Lone Ranger" with his Tonto offering a different take from the 1950s show.

Cheyenne and Arapaho filmmaker Chris Eyre is willing to give the actor a chance.

"Based on Johnny Depp as an artist, and him going all the way and making this film happen, in my book (he) deserves some credit," Eyre told Indian Country Today for its occasional "Tonto Files" series. "He wants to change the view of Tonto, and he put his reputation and his career on the line."

[venusvegasvada]

What exactly were they going for with the new Tonto look/outfit?

He looks HILARIOUS. That bird on his head is screaming "comic relief".

I'm sort of half expecting him to stagger around, half drunk all the time, like Pirates of the Caribbean with a lot of slap-stick humor, almost getting killed every 5 minutes but always dodges the bullet. Sort of like one of the three stooges.

If they were going for something else, you got me. What was it?

[MickKegeon]

Maybe they should portray Tonto as running a gambling saloon. A prelude to the "Casino" Nations.

[norcalruss]

Putting a white actor in brown/yellow/red/black face has become outdated. Couldn't they at least have found a Native American ( Or someone who look more like one than Johnny Dep) for the Tonto role?

[TJAmmons]

Actually, Johnny Depp is 1/4th Cherokee and an official (not honorary) member of the western Cherokee Nation. That makes him more likely to fit the role better than most actors. Besides that, I'm pretty sure he financed most, if not all of this film because he wanted to play Tonto.

[imnho]

I want to see the ecene where Tonto says," What do you me we Kimosabe?"

[odgnj5]

When the Wayans did white chicks or when Eddie Murphy played a jew I didn't see an uproar in the community. The problem is people are overly sensitive on how they are portrayed. Actors act for a living. I don't know why people should discriminate actors based on the color of their skin. It seems to me a double standard.

[davcor2]

Have to agree with ratzbutt. My parents were immigrants from Italy and loved to watch Jay Carroll Nash portray "Luigi" on TV. They never fest embaressed or upset. For that matter, neither did I. I only remember laughing a lot. Sid Ceasar made a great living mimicking different languages and cultures. So I say, GET OVER It !

[brewergal]

That "stupid bird is in this authentic portrait of a Plains Indian warrior of the 1800's.

http://www.spaulforrest.com/2011/03/quick-facts-native-americans.html

[AlBlack52]

It might be that it was because of the authentic portrayal of a plains Indian that Johnny Depp was adopted by the Comanche tribe as an honorary member. People should give him the benefit of the doubt.

[venusvegasvada]

Well you don't say.

It's hard to imagine how that look fell out of fashion.

It defiantly says "look at me" in an 10000 BC to 1800 AD sort of way.

It also says, "Relax, I've got dinner covered" too. Sort of like an early version of the "Hungry Man" dinner.

[raboz]

How about starting with the name Tonto. In Spanish "tonto" means stupid, dumb or an idiot.

[Scimajor]

Yes and I'm sure I could find any number of other languages for which Tonto means something else. What's your point again?

[thetruthwillout]

Johnny Depp likes to shock people. He refuses to play a serious role because I guess he doesn't take himself seriously. If people are concerned about the stereotypes, look at the Godfather movies and the Sopranos. Italians are always being stereotyped and no one cares. Get over it; it's a movie, for crying out loud. If you don't like it, don't see the movie.

[ratsbutt]

Jay was World War II and early post war radio and television....The US just a few years back interned thousands of Japanese Americans living in California, while letting American Italians and American Germans run free. On Radio and later TV we had Amos and Andy. We had "Charley Chan"...the wiley Chinese detective. The point is this; without the break through actors, we would have been the same anglo saxon kids of a long gone England we were back then.