Oxbow Indians in Backstrom

I recently watched another episode of Backstrom--this one featuring Indians:

Backstrom Recap: Enemy of My Enemies

By Rachel Cruz“Backstrom” Season 1 Episode 7 “Enemy of My Enemies” aired on Thursday, Mar. 5, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. on FOX. The SCU is specifically asked to help in the case of a pipeline bombing, but Backstrom isn’t so keen on the sheriff there.For starters, Sabine the eco-terrorist is revealed to be part Jewish and part Coquille Indian. Backstrom the insensitive lout calls her a Jewish Indian the rest of the episode.

Backstrom guesses she's hiding on the Oxbow Indian Reservation. Coquille is a real Indian tribe, but the Oxbow reservation is fictional. Here are the facts:

Coquille Indian TribeThe Coquille Indian Tribe is the federally recognized Native American tribe of the Coquille people who have traditionally lived on the southern Oregon Coast.

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz, based in Siletz, Oregon, recognize the Coquille people as one of the tribes that make up their confederation.[5] The Confederated Tribes of Siletz continue to live on the Siletz Indian Reservation. In addition, by an Act of Congress in 1996, the Coquille Tribe now has reservation area totaling 6,512 acres (26 km2).So Sabine's people live in southwestern Oregon, not in the Portland area. But she could hide on a reservation near Portland where the police don't have jurisdiction. In short, the setup is plausible.

Good job naming a real tribe--something most TV shows don't do. Yet locating the action on a fictional reservation so the tribe couldn't object. More shows should use this approach.

Oxbow Indians show up four times in this episode, mainly as background:

1) Backstrom and Officer Moto go barreling onto the reservation in search of Sabine. Tribal officer Jessie Rocha (Adam Beach) immediately shows up and orders them to put down their guns. Backstrom and Moto don't respond. A bunch of Native men appear and Rocha says they're deputies. Backstrom and Moto don't respond. One deputy approaches Moto and Moto swings at him, beginning a brawl. Backstrom's father Blue appears and stops the fight.

Every step of this conflict happens much too quickly. In reality, the city police probably would check in with the tribal police. The tribal cops would agree to catch the terrorist with the city cops' help.

Even if Rocha comes on too strong, Backstrom is in the wrong. Moto is especially in the wrong for attacking a tribal deputy on tribal land. I'm not sure many tribes would excuse that.

Blue's Native approach

2) Backstrom's subordinate Niedermeyer is trying to talk Blue into reconciling with his son. They see Rocha take some young Native hooligans away for tribal justice, which means rehabilitation and restoration rather than punishment. Niedermeyer asks what Blue thinks of this and Blue says it seems better than anything the white man has come up with.

When Backstrom sees a photo of Blue shaking hands with Rocha, he's enraged. Presumably because he's a right-winger who thinks jailing people is the only solution to crime. Blue comes off as a peacemaker to Backstrom's warmonger.

3) Blue contacts Backstrom to suggest they cooperate. When Backstrom arrives, Blue is doing a sweat with Niedermeyer and some Indians.

Backstrom says his father is untrustworthy and a liar. He notes how Blue pistol-whipped him when he was a boy. Blue says he was wrong but Backstrom was trying to get his gun. Backstrom storms off. So far Blue has seemed reasonable and Backstrom unreasonable.

4) The anti-government industrialist lands a seaplane on the Oxbow reservation lake to spirit Sabine away. Backstrom and his cops arrive and surround them, but Sabine threatens to blow them all up. The Oxbow cops arrive and everyone points guns at each other. Blue arrives and persuades Sabine to surrender.

Backstrom claims Sabine is his prisoner, not Blue's. He says he deserves the capture because he drove her out of hiding. Blue counters that he knew where to find her in the end. They ask Rocha and he sides with Blue.

Backstrom claims this is an example of Blue's perfidy and the others agree, but I don't buy it. For one thing, Blue talked Sabine into surrendering, which was the toughest accomplishment in this case. For another, Backstrom was out of his jurisdiction, again. When you're basically trespassing on foreign soil, you don't get to claim a prisoner or anything like that. You do as you're told because you're an outsider.

Backstrom didn't like Blue's triumph, but Blue didn't break any rules. I'd say he won fair and square--by using his brains, not his brawn. He earned the victor with his Native approach to policing--working with people rather than trying to dominate them.

Besides, Blue gave Backstrom a chance to cooperate and Backstrom rejected it. Backstrom deserves what he got. So it's silly for everyone to act as if Backstrom's anger at Blue is justified. Based on this episode, it isn't.

Conclusion

If you ignore Backstrom's bigotry, Enemy of My Enemies is a good Native-themed episode. There's nothing too stereotypical about the Indians or their actions. The story's flaws aren't related to them.

Indeed, the Indians seem superior to Backstrom the typical white man. He's so angry that he can't deal with Blue or Rocha, so he doesn't get to share in their success. That's what he gets for being a racist and sexist pig who thinks he's better than everyone.

Adam Beach in Revolution

Revolution Season 2 Spoilers: President of United States to be Revealed; Adam Beach Makes His First Appearance

By Robert ChristieKripke also discussed with the website Adam Beach’s role in the show’s sophomore season. Beach’s character—who appears in tonight’s premiere—like many people in this new world, doesn’t really get along with Miles (Billy Burke) right away.

Beach will play “the sheriff of the town of Willoughby that our heroes stumble into and immediately there’s a little friction with Miles because he senses that there’s [something off],” said Kripke.

He adds that Miles doesn’t use his real name when he arrives in the sheriff’s town to hide his identity. However, the sheriff quickly realizes that something is up.Comment:  Coincidentally (?), I suggested using Natives in Revolution at a meeting last November. If NBC actually listened to me, I'm impressed!

Where's Lou Diamond Phillips?

This led to a brief discussion with a Facebook friend:Have they just got the one, then?ust one Native? Yes. I suggested a whole subculture of Natives, and they came back with one guy playing a sheriff. So they may not have listened to me after all.Well I was asking if they just had the one ACTOR. I mean you seriously start to wonder what they do when Adam Beach and Wes Studi are both busy?Yeah, their overreliance on the same actors is kind of silly. It's not as if this is a Shakespearean role, either. He's a stoic sheriff with about five lines in the first episode.Playing a sheriff? NBC has worked with him before (also playing a cop) so it could just be that they wanted him for the part of the sheriff and the fact that he's Native might be entirely inconsequential.

A stoic Native character with five lines? Was Lou Diamond Phillips already booked?Phillips is doing Longmire, so I think so.

Beach's character may grow. Or he may continue to be a stock character.

Probably the latter. With Miles, Sebastian, and Tom around, the show doesn't need another leading male character.

For more on Revolution, see Revolution and TV Diversity and NBC Diversity Meeting at NBC Universal.

For more on Adam Beach, see The Book that Inspired Beach and Artists Support Idle No More.

The book that inspired Beach

Adam Beach inspired after reading "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"

By Kim WheelerBeach spoke to SCENE about the book that inspired him to look more closely at his own Ojibway roots.

What is the one book you think everyone should read?

In The Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen. It gives an example of reservation life and struggles. In The Spirit of Crazy Horse instilled my native identity. And what I am going to do to stand up for myself.

What do I know about myself? What do I know about being Anishinabe? It's about my own spiritual justice, my own spiritual traditional connection. Why don't I know about this? Who is this? Who am I? It just opened those questions of looking at my internal self.Comment:  Coincidentally, I recently read In The Spirit of Crazy Horse. I'd say it was good but not great.

On the one hand, it presents a persuasive argument that Peltier was railroaded. I'm not sure which was the biggest problem: the government's bias or the defense lawyers' mistakes. But any reasonable juror should've looked at the evidence, almost all circumstantial, and voted not guilty.

On the other hand, Matthiessen goes into way too much detail. You often want and need a chapter summary to know what the takeaway is. By the time you get through an obsessive recounting of some minor character's actions, you wonder what the point was.

Matthiessen didn't have the option in 1992, but for today's authors, I'd say make the book an appealing overview of the Peltier case. Save the exhaustive details for a companion volume, a DVD, or a website. The vast majority of people won't want to know that much about the case.

Some comments on Amazon.com reflect the book's strengths and weaknesses:"A giant of a book ... Indescribably touching, extraordinarily intelligent." --Los Angeles Times Review

"Meticulously researched ... A courageous document." --Boston Globe

"A book of enormous importance ... You have to believe that Crazy Horse would have loved its renegade spirit and unflinching reach for the truth." --Milwaukee JournalBut:While I appreciate the authors attempt to present all the facts, I found most of the book very complicated and difficult to follow. Detailing all of the arrests, trials, convictions, allegations, etc. regarding all the major players (and some of the minor ones) in the movement at the time, while it served to present the climate in which Leonard's conviction took place, left me unable to form any opinion of guilt or innocence.

It's not that this isn't an important book, but many times in the early goings, Peter Matthiessen's 1980 epic account of the American Indian Movement's early days and the prison saga of Leonard Peltier reads like a personal memoir, not objective history.Yeah, there are whole sections where Matthiessen switches from a hard-hitting case study to a touchy-feely memoir of Peltier or someone else involved. I'd drop the latter sections. Inevitably Matthiessen's writing is more interesting than someone's rambling reminiscences.

Rob's rating: 7.5 of 10.

For the issues I address in Newspaper Rock, I'd still recommend Lies My Teacher Told Me or Indian Givers as the best book to read. Other worthwhile books include Shadows of the Indian, Rethinking Columbus, and A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh.

For more on Leonard Peltier, see Common, Moore Speak For Peltier and 43rd National Day of Mourning.

Artists support Idle No More

Idle No More, the SongWith the Idle No More movement continuing to gain momentum, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would see the need for a rallying cry you can dance to.

Aboriginal hip hop artist and comedian Ricky Ogima has created the "Idle No More Song," and it's a catchy ditty that combines imagery from the protests with Ogima's own summary of the message, in which he name-checks Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence:

Some are waiting for the world to end
We come alive with a message to send
One Heartbeat across the land
Moving together to make a stand
Have you heard about Theresa Spence?
Some people think she got no sense
Sacrificing life for the people's cause
All because Government broke our lawsDerek Miller Organizes Benefit and Releases Song in Support of Theresa SpenceBluesman Derek Miller has put together a benefit concert supporting Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, who has been on a hunger strike for three weeks and has inspired a peaceful indigenous uprising under the banner of Idle No More.

The benefit is to take place Saturday night (January 5) at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa. Also on the bill are Digging Roots, Melody McKiver, Jasper, and comedian Don Kelly. Comedian and podcaster Ryan McMahon, who has been an enthusiastic advocate for Idle No More on Twitter (@rmcomedy) and elsewhere, was initially slated to appear, but due to transportation issues will not be able to make the trip to Ottawa.Idle No More in Seattle, a DocumentaryA group of filmmakers has created a short documentary about an Idle No More rally that took place on December 29.

The clip was directed by Dave Wilson, a music-video director who has worked with Brother Ali, Frank Ocean, Atmosphere, Yelawolf, and Evidence. It was produced by Tulalip tribal member and musician Brodie Stevens, aka "Redskin," who also provided music for the film, from footage shot by Ben Hampton. ICTMN contributor and Thing About Skins ringleader Gyasi Ross provides narration, and elder Ramona Bennett gives a moving speech.Chief Spence has the support of Canadian Saulteaux actor Adam BeachCanadian Saulteaux actor Adam Beach took to time to talk about the Idle No More movement while promoting the second season of Arctic Air that airs on APTN.

“I feel Idle No More is a change of consciousness within all of us, especially for Native people, to stand up for ourselves, not play the victim,” said Beach.

He’s reached out to Chief Theresa Spence multiple times and visited her over the holidays. He said he sympathizes with Spence who has been on liquid only hunger strike since Dec. 11.

“My friends are taking care of her and they’re letting me know how she’s feeling,” he said. “I visited her at Christmas to bring that Christmas cheer and peace and harmony in the world we live in. I wanted her to know that someone, like myself, is watching and cares and I want to help in any way.”

For more on Idle No More, see Harper to Meet with Chiefs and Arguments Against Idle No More.

Idle No More in Los Angeles

Footage from the "Idle No More" Rally held in front of the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles, to stand in solidarity with our Canadian and Indigenous relations throughout the world.

With special appearances by Native celebrities Red Cloud, Crystle Lightning, Sam Bearpaw, Adam Beach, and hoop dancer Sage Romero.Idle No More Los Angeles Solidarity Rally



Comment:  For more on Idle No More, see Idle No More Goes International and Idle No More Sweeps Canada.

Beach supports manager convicted of fraud

Actor Adam Beach lends support at convicted immigration officer’s sentencing hearing

By Andrew SeymourAn immigration manager convicted of fraud enlisted star power to help try to convince a judge she deserves house arrest, not jail, for accepting cash and gifts in exchange for fast-tracking applications.

Actor Adam Beach wrote a letter in support of Diane Serré, whose common-law husband is also the father of singer Keshia Chanté.

“Diane is one of the kindest, most sincere people I have ever met,” wrote the Golden Globe-nominated actor who appeared in the Hollywood movies Windtalkers, Flags of Our Fathers and Cowboys and Aliens as well as countless other films and television shows.

Beach, who paid for Serré’s court application to receive government funding to mount a defence, said he had known Serré for a decade. She has been a guest at his house numerous times, he said, and would often attend traditional Aboriginal Powwow celebrations with his family. The day she was arrested, Beach said he visited Serré’s house to perform a cleansing smudge ceremony in offer of spiritual support.

“Diane is a generous, kind-hearted soul who I am very grateful to have had in my life,” Beach wrote. “She is a wonderful example as a successful Aboriginal woman who is spiritually connected to her culture—not only to those who know her well, but to young Aboriginal women across Canada.”On Facebook a brief exchange ensued:Has she refuted any of the claims made against her?

No. She was found guilty on 15 counts of fraud and 12 counts of breach of trust. The evidence was "overwhelming." So why are people liking this? Are we saying it's okay because she's Ab[original] or because she has a celebrity like Adam to say yeah but she's "nice" so her sentence should be lenient?To which I responded:

"Diane is a generous, kind-hearted soul," especially when it comes to giving other people's money to those in need, like herself!

But seriously, we're talking about Serré's sentencing, not her trial. It's too late for her to counter the charges.

If she wanted to be a role model for young Aboriginal women, one could argue that she should take her medicine without complaining. Perhaps find other ways to provide restitution besides serving her sentence.

Letting her off easy sends the message that crime isn't so bad. And the related message that it's who you know that matters.

For more on Adam Beach, see Adam Beach Promotes NWT Tourism and Adam Beach Foundation and Film Institute.

Below:  "Diane Serré was convicted in June of fraud and breach of trust for her role in illegally fast-tracking immigration applications." (Mike Carroccetto/Ottawa Citizen)

Adam Beach promotes NWT tourism

Actor Adam Beach to promote the N.W.T.Actor Adam Beach will be the new face of tourism in the Northwest Territories.

He is now part of NWT Tourism's new marketing plan.

Television shows based in the territory, like Ice Pilots and Arctic Air, have increased the territory's profile.

Beach—the star of Arctic Air—could help attract even more travellers.

“I think a lot of people are missing this opportunity to see this part of Canada, this part of people that are out here. And I feel grateful that I am chosen to be the one to show the beauty of NWT, they say ‘Spectacular NWT’,” he said.
Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see Adam Beach Foundation and Film Institute and Mini-Review of Path of Souls.

Adam Beach Foundation and Film Institute

Q&A: Adam Beach on His New Initiatives for Youth and the Arts

By Calum ShanlinIt's fair to say that Adam Beach didn't have the easiest upbringing. He tragically lost both of his parents at the age of eight, later finding himself "drawn to acting to enable (his) emotions to go somewhere." By his early twenties, Adam had made a name for himself starring in the CBC show North of 60. A career in Hollywood followed, but Adam recently returned to his roots at CBC and in the North with Arctic Air. Season two of the hugely successful drama is currently shooting in and around Yellowknife and Adam took some time out to speak to CBC Live about some of his new endeavours, The Adam Beach Foundation and The Adam Beach Film Institute.

CBC Live: Tell us about the Adam Beach Foundation and what it does.

Adam Beach: The Adam Beach Foundation is something that I've put together to enhance the awareness of suicide, for the prevention of suicide and also to provide different opportunities to distract the younger generation from losing hope, from thinking that they have nowhere to go or have no ideas to put together.

Can you also tell us about the soon-to-launch Adam Beach Film Institute?

AB: What I've also done is create a film institute to bring in young filmmakers, to teach them and train them and then send them back to wherever they are to promote filmmaking in Northern communities.Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see Mini-Review of Path of Souls and Adam Beach as Hollywood Source.

Mini-review of Path of Souls

Gimli Film Festival brings 130 films to the beach

By Alison GillmorWhen a young scientist (Adam Beach) dies, his grieving widow (Laura Harris) starts out on a journey of discovery. Visiting sacred sites, she explores the crossover between traditional Anishinabe teachings and modern quantum physics.

There's some clunky writing--it's hard to talk casually about subatomic particles--but writer-director Jeremy Torrie (Cowboys and Indians) pulls off some beautiful location shooting, including scenes in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. And Beach's short but crucial scenes really highlight his star quality: He's one of those radiant actors you just have to watch whenever he's onscreen.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Adam Beach Plays "Young Einstein."

NIGA 2012 (Day 2)

After meeting Wes Studi, Adam Beach, and other celebrities during our first day at NIGA, there was no letup on our second day.

Walking into the convention center, we met Cedric Cromwell, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag, and his entourage.

Comedy duo Williams and Ree, aka the Indian and the White Guy, stopped by our booth. My pal Victor cracked them up so much that they thought he might be a comedian too.

I saw Gray "Litefoot" Davis, new president of NCAIED, talking business with some attendees.

Dennis Banks, co-founder of AIM, was there for some reason--perhaps to tout his documentary. Victor thanked Banks for inspiring him at a school assembly 33 years ago.

Sonny Skyhawk pigeonholed me for some talk about Hollywood's failure to cast Native actors to play Natives. He doesn't think Johnny Depp should play Tonto in the Lone Ranger movie.

In fact, his committee investigated Depp to see if he has any enrolled Cherokees in his family tree. Apparently not. That doesn't mean Depp is fibbing about having a Cherokee great-grandmother, but it casts more doubt on his worthiness to play a Native.

Walking to our car through the Gaslamp Quarter, we saw Irene Bedard eating at a sidewalk cafe.

We had a late lunch at Lou & Mickey's in the Gaslamp Quarter. From our table, we saw Adam Beach walking by, talking on his cellphone. Victor called him over and he joined us for a few minutes.

More photos: NIGA (Day 2)--April 4, 2012

For more on NIGA, see Pix of NIGA 2011 and Report on NIGA 2011.

Below:  Sonny Skyhawk and Dennis Banks.

NIGA 2012 (Day 1)

My pal Victor and I headed to San Diego for the National Indian Gaming Association's annual convention Tuesday. For some reason, Native celebrities were thick on the ground this year.

We had several people at our Pechanga.net booth, so I was free to wander around. Here are some of my sightings:

I said hello briefly to Hollywood activist Sonny Skyhawk, who was wandering the floor like me.

Wes Studi was at the FNX booth to tout its nascent TV channel.

Nearby, Joanelle Romero attended NIGA for the first time to tout her nascent TV channel. Awkward!

The Crooked Arrows people had a booth to tout their upcoming lacrosse movie starring non-Native Brandon Routh.

Comedian Charlie Hill was eating in a lounge area.

Adam Beach stopped by our booth to tout Pechanga.net and pose for pictures.

Guitarist Steve Salas also stopped by and talked music with Victor.

I talked to Studi briefly, telling him I worked for the NativeCelebs page on Facebook. He was vaguely aware of its existence.

I followed Joanelle's progress because I helped rewrite her press release and lent her my old laptop computer and monitor cable for her display. Alas, the laptop couldn't pick up the site's Wi-Fi for some reason.

I got to test my new iPod Touch, taking photos and posting them to Facebook with it. It worked fine, though the picture quality left something to be desired.

After a long day on the floor, Victor was anxious to get back to work. So we skipped the Wendell Chino dinner and performance by Dwight Yoakum. Someone said Yoakum's songs all sounded the same, which goes without saying because he's a country singer.

Here's a brief report on the opening ceremony, which we missed:

Records Break at NIGA Tradeshow Ribbon Cutting

By Michael WoestehoffWith the organization’s Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. presiding the ribbon cutting, he shared that over 5,500 people have registered for the convention, a record-breaking number.

“Today, we have filled the 90,000 square foot floor with over 450 world-class exhibits, who are our friends in the gaming industry and Native-owned businesses who are eager to build their brands. There is a $26 billion industry behind these doors, and we welcome you,” Stevens said.

And my photos: NIGA (Day 1)--April 3, 2012

For more on NIGA, see Pix of NIGA 2011 and Report on NIGA 2011.

Adam Beach as Hollywood source

Actor Adam Beach on Stardom, Passion and the Award Closest to His Heart

By Vincent SchillingThe 39-year-old Saulteaux can now add another accolade to his lengthy resume. He has received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (since renamed the Indspire Awards), one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a First Nations person. He co-hosted last year’s gala; this year he was on the podium. Indian Country Today Media Network got Beach to open up a little about his work and the perspective it has given him.

You’ve reached a level that few have attained. Do you feel like an educator as well as an actor?

Everybody I meet in Hollywood always asks questions about how it is to be Indian. What are my problems, what are my political points of view, where are we in society these days, or what issues do we face? When the likes of Steven Spielberg or Harrison Ford have questions, I have those answers, because they can’t and don’t really have the time to educate themselves about the history of Native peoples.

I am kind of like their inside source, which helps me realize that I have to be aware of our struggles as Native people today. I am in a position in which my voice means something. It is recognized across North America, so I better damn well educate myself about what is going on now. This includes learning about other opportunities that can help with the solutions and the struggles that Native people face.Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see Beach Talks About Law & Order: SVU and Arctic Air Reviewed.

Beach talks about Law & Order: SVU

Adam Beach hasn't said much about his one year as a regular on Law & Order: SVU. But with his new series Arctic Air debuting Jan. 10, Beach opened up about the past.

Adam Beach heads north for CBC-TV adventure series 'Arctic Air'

By Cassandra SzklarskiBeach's new CBC series, shot in Vancouver and Yellowknife, follows a string of high-profile U.S. gigs including "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," where he played Det. Chester Lake, and the HBO drama "Big Love," where he appeared as casino manager Tommy Flute.

Beach recalls struggling over his decision to take the "Law and Order" job, noting it took a heart-to-heart talk with co-star Ice-T to convince him to join the cast.

"(Show creator) Dick Wolf offered me a lead and I said, 'I don't want to do television but I'll do a guest spot for the character,'" says Beach, who was a regular on Canada's short-lived "Moose TV" and the '90s series "North of 60."

"I was talking to Ice-T and he said, 'I hear you don't want to be on the show.' I said, 'I just want to do a guest spot.' And he said, 'Well, Adam, you talk so highly about your people and that you want to do something to change a perspective, this is the show to do it on. It's a top show in the world, you would do yourself a favour and it would help you with your community.'"Beach grabbed right boarding pass

By Brad OswaldFor Adam Beach, this was all about having the chance to soar.

The last time he took a TV-series role--a brief stint as Law & Order: SVU's Det. Chester Lake--he quickly grew disillusioned with the strictly procedural nature of the NBC cop show's storytelling, and opted out after just one season. But the Manitoban-born actor decided to take another shot at an ongoing drama after reading the pilot script for CBC's Arctic Air.

"SVU is a show about the show; it's about the solving of the crime," Beach said in a recent telephone interview. "So you're constantly doing the A-B-C of storylines that the cops are involved in. Here (in Arctic Air), each episode reveals each character's personal traits as the show evolves through the 10 episodes. It's a character-driven story."Comment:  Any regular viewer could've told Beach what SVU is all about. Only the two lead actors get any significant personal storylines. The rest are there to solve the crimes. Someone was kidding Beach, or he was kidding himself, if he thought he'd get to explore being an urban Indian on the show.

For more on Adam Beach, see Beach Calls Out Wannabe Actors and Adam Beach's Defining Role?

P.S. I don't think Arctic bush pilots need boarding passes, but never mind.

Below:  Actors Adam Beach and Pascale Hutton.

Arctic Air reviewed

Beach grabbed right boarding pass

By Brad OswaldArctic Air suffers more than its share of narrative-logic lapses during its maiden flight, but there's enough potential in its rich cast of characters and captivatingly cool setting to have many observers rightly making the suggestion that this series could become CBC's next North-of-60-sized drama hit.

It might be a bit of a bumpy takeoff, and it won't reach cruising altitude unless the show's producers and writers tighten up the storylines, but Beach is right--one look is enough to make you understand why he decided to grab this boarding pass.

3 stars out of 5For more on Adam Beach, see Beach Calls Out Wannabe Actors and Adam Beach's Defining Role?

Below:  Pascale Hutton and Adam Beach in Arctic Air.

Beach calls out wannabe actors

Getting "Native" with Adam Beach

By RachealCBC's winter season is about to start and they asked me to come in and chat with some of their stars. Adam Beach is a familiar face on both sides of the border, with am impressive resume ranging from North of 60 to Flags of Our Fathers; yet somehow the first thing I ask him about is Twilight.

People talk a lot about Taylor Lautner, being this young leading man who's also a native actor...

Adam quickly cuts me off.

"Well, it's very controversial, cause he isn't native. And there's speculation of a couple of other "native" actors who aren't native. And for me, when it comes to the demographic of native actors and filmmakers, there's a very small percentage. And when you take a movie that has a worldwide success and you're not hiring native talent, you're really pointing fingers at them saying "you're not good enough. You're not worth playing yourselves. We're going to hire a non-Indian to make you guys look good." And I don't believe that they're taking any of the steps that I've been struggling and striving to do in the past 15 years. It kinda makes me feel that Hollywood has no intention to change when it comes to changing that perspective and demographic of minorities in film and television."

Wow. This is not the conversation I expected to get into. On the other hand, it does bring up a nagging question: there are some people who would say that it's colour-blind casting and they're just hiring the appropriate person for that role. I mean, I'm Irish and there's always non-Irish people playing Irish. So how do you ride that balance between colour-blind casting and the need to embrace history and heritage?

"Well, you know, you're not going to see me try and play Martin Luther King. You're not going to see me try and play Irish folk. I stay in my group. I'm not going to play someone of Latin descent, 'cause that's just not my priority. When you look at the demographic of Native peoples and their struggles, to get out of the poverty that they're in, it's important that we maintain a certain honesty of who they are as a people. Especially when you're dramatizing them in this traditional way, and make a story that they're werewolves and shape shifting, and for them it's a direct message to the consciousness of a people that's been stripped of their identity, because of residential schools and land claims, and they're still doing in this medium of film and television.

"But they decided to take a few of the native actors and give them very minimal parts. It's unfair. And you know, I understand; like you demonstrated, when it comes to playing Irish, as long as you look white, it works. I understand that. But when you look at the portrayal of native people throughout Hollywood, they were always non-Indian and we're at a time where it doesn't have to be that any more, especially when they've so distorted our image and made us the victim, the alcoholic, the killer, the one that was raping and pillaging, when it was the other way around.

"For me, you're not going to be able to stop the Hollywood studio machine. All I could do is stop it within my circle. So I will not do anything where they're not representing in the right way."Comment:  I imagine the other actors Beach is referring to include Tinsel Korey, Julia Jones, and Boo Boo Stewart. Not to mention Johnny Depp and Brandon Routh.

Someone on Facebook raised the inevitable counterargument. Since people are just acting, why can't anyone play anyone? Beach covered this point in his comments, but here's my response:

Adam could've gone further. Not only wouldn't he choose to play Martin Luther King, he'd never get the chance. Nor would he get the chance to play JFK, Columbus, or Superman. As I discussed in my blog:

Adam Beach as Superman?

When Adam gets cast as, say, Albert Einstein, then we can talk about casting Tinsel Korey and other non-Natives as Quieute werewolves or whatever. Until that happens, color-blind casting--aka choosing the "best actor for the role"--is a Hollywood myth. In general, whites are cast to play whites and whites are cast to play Natives.

For more on casting issues, see Gyasi Ross on Breaking Dawn and Taking Issue with Rene Haynes.

Indians in A Warrior's Heart

A snarky look at a recent movie that co-stars Adam Beach:

The First High School Movie for Rich Bullies

By Soren BowieThe Plot

A Warrior's Heart revolves around two private-schooled, white-toothed teens named Conor and Brooklyn as they fall in love over completely surmountable odds. Together, they build a steamy and muscular love triangle between each other and their shared passion for lacrosse. Everything is plaid skirts and money until, look out! Conor's father dies while being a hero in Iraq. Unable to deal with his emotions, Conor acts out by breaking a trophy case and then has to go to a wilderness camp as punishment where he plays wilderness lacrosse with wilderness Indians. Through his time in camp he learns that the exorbitantly wealthy and Native Americans are not so different after all, they are both, for instance, minorities with little-to-no body hair. The story is bold and unapologetic in its exploration of the American teen, acknowledging that every boy has to learn to quell his rage while slowly and painfully learning what it means to be a man, and that every girl really likes boys who play sports.

The Cultural Importance

In order to overcome the sadness of losing his father, Conor has to explore his roots. Well, some roots. Any roots will do, really. Conor is whisked away by his father's Native American war buddy to a camp where he can vent his anger by hitting stuff with tools or kicking over barn frames. Conor is mad but the Indians are wise and soon he's learning to cope with loss through the healing power of wilderness lacrosse. And so lacrosse becomes a great metaphor for the film as a whole. Just as the Native Americans graciously handed the sport to white, East Coast prep schools, their very presence in this film serves only to pass on the minority spotlight to a new and deserving group: The one percent.Comment:  For more on the subject, see A Warrior's Heart to Be Released.

Below:  The white, blond cast of A Warrior's Heart.

Adam Beach's defining role?

Arctic Air flies into CBC-TV winter season

Comedian Gerry Dee, Dragon Kevin O'Leary featured in new shows

By Susan NoakesIn Arctic Air, Beach plays Bobby Martin, part owner of a small, family-run airline that serves communities in the North.

"He's very much a real guy that's trying to do good, but gets himself in these predicaments that build chaos," Beach said. Bobby crashes a plane in one episode and tries to sell one to raise some cash in another.And:Beach's previous roles have included films such as Flags of Our Fathers and Cowboys & Aliens, as well as TV shows like Law & Order: SVU and Big Love. However, he's put his career in Los Angeles aside for now. He embraced the Arctic Air role when Ian Weir, producer of the Asian gang miniseries Dragon Boys, approached him with the project.

"This probably will define my career, because of my character, because of me being from Canada and a show that is going to be nationally accepted and viewed as a new demographic for Canadian television," he said.Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see Beach's Inspiring Spirits Tour and Adam Beach in Arctic Air.

Below:  "Adam Beach, shown in the foreground alongside co-star Pascale Hutton, has put aside his Hollywood career to work on Arctic Air." (CBC)

Beach's Inspiring Spirits Tour

Actor begins Inspiring Spirits Tour in La RongeAdam Beach began his Inspiring Spirits Tour in La Ronge. The tour will take him to 40 communities across Canada, then into the United States and South America.

Throughout the tour, Beach plans to document stories of Aboriginal artists across the two continents.

In La Ronge he participated in a youth conference hosted by Senator Myles Venne School (SMVS). He shared his life story beginning with the death of his parents, within a few months of each other when he was eight years old; his years living in the North End of Winnipeg, where he got involved in gangs; and the learning of a life-changing lesson about respect, what it means and its importance. He got his start at an acting career at 16 and he never looked back.

He tells his story to “empower others,” particularly First Nation youth.

He also spoke of the online media project he is planning, which will involve online media education and the Inspiriting Spirits Tour. “I want to be able to take two students to one of my schools, fly them back with a camera, sound system and give you a half-hour slot on one of my channels so the world has access to you (and) you become an independent filmmaker.”Comment:  For more on Adam Beach's philanthropy, see Adam Beach Helps Flood Victims and Adam Beach's Health-Related Videos.

Below:  "Adam Beach receives a lesson on the fiddle." (Tristen Durocher)

A Warrior's Heart to be released

"Twilight" Stars Kellan Lutz And Ashley Greene Reteam To Bring Lacrosse And Love to The Big Screen For "A Warrior's Heart"

In their first lead roles Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene share star-making chemistry in the heartfelt drama "A Warrior's Heart."Xenon Pictures and California Pictures in association with Family Productions and Camelot Entertainment Group have announced plans to release the highly anticipated "A Warrior's Heart." Written by Martin Dugard and directed by Mike Sears, "A Warrior's Heart" stars Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene ("The Twilight Saga"), Chord Overstreet ("Glee"), Adam Beach ("Cowboys and Aliens"), and Gabrielle Anwar (TV's "Burn Notice").

Screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to enthusiastic cheers, "A Warrior's Heart" has inked a deal for a theatrical, VOD and DVD release.

Not only have early screenings of "A Warrior's Heart" been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews but the film has also been highly praised by lacrosse fans who are converging on the Major League Lacrosse Championship in Annapolis, Maryland on August 27th.

Producers Jamie Thompson, Steven Istock and Marc Spizzirri describe the movie as "a heartfelt family friendly teen love story."

In shock and denial over his Marine father's death in battle, high-school lacrosse star Conor Sullivan starts acting out in self-destructive ways until he's kicked off the team and sent to a wilderness lacrosse camp run by his dad's Native American combat buddy (Adam Beach). With support from his girlfriend Brooklyn (Ashley Greene) Conor embraces the game's Native American roots and open his eyes to the true meaning of sportsmanship and life.Comment:  I reported on this film back in January 2009 when it was just called Warrior. The new title is about as bland as the old one.

The whole "athlete as warrior" thing is such a cliché. I'd be stunned if a movie compared an athlete to a poet, dancer, surgeon, chess player, or robot.

What about Crooked Arrows?

I thought Crooked Arrows was the lacrosse movie. Now we have two lacrosse movies. Will audiences sit still for that much lacrosse?

Like Crooked Arrows, A Warrior's Heart uses a non-Native protagonist to introduce a Native sport. Because we can't have a mainstream movie centered on Natives, right?

Movies where sports are a metaphor for life--where "bad" characters are redeemed by teamwork and camaraderie--are a dime a dozen, of course. Sometimes these movies are good despite the tired, clichéd premise. We'll see whether A Warrior's Heart is a good one or not.

For more on lacrosse movies, see Crooked Arrows Announces Lacrosse Team and Birmingham to Play Routh's Father.

Adam Beach helps flood victims

Actor Adam Beach hosts displaced familiesManitoban actor Adam Beach and Kewatinook conservative candidate, Michael Birch, hosted a private screening Monday morning of the blockbuster hit Cowboys and Aliens for displaced families from the St. Martins reserve due to flooding.

The reserve was evacuated in spring, displacing hundreds of residents who have not yet been able to return to their homes.

"Families from the St. Martins reserve were hit hard from the spring flood and they've been through so much since then," said Beach in a prepared statement.

"They feel like they've been ignored by their government, they don't know if and when they'll be returning home and many of them are feeling incredible stress from daily uncertainties. This private screening will allow them to forget about their troubles, if only for one day," he said.Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see Adam Beach on Hollywood Stereotyping and Adam Beach Plays "Young Einstein."

Below:  "Hollywood actor Adam Beach in Winnipeg to help raise money for flood evacuees. Beach hosted a benefit screening of his latest movie Cowboys and Aliens in Winnipeg on Monday where $35,000 was raised."