In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day I wanted to provide a thread of acclaimed shows and films that feature Indigenous peoples! The film industry has such a violent legacy with native peoples, things need to be better. These are some of my favorite shows/films growing up.

1. Molly of Denali
This is the first nationally distributed children’s series to feature a Native American lead! It’s one of my favorite shows and features Molly, an Alaska Native girl. This is a show made and produced by native folks and is voiced by Alaska Natives.

2. Whale Rider (2002)
This is a film that stars the youngest actress ever nominated for an oscar. It’s a Māori coming of age movie and has themes of tradition and overcoming rigid gender stereotypes. It’s beautiful and so powerful.

3. Boy (2010)
Taika Waititi, one of the first Indigenous filmmakers to win an Oscar, directed this film. It features a young Māori boy in New Zealand in the ‘80s. i love this film :,)

4. The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019)
Directed by Elle Máijá Tailfeathers, this film addresses issues like domestic violence Native women face . It features two Indigenous women, Violet Nelson (Kwakwaka’wakw) and Elle.