Native American Storytelling Gains Spotlight in Theater and Media

Playwrights Challenge Historical Narratives and Hope for Lasting Change in Representation

Native American playwrights are challenging historical narratives and breaking barriers in the theater industry, with plays like 'Manahatta' and 'The Thanksgiving Play' gaining recognition.
Representation of Native Americans in media has been historically low, with a 2020 diversity report finding Native representation to be between 0.3%–0.5% in film, and virtually nonexistent in television or on stage.
Non-Native storytellers are also exploring the history of white atrocities on Native Americans, with works like Martin Scorsese’s 'Killers of the Flower Moon' and Ken Burns' 'The American Buffalo'.
Playwright Larissa FastHorse has reworked the book for an upcoming musical revival of 'Peter Pan' to be more culturally sensitive, encompassing members of several under-pressure Indigenous cultures from all over the globe.
Playwrights hope that the increased representation and recognition of Native stories is not just a moment, but the beginning of an era.