Indigenous Women Are Not, And Never Will Be, a Monolith

The 2024 Golden Globes will forever stand as a significant moment for diversity and inclusion in the film industry. Lily Gladstone became the first Native American to be nominated for Academy Award, Best Actress, at the Oscar’s and later took home a Golden Globe for Best Performance in the film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Throughout history, Indigenous performers, and specifically Indigenous women, have been consistently underrepresented in the film industry. Prior to Lily Gladstone, only three Indigenous actresses were nominated at former Oscars in the Best Actress category, making her nomination and win a monumental moment for Indigenous representation and recognition.

In response to the Golden Globes and the performance award given to Lily Gladstone, critiques of the film, “Killers of the Flower Moon”, are being made by other Indigenous women in the film industry. One of these critics is Indigenous actress, Devery Jacobs, a former costar of Lily Gladstone in “Reservation Dogs.” The critiques articulated by Jacobs emphasize the need for us to embrace diversity of thought and remember Indigenous women are not, and never will be, a monolith.

Before I acknowledge the critiques of the movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon”, I feel it is imperative to first recognize the noted critiques are not a systematic tear-down of women of color (WOC) within the entertainment world. Women of color have been historically underrepresented and underacknowledged in this industry and to hold the performance of an individual accountable for the shortcomings of the writing does nothing to further equity in the film industry. Rather, the representation of WOC is a longstanding hope and necessity many have held for the duration of their life. I spent much of my childhood searching for someone, anyone, on my television screen to resemble the girl I saw in the mirror, and the recent contributions of WOC in film has only begun to help heal my inner child. To critique “Killers of the Flower Moon” without giving proper distinction between the actresses and the writing is to take away from the talent and representation of WOC performing in the film.

With acknowledgment that critique is not a systematic tear-down of WOC we are given the opportunity to understand the critical analysis of Indigenous people’s different experiences of hardship and trauma depicted on television. The critique by Devery Jacobs encapsulated the differing experiences, offering her perspective on the portrayal of Indigenous women. In her Twitter, (now X) post, Jacobs shared the portrayal of Indigenous peoples in the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” was unrelentingly graphic, disappointing, and potentially traumatizing for Indigenous viewers. Jacobs strongly felt the Osage people, whom the film represents, are not depicted with honor or dignity for their culture or their people. Jacobs concluded her post by stating that she finds the graphic portrayal of Indigenous death for entertainment serves to only dehumanize Indigenous people further.

While Lily Gladstone and other Indigenous women do admire the work of the writers and Indigenous portrayal of the film; the reality is Indigenous women are not a monolith. The life experiences, the generational trauma endured, and the perception of the world are not unanimous among Indigenous women. They never will be and never should be. We cannot, in good conscious, hold the belief all Indigenous women in the film industry will hold the same opinion on Native media portrayal, nor can we villainize Indigenous women for their differing thoughts or feelings. Lily Gladstone and Devery Jacobs illustrated the beauty of difference in Indigenous life experience while celebrating the individual separately. This is not a ripping apart of character or a pitting against one another, but a teaching moment surrounded by the value of diversity.

We live in a society where it is easy to blame the performer for the pitfalls of the writing they bring to life. A society where it is easy to pit WOC against one another in any instance where critical analysis is present. A society where the degradation of WOC is systematically utilized when they express their diverse opinions or beliefs. The best thing we can do to combat this harmful reality is to recognize we can hold both critique and admiration, enjoyment and challenge, and understanding and disagreement.