Anti-Indigenous Propaganda film airs on Swedish TV
This past Monday, Swedish Television aired "Historiens Fångar" (History's Prisoners) - an anti-indigenous propaganda film that claims there are no traditional Indigenous cultures left in the world, and that the only chance of survival for the remaining 'drunk and pathetic few' is through assimilating into colonial society.
"The most notable voice in the program," Jim Barrett explains, is Keith Windschuttle, author of "the Fabrication of Aboriginal History, a controversial book that attempts to resurrect an array of colonial fallacies toward indigenous people: that colonization was justified, "that Australia was never truly owned by its original inhabitants, that they were too savage to understand such a concept as property, too primitive to organise a war and too vulnerable to survive settlement."
Another speaker in the film is David Yeagley, who, according to Wikipedia (once upon a time. The page has been gutted) is
a white supremacist who poses as a Comanche Indian. He was mistakenly enrolled in the Comanche Nation because the stepmother who adopted him is Comanche. He falsely claims descent from the Comanche leader, Bad Eagle (1839-1909). Comanche elders and members of the tribal government all deny he is actually Comanche. In 2006 Yeagley, his employer David Horowitz, and Front Page magazine used legal threats to try to silence Kiowa activist Cinda Hughes and the Native American Times for revealing his impersonation.
Apparently, the film also features someone from "One Nation United," a privately funded, anti-indian lobby group based out of Oklahoma.
The social and political integrity of these characters speaks directly to the legitimacy of the position maintained in the film. It's propaganda -- a film drenched in archaic and biased, insulated opinions that will utterly misinform every viewer.
But don't take my word for it. See it for yourself. "History's Prisoners" It is currently available online. (it's in English). It's also set to air on Swedish TV once more, this coming Sunday.
If you would like to express your outrage abuot this film, you can write the Director, Poul Erik Heilbuth, at plh@dr.dk
You can also write to the documentary department of Swedish TV for airing it, dokumentarfilm@svt.se
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Thank you for posting this article! I will certainly be writing and posting in my group too.
It is sick that a television company would even produce such a racist program.
I am Horrified!
Hugs
Steph
Thank you also for this article. I am very sad and so angry with those people who created this film. I was thinking of the possible reasons why they have come with this film. It is really horrible! The person who have firstly thought of this idea just badly needed attention, and does not have good intention. In what reasons, they have to humiliate people, indigenous peoples, our ancestors’ image, our culture, our origins, our friends… our world. Isn’t it we belong to one planet?
WHAT ARE THEY DOING FOR?
PLEASE DON’T PUBLISH EMAIL ADDRESS.
Thank you for the posting on “Anti-Indigenous Propaganda Film”.
I became suspicious of the programme when I noticed that Keith Windschuttle’s voice and image were used in a segment dealing with a sequence set in a US reservation. Windschuttle’s comments were obviously directed at the Australian reservation system, yet the filmmaker had no hesitation in manipulating them to his own purpose by inserting them in the commentary on the US system.
No worries Miles. I never reveal (or use) anyone’s email addresses. I wouldn’t even ask for them except that it weeds out alot of spam (it’s a big problem here)
Keith Windschuttle’s voice and image were used in a segment dealing with a sequence set in a US reservation.
Yeah, I caught that too… what an unbearable film.
I just came upon this site, and thought its never too late to reply to something that was so repulsive to my Comanche Nation College and Mrs. Navarro the teacher who was displayed with one student. She is such a respected Comanche Elder a teacher of the Comanche Language and should have been given in a better light and with respect. I love that lady.
My Comanche people are nothing like those Natives you portray in your documentary. We are not reservation Indians, we are not homeless. We have lived as the white man since 1901 on our own alloted lands here in Oklahoma, we ARE as assimilated as you, and we take care of our own People, so as not to have such depredation as you portrayed of ALL Native Americans.
David yeagley should have made that clear to you, WE ARE NOT RESERVATION INDIANS! I asked him “WHY DID YOU NOT TAKE THEM TO THE SIOUX RESERVATION, YOU KNOW HOW THEY LIVE, ITs THE THIRD WORLD UP THERE. HOMELESS, DRUNKS, DRUGS, PROSTITUTION, RAPES, BLACKS LIVING ON THEIR RESERVATION AND SUCH”. By him not saying anything about the Comanche lifestyle in Oklahoma, just shows you what he knows nothing about Comanche People. Why???? of all the Educated Comanches in this area did you choose him to represent the
Indians point of view? We have Educated 4/4ths Comanche who would have gladly represented us, people such as Juanita Pahdapony or Mrs Navarro, or our Tribal Chairman Mr. Coffee, or our Museum Director, many people, anyone but David Yeagley!
Are you people racist or what? I view public Tv. all the time. I prefer it. Link TV , Free Speech and I have never, never viewd such uglyness and lies and insinuations such as this film against my beloved Comanche People.
David Yeagley is supposidly a Comanche member, but something in his past has made the man a very bitter person against his own people. I have read Poems and other writings, commentarys and his views of our People in 200l when he first started claiming he was Comanche. He was good, his writing were interesting, I loved them…….then his views changed.
Perhaps it was the lure of being paid to speak against his own by people such as you. He tried to lamely claim he was taken and tricked, but after reading his blog for some time now, I think the man knew exactly what he was doing. He has a hatred for his Indian Blood. That was instilled in him by his own Father, this is clear to anyone that has read his site.
He has never apologized to his Comanche People. He claims “Indians don’t apologize, at least none have never apologized to me” he says. I ask “what the hell did we ever do to him for him to treat us like dirt?”