Editor’s note: This is one in an occasional series on ‘forgotten’ ancestors who may not be fully recognized today for their achievements.
Raymond Wilson
Special to ICT
Three Native actors played significant roles in fighting the ugly stereotypes of Indigenous people in Hollywood and advocating for Natives in films to be played by Natives. But acting was not the only way they made their mark.
For decades, Natives were depicted largely as bloodthirsty savages, and often non-Natives were selected to play Native people in movies and on television. Well-known actors who took on such roles included Rock Hudson as Young Bull, Burt Lancaster as Massai and Jim Thorpe, Charles Bronson as Captain Jack, Elvis Presley as Flaming Star and Joe Lightcloud, Chuck Connors as Geronimo, and Burt Reynolds as Navajo Joe.
But Jay Silverheels, Chief Dan George, and Will Sampson were not just actors but also significant activists, who demanded accurate cultural representation of Natives in films and on television, and fought to see that Natives played Native roles.
Silverheels (1912-1980), Mohawk from Six Nations Reserve, is perhaps best known as Tonto on the “The Lone Ranger,” but he was also a professional athlete and Native rights activist in the 1960s.
George (1899-1981), a former chief of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, a Coast Salish band, had a long-acting career that included “Little Big Man,” but he was also a musician, poet and author.
Sampson (1933-1987), Muscogee (Creek), made his film debut as Chief Bromden in the 1975 film, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” but was also an artist and rodeo competitor.
The work by these three actors, and others who followed, helped contribute to such acclaimed features as “Reservation Dogs” (2021-2023), “Dark Winds” (2022-present), “Killers of the Flower Moon” (2023), and “Rez Ball” (2024).
Jay Silverheels
Born Harold Jay Smith on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada, on May 26, 1912, Silverheels was one of 10 children. Both his grandfather and father were chiefs. His father, Alexander Smith, a World War I veteran, became one of the most decorated Natives serving in the war.
Silverheels’ Indigenous heritage instilled in him the importance of discipline, hard work, and cultural pride. He became a gifted athlete, displaying remarkable abilities in sports such as boxing and lacrosse.
He became a professional lacrosse player in the early 1930s, playing in such cities as Toronto, Buffalo, Albany, and at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics with teammates performing a lacrosse demonstration. He received the nickname, Silverheels, because he ran so fast that the heels of his white shoes flashed in the air as he sidestepped his opponents.
Impressed with Silverheels’ appearance and athleticism, comedian and actor Joe E. Brown helped him get into films. Silverheels appeared as a stuntman and an extra in several “B” westerns. In the late 1940s, he started appearing in better films such as “Captain from Castile,” “Key Largo,” and “Broken Arrow,” in which he played Geronimo. He worked with such stars as John Wayne, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, and Humphrey Bogart.
Silverheels is best known for his role as Tonto in 221 episodes of “The Lone Ranger,” which ran from 1949-1957. He also appeared in two “Lone Ranger” movies in 1956 and 1958.
When the TV series ended, Silverheels fought the typecasting and stereotypes, and later appeared on several television shows, in movies, and in commercials.
In the 1960s, Silverheels became more of an activist. He supported the Indian Actors Association that stressed Natives in films should be played by Natives, and in 1963, he founded the Indian Actors Workshop that helped aspiring Native actors learn the trade. Silverheels also addressed issues such as substance abuse, hospitalized children, and care of the elderly.
Silverheels died on March 5, 1980. Clayton Moore, who played the Lone Ranger, declared Silverheels was a true friend and that he admired his activism.
Silverheels was the foremost Native actor of his era. In 1979, he was the first Native actor to receive a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, and he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1993. He was also inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997.
Chief Dan George
Another Canadian First Nations actor was Chief Dan George. Born on the Burrard Reserve in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 24, 1899, he was named Geswanouth Slahoot, meaning “thunder coming up over the land from the water.” His Anglicized name became Dan Slaholt, and at age five he attended a mission school where his last name was changed to George.
When he turned 16, he left school and became a logger and then a stevedore, loading timber onto ships in Vancouver Harbor. In the late 1940s, George suffered a major accident when a load of timber smashed his leg and hip, forcing him to work several odd jobs that included entertaining and dancing.
Because his ancestors were hereditary band chiefs, George became chief in 1951, serving until 1963. He worked to protect Indigenous rights, to improve educational opportunities for students, and to support Native centers to assist Indigenous people facing discrimination.
In 1960, George began his formal acting career in “Cariboo Country,” a Canadian television series. His acting abilities were recognized and other roles followed. In 1970, George appeared with Dustin Hoffman in “Little Big Man,” for which he received rave reviews and won both the New York Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actor Awards. He also received nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his role.
He continued to act in several films and television shows during the 1970s, including a major role in “The Outlaw Josey Wales” (1976), starring Clint Eastwood.
Besides being an acclaimed actor, George was a writer whose works reflected Indigenous culture, identities, and rights. Examples include his 1967 poem, “Lament for Confederation,” delivered at the 1967 Canadian Centennial celebration in Vancouver, as well as “My Heart Soars” (1974) and “My Spirit Soars” (1983).
George died on Sept. 23, 1981. He received such honors as Chief Dan George Day (1971), the Order of Canada Award (1971), a Canadian postage stamp (2008), and several honorary degrees. He was a major force in securing proper portrayal of Natives in films and in addressing better treatment of Native peoples.
Will Sampson
Finally, the contributions of Will Sampson should be equally remembered. He was born on Sept. 27, 1933, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. His family and friends called him Sonny.
Sampson did not finish high school but was a self-taught artist. He loved to draw and paint and later became known for his art, which depicted Native and Western themes before he gained fame as an actor. Indeed, his works are in the Smithsonian, Gilcrease Museum, Philbrook Museum of Art, Denver Art Gallery, and the Okmulgee Creek Nation Council House.
Sampson worked at several jobs in construction, in the oil fields, in rodeos, and served in the U.S. Navy in the early 1950s. His impressive looks and height, standing 6-feet-7 inches, helped him secure his first acting job with the major role in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), starring Jack Nicholson. Other films included “The Outlaw Josie Wales” (1976), starring Clint Eastwood; “The White Buffalo” (1977), starring Charles Bronson; and “Poltergeist II” (1985).
During the filming of “The White Buffalo,” Sampson learned that non-Natives were playing Native roles and he refused to continue to participate until Natives played the roles.
He also appeared in several television shows, and he continued his efforts to improve conditions for Native actors and Native peoples. Among his legacies are helping to establish the American Indian Film Institute in 1979, founding the American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts in 1983, and having the Will Sampson Road named after him in Okmulgee County.
Sampson died on June 3, 1987, after suffering from major heart, lung, and kidney issues.
Sources: Liza Black, “Picturing Indians” (2020); Michael Hilger, “Native Americans in the Movies” (2015); Kathleen Diaz, “Jay Silverheels” (2021); Zig Misiak, “Tonto” (2013); Dan George and Helmut Hirnschall, “The Best of Chief Dan George” (2017); Zoe Escobar, “Beyond the Cuckoo’s Nest” (2009); and Norma Sampson Bible, “Beloved Brother” (2024).