One of the ways that Dances with Wolves was particularly groundbreaking is its compassionate representation of the Lakota people. Native Americans have long been stereotyped in film, particularly in Western films, in a way that is extremely harmful. Western movies were especially damaging to Native people in the United States at a time when their rights were quite restricted. Things began to shift as the 20th century wore on, and Native groups organized and fought for increased rights, safety, and respect. Much concrete progress took place: In 1978, Congress passed and President Jimmy Carter signed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, which was one step towards protecting the rights of Native American people to practice their spiritual beliefs. But there was, and is, still a long way to go.
In contrast to earlier Westerns, Dances portrays its Native characters as nuanced, real, and human — not just caricatures. It's evidence of how cultural perception of Native American issues has shifted across the United States, over the decades. It's not uniformly perfect in this regard, nor universally beloved: Some Native American audiences have criticized the movie as a white savior narrative. Still, many Native actors involved have said that the movie helped their careers, and pushed for more complex storytelling about Native Americans in Hollywood.
