The new documentary Lakota Nation vs. United States follows the Lakota people’s fight to reclaim their sacred land, the Black Hills, which was taken away from them by the US government in violation of treaty agreements. The film, directed by Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli and produced by Sarah Eagle Heart, Mark Ruffalo, and Marisa Tomei, also explores America’s history of exploiting Native Americans and the need to address past wrongs. Ruffalo, an activist who has supported anti-fracking efforts and the Standing Rock Reservation’s opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, highlights the importance of honoring treaties and the recent increase in Native stories told by Native filmmakers.
Mark Ruffalo, Hollywood has a long and ugly history of depicting Native Americans in a harmful way. This is why the actor and activist has lent his support to the new documentary Lakota Nation vs. United States, which chronicles the Lakota people’s struggle to reclaim their sacred land, the Black Hills, from the U.S. government.
The Black Hills were originally supposed to be protected under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which banned white settlement on the land. However, when gold was discovered there, the U.S. government violated the treaty and took the land away from the Lakota people. The documentary explores this history of exploitation and what can be done to right past wrongs.
Directed by Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli, and produced by Sarah Eagle Heart, Mark Ruffalo, and Marisa Tomei, Lakota Nation vs. United States is a powerful and important film that sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history. For Short Bull, who is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe, the film is deeply personal.
“My personal connection roots back at least five generations, since the time of my great-great-grandfather who was alive during the treaties, turmoil, and warfare in this area,” Short Bull tells Rolling Stone. “All of this history is in my DNA, in my blood, alongside an inherent respect for the land that is deeply meaningful.”
Ruffalo, who has been an outspoken activist on a variety of issues, including anti-fracking efforts and the Standing Rock Reservation’s opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (which runs through the Lakota’s Black Hills), sees the film as an opportunity to learn from the past and create a better future.
“One of those greatest wrongs was the theft of sacred spaces through the breaking of treaties,” Ruffalo says. “These treaties were made between two sovereign Nations, and have not been honored by the United States. This film, made by Lakota people, tells us the Lakota part of that story.”
Ruffalo also notes that there has been a recent surge in Native stories being told by Native filmmakers and actors, and he is proud to be a part of that movement. “Even at this moment, we are dubbing The Avengers in the Lakota language, with me and the cast joining,” he says.
However, as Ruffalo acknowledges, Hollywood’s history of depicting Native Americans has been harmful and problematic. Native Americans have often been portrayed as savage, uncivilized, and in need of “civilizing” by white settlers. This has perpetuated harmful stereotypes and contributed to the ongoing marginalization and mistreatment of Native communities.
Lakota Nation vs. United States is an important step towards correcting this history and giving Native voices a platform to tell their own stories. As Ruffalo notes, “We have so much to learn from our Native brothers and sisters, and so much to gain from honoring the treaties that were made in good faith.”
