Native actors go beyond Westerns to … werewolves?
Well, werewolves, in the case of Taylor Lautner, who stars in “New Moon,” the just-released second movie in the teen hit “Twilight” series. Lautner says he recently discovered Potawatomi and Ottawa roots; what’s more important, according to this opinion piece in the Wichita Eagle-Beacon, is that director Chris Weitz insisted on using actors of Native descent for the “Wolf Pack.” Spencer is Lakota (Sioux), Meraz is Purepecha (Tarasco), Gordon is Hualapai and Pelletier is Cree-Metis. The piece is by Rod Pocowatchit is from the Pawnee, Comanche and Shawnee tribes.

Indians back on Alcatraz Island after 40 years
Four decades after Indian people occupied Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay – in part to call attention to the woeful treatment of the nation’s tribes – they were back. Yesterday, according to this San Francisco Chronicle story, some of the initial occupiers, as well as others, returned with the government’s blessing. Now, says Howard Levitt, chief of education for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, “the occupation is considered to be a milestone in the self-determination and civil rights movements. We honor that.”

“Fried bread, sweat lodges and Nintendo Wii”
That headline in the Sioux City Journal grabbed us. What the heck was it all about? Turns out to be this story about students at the Augustine Indian Mission School on the Winnebago Indian Reservation south of in Sioux City, Iowa. They were talking about how they’d celebrate Thanksgiving.

Tribes see loss of oil, natural gas royaltiess
Here’s a worrisome Bloomberg News story that says: “plunging oil and natural gas prices and a drop in revenue from lease sales cut the money sent by the United States to tribes, states and the Treasury Department by more than half in fiscal 2009. “Lower energy prices drove down royalties and sapped industry demand for leases,” it says.

Flathead Reservation resident is barrel racing champ
McK’la Gonzalez, a 15-year-old barrel racer from Elmo on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, took first place in National Barrel Horse Association Montana State Championships, youth category, in Great Falls last month, the Char-Koosta News reports here. Her aunt, Bernadine Tenas, says Gonzalez has been barrel racing since she was seven and has three championships buckles. She now qualifies for the World NBHA championships.

Gwen Florio

Tags: "New Moon", "Twilight", Alcatraz, Augustine Indian Mission School, Flathead Indian Reservation, McK'la Gonzalez, National Barrel Horse Association, Oil and gas, Taylor Lautner, Winnebago Indian Reservation, Wolf Pack

Just in time for the Nov. 20 release of “New Moon,” the second movie in the insanely popular “Twilight” teen-vampire series, comes this news that the Quileute Nation has granted access to ReelzChannel to film on their reservation.

That’s a big deal, because – despite the tourist boom on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula that’s a direct result of the “Twilight” books and now movies – the Quileute have steadfastly resisted efforts by media groups to film on their reservation, according to this Indian Country Today story.

Although the people and most of the places in the books by Stephenie Meyer are fictional, the Quileute Nation and the nearby town of Forks are real. The movie’s Taylor Lautner who plays Jacob Black, a Quileute werewolf that vies for the affection of protagonist Bella Swan, is part Ottawa/Potawatomi.

Tribal spokeswoman Jackie Jacobs said ReelzChannel got the nod to film there – for a documentary-style episode on their reservation for the “Twilight Weekly: Spotlight” series – because it showed concern and respect for the tribe and its traditions.

“I was very mindful of protecting this nation from exploitation, and from someone who didn’t really understand the dynamics of this story, just looking for a surface level, ‘Twilight’ fan sort of sound bite,” Jacobs said.

The 30-minute episode highlights students from the Quileute Tribal School, tribal language and culture, budding entrepreneurs, and focuses minimally on the vampire buzz, Indian Country Today reports.

On the show, tribal elder Chris Morganroth III explains the Quileute creation story and how the people are descended from wolves, something that dovetails with “Twilight.”

Gwen Florio

Tags: "New Moon", "Twilight", buffalo post, Native American news, Quileute Nation, Stephenie Meyer, Taylor Lautner

Kyla Bearheels, of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, is awaiting word on her audition for a part in “Eclipse,” the third movie in the wildly successful “Twilight” series.

Based on the books by Stephanie Meyer, the “Twilight” series focuses the love between Edward Cullen, a vampire, and the teenage Bella Swan. The books have sold, oh, about a bazillion copies and the first movie was likewise successful. The second movie, “New Moon,” is be released Nov. 20, with the third and fourth movies, “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” are secheduled for June 2010 and 2011.

Bearheels, an actress who attends Central Wyoming College in Riverton, near the Wind River Reservation, traveled to Salt Lake City in June to audition for the role of Leah Clearwater in “Eclipse,” says this Rapid City Journal story.

The good thing is, the casting company – Rene Haynes Casting of Burbank, Calif. – called her and invited her to audition, apparently on the strength of her earlier audition tape when Bearheels was a teenager trying out for “The New World.” Five years ago, Bearheels was one of several teen actresses considered to star as Pocahontas opposite Colin Farrell as Capt. John Smith in the Terrence Malick-scripted film.

She didn’t get the part, but she made an impression. The same thing could happen this time around. Bearheels says that as more time passes without being called back, the likelihood of her getting the part diminishes. Still, she says, “it was such an honor to get a call from Rene and to go up for the role.”

Gwen Florio

Tags: "Twilight", Add new tag, buffalo post, Native actors, Native American news, Standing Rock Sioux, Stephanie Meyer