of Nebraska on the Winnebago Reservation, and she played the American Indian wife. Controversies Non-Native American actor Joseph Singleton played the role of Tabywana, Nat-U-Ritch's father. Lillian St. Cyr of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska was cast to play the role of Nat-U-Ritch, a member of the Ute tribe. She is also known as "Princess Redwing". St. Cyr along with her husband James Young Deer (of the Nanticoke people of Delaware) have been regarded as one of the first "Native American power couple" in Hollywood, along with Mona Darkfeather and her husband, director Frank E. Montgomery. DeMille had selected Lillian St. Cyr, but his first choice had been Darkfeather, who was not available. During the early silent film era, films based on Native Americans were popular. The central theme of this film was miscegenation. In the state of California, anti-miscegenation laws existed until 1948; however, while African-Americans couldn't legally marry whites in California during filming, marriages between Native Americans and whites were permitted. Though there were Native American actors, whites were mostly cast as Native characters. During the early teens, Young Deer and Lillian St. Cyr helped to transform how Native American characters were represented. The characters they created were sympathetic in complex ways, although other studios such as Kalem Company were also attempting to accurately portray Natives in film. However, other scholars argue that Native American-themed silent films did not alter in any way the dominant perception of Natives themselves. Many films displayed the Native American experience from many different perspectives and did involve Native American writers, filmmakers, and actors during this time period. See also The House That Shadows Built (1931 promotional film by Paramount) References External links 1914 films 1914 Western (genre) films 1914 directorial debut films 1914 drama films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Articles containing video clips Famous Players-Lasky films Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille Films directed by Oscar Apfel Films set in England Silent American Western (genre) films Films set in Wyoming 1910s American films