James Young Deer
Actor, Film director
1876 – 1946
Who was James Young Deer?
James Young Deer, also known as J. Younger Johnson or Jim Young Deer, was actually born James Young Johnson in Washington, D.C. Although he was identified in the early Hollywood trade paper Moving Picture World as of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, his ancestry is of the Nanticoke people of Delaware. He became an early film actor, director, writer, and producer. He is believed to be the first Native American filmmaker/producer in Hollywood. Together with his wife and partner Lillian St. Cyr, Winnebago, the couple were labeled an "influential force" in the production of one-reel Westerns during the first part of the silent film era. Their films, along with several others of the silent era, were notable for portraying Native Americans in a positive light.
Questions were raised about Young Deer's Winnebago background when film historians were unable to verify much about his origins, and he was not listed on the Winnebago tribal rolls in the early 20th century.
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- Born
- Apr 1, 1876
Dakota City - Also known as
- Jim Young Deer
- J. Younger Johnston
- James Youngdeer
- Jim Youngdeer
- Deer
- Spouses
- Red Wing
(1906/04/09 - 1946/04)
- Red Wing
- Ethnicity
- Ho-Chunk
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- Carlisle Indian Industrial School
- Died
- Apr 6, 1946
New York City
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"James Young Deer." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/james_young_deer>.
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