"Elvis as Indian in Film and Life"
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday
College Union, Room CU1
Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May
free
It's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, as Michael Snyder, English professor at Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May, addresses royalty in a Thursday afternoon presentation. To be specific, the king. Of rock 'n' roll, that is.
"Elvis as Indian in Film and Life" will explore Elvis Presley's portrayals of American Indians in the movies, but also his real-life Cherokee lineage.
"Elvis was proud of his heritage and played cross-blood Native Americans in three movies, which were among his very favorite roles," Snyder said, in a press release. "For Native Americans, Elvis Presley represents both a role model and a cautionary tale, a figure of both honor and humor."
His presentation aims to make the case that Presley might be more thoroughly claimed by American Indian culture, despite the ambiguities of racial representation in his film work. A full version of the presentation will be published in the forthcoming book "American Indians and American Popular Culture."
Free and open to the public, the seminar is slated for 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at OCCC's College Union, Room CU1.
photo While "Jailhouse Rock" may be among his most beloved films, Elvis played American Indians in the likes of "Flaming Star" and "Stay Away, Joe."
