The Inconvenient Indian

by

Thomas King

Buffalo Bill Cody Character Analysis

Buffalo Bill Cody established his Wild West Show in 1883. The show featured White actors in redface playing Indians, but Cody later employed Indian actors, including Sitting Bull, to fill these roles. King credits Wild West shows like Cody’s with helping create the stereotypical “Dead Indian” that dominates North America’s collectively imagined image of Native people.
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Buffalo Bill Cody Character Timeline in The Inconvenient Indian

The timeline below shows where the character Buffalo Bill Cody appears in The Inconvenient Indian. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2. The End of the Trail
History and Mythology   Theme Icon
Racism and Systemic Oppression  Theme Icon
...of the 19th century as influencing the popular culture view of Indians. Shows such as Buffalo Bill Cody ’s Wild West Show performed across the country and abroad. Initially “Indians” were played by... (full context)
Racism and Systemic Oppression  Theme Icon
...Will Rogers. Rogers was a Cherokee who performed as a vaudeville player and appeared in Buffalo Bill Cody ’s Wild West Show. He made his first film appearance in Laughing Bill Hyde in... (full context)