History is complicated.

As a Native American elder, a historian and storyteller, I spent much of my life sharing the truths about the past, even when they are painful. I have always believed that to heal and move forward, we must first acknowledge the realities of history; not to remain trapped by them, but to learn from them.

I believe in an effort to tell our stories, we have a responsibility to be truthful, especially when we portray real people and real events. When history is fictionalized in any way, it can distort the facts, and it can leave audiences with a distorted understanding that does more harm than good.

The widely popular Netflix series, “American Primeval” is the perfect example. It pretends to tell the story of the Utah Territory; the interactions between Brigham Young and Jim Bridger; and the conflicts between settlers moving west, the Native Americans that were already here, and the US military, which was about to come.

I want to acknowledge where I believe “American Primeval” got it right.

In the very midst of the violence and the liberties taken with history, I saw moments where the producers honored Shoshone culture and language in a meaningful way. The portrayal of a strong matriarch leading her Shoshone village felt true and authentic. Our women have always been the backbone of our communities — guiding, directing and ensuring the survival of our people.

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My favorite character was a young Shoshone girl, who survived the trauma of having her tongue cut out and found ways to navigate a brutal world. Her resiliency spoke to the adaptability that has defined our people for generations. Even in silence, she found her voice through her actions. This truth about native peoples is rarely shown in Hollywood. We are not only victims of history, but we are also survivors, adapting and carrying our traditions forward despite everything that has been done to us.

These are complex histories with real consequences. And yet “American Primeval” takes great liberties, blending fact with fiction in ways that can be misleading.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Utah War, and the portrayal and massacre of native peoples are shaped in ways that serve a dramatic narrative, rather than one that tells the truth.

Most troubling to me is that many viewers of this miniseries will believe that these fictional accounts are true; “American Primeval” has the power to shape perceptions of Mormon history, native history and the history of the American West in ways that are harmful.

As a historian, I believe that there is a responsibility that comes with telling stories about the past. Storytelling has always played an integral part in native communities. It is a way we disseminated knowledge and passed on our culture. And it was how we teach our children values so they will grow up being good community minded citizens.

The producers of “American Primeval” did not meet this important responsibility.

Creative storytelling has its place, but when historical events are rewritten to fit a particular narrative, they can reinforce harmful stereotypes, fuel misunderstandings and deepen divisions in an already divided world.

As a Native American man, I have seen our histories distorted, erased and misrepresented. We have been turned into the savage warrior, or our suffering has been exploited for entertainment.

Historical fiction should not be a tool to justify modern biases or to create villains or heroes. It should challenge all of us to see beyond the stereotypes and to see the full picture, and to sit with the uncomfortable truths, and to recognize that the past was never as simple as a Hollywood script would have us believe.

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So how do we reconcile hard history with the storytelling of Hollywood?

We do this when we ground our narratives in truth. We do this when we acknowledge the complexities of history, instead of simplifying them for dramatic effect. We do this when we recognize that real people lived these events, and their descendants still carry the weight of those histories today.

Historical fiction may have given us the freedom to embellish, but what is the cost of getting it wrong? And who is going to pay for it?

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Stories like “American Primeval” have the power to shape how we see one another, bringing us closer together or pushing us further apart. When history is misrepresented, it can deepen those divisions, reinforce misunderstandings and harden resentments.

Telling history truthfully — acknowledging the mistakes, the injustices and the suffering — doesn’t weaken us. It gives us the foundation to build something better. Recognizing difficult parts of our past allows us to learn, to heal and to move forward with increased understanding of who we are.

In addition to the great power in truth telling, there is also power in forgiveness. We cannot change what happened in the past, but we can choose how we carry it. We can choose to meet one another with honesty and humility, to listen instead of condemn, to seek understanding rather than blame.

True reconciliation isn’t about forgetting; it’s about remembering with purpose — using the lessons of history to guide us towards a future where we see each other not as enemies, but as fellow travelers on the same path.

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