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Magical Native American: Difference between revisions
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{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* The Shaman Fight in ''[[Shaman King]]'' is run by a Native American tribe.
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* Most of the Native American characters in the Marvel Universe have ended up either using magic or going on a [[Vision Quest]] at some point. A particularly [[Egregious]] example lies in Forge, a dyed-in-the-wool hard-core technology builder, who was studying to be a shaman before his mutant powers manifested (and later ended up using magic against a mystically-charged adversary).
** Danielle Moonstar of the ''[[New Mutants]]'' provides a mild subversion. Despite the involvement of a demonic bear in her [[Parental Abandonment]] [[Backstory]], her own illusion/nightmare summoning abilities were run of the mill [[Psychic Powers]] and she only acquired mystical abilities well after she came to Xavier's... when she was kidnapped to Asgard and became a Valkyrie more-or-less by accident (All because she wanted to help out a winged horse trapped in a bog. Blessed with suck indeed). Her grandfather was actually a shaman who taught her what he could about controlling her illusion powers but, knowing their origin were different from his own abilities, he talked her into going to Xavier's School
** Amusingly, Thomas Fireheart is a ''literal'' Magical Native American, being a shape-shifting were-puma and protector of his tribe. However, he's also got a mercenary streak and is firmly on the darker side of morally gray. He later turns out to be the only person in the whole [[The Multiverse|multiverse]] who can hurt the Beyonder (besides God), but then a [[Retcon]] fixed all that. Also, [[Cool Old Guy| his unnamed uncle]], a typical Native American shaman - and often [[Straight Man]] to his nephew.
** Australian Aborigines in the Marvel U are similarly portrayed. A 'magical bullroarer' and the ability to teleport through Dream Time are the powers of two completely separate characters—Talisman (no relation to Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, above) and Gateway.
** Gateway was both far more mystical than Talisman (he never spoke) AND subverted the trope by being an airplane pilot in the alternate reality of The [[Age of Apocalypse]].
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* Played with in [[Scalped]]. Nominally a crime-n-family drama, it also delves into the realm of dreams and spirit animals, and it's not certain if it's just metaphors. Certain characters (Grandma Poor Bear, for instance) have an inherent connection to this vaguely magical background.
* ''[[PS238]]'' has Roaring Cloud, who was a chief of an unknown tribe in America in the previous Age of Superpowers. He was warlike and [[Smug Super|excessively prideful]] and [[Personality Powers|fittingly]], had mastery over lightning (though he [[Swiss Army Superpower|can be creative with this]]) - enough to challenge a whole "conventional" army of another tribe (who thought his approach is not honourable). He wound up cursed and had to sit at one place as an incorporeal spirit unable to affect the material world or even remember his name until he atones, which is kind of tricky with such limitations. Eventually he was given an opportunity to participate in saving the world - possess a medium and start blasting alien invaders.
== Film ==
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* An episode of ''[[So Weird]]'' takes place on a reservation and includes a tale of the Coyote Spirit who helps those lost in the woods. At the end of the episode, the coyote [[Volundary Shapeshifting|turns into]] the Native American who told the story.
==
* In ''[[Deadlands]]'', Native Americans and those who have been welcomed into their tribes are the only characters eligible for Guardian Spirits or leaning rituals and favors from the spirits, at least in the American West. (Oddly enough, Native Americans who had been raised by white people could not learn these things unless they became a tribe's blood brother later in life, which makes it sound like your "Magical Native American"-ness can be revoked; as it's a function of religion, not [[In the Blood|birthright]], this is probably intentional.)
* The [[Metaplot]] for ''[[Shadowrun]]'' has Native Americans as the first to use magic properly after the Awakening, with the reasoning being that they never really left it behind in the first place.
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* In ''[[Witchcraft]]'', the Native Americans had just as many coven equivalents as everyone else. The reason the Natives didn't use their magical superpowers to stop the White Man was because the Combine nullified their advantages somehow.
* ''[[Silver Age Sentinels]]'': Mother Raven (one of the setting's major heroines) is a shaman who received her powers from the actual [[Native American Mythology|Raven]].
* In the ''[[Ravenloft]]'' campaign, the Nightmare Lands are home to the Abber nomads, primitive humans who have a culture and general appearance similar to North American tribes. (Their language is described as "absolutely unique" and unlike "any tongue spoken by any other race in any known land", hinting that they may have origins with ''actual'' Native Americans, like the inhabitants of Odiarre, whose language is described the same way, as it is Gothic Earth's equivalent of Italian.) While they can't outright use magic (unless they gain levels as druids, and some do) living in the Nightmare Lands have made their minds tough enough to withstand a place that tends to drive visitors insane; they don't dream, and can distinguish illusion from reality with ease. In game terms, one source gives a flat 25% chance of such magics failing against them, while other sources say it depends on several factors, like Class Level, Wisdom score, etc.
== [[Video Games]] ==
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** In one episode, this power was ''far'' more powerful; he was able to say the word dozens of times in succession and actually become ''bigger than the Earth'' itself in order to fight a [[Cosmic Entity]] that was just as big. This is clearly a case of [[New Powers as the Plot Demands]], but it did seem to come out of nowhere.
** There's also one episode where some of the Superfriends find their comrades "with the help of Apache Chief's keen tracking abilities."
** Longshadow from ''[[Justice League]]'' was a [[Shout-Out]] to the Chief, much like all the Ultimen were Shout Outs to the OC characters on ''Superfriends''; while clearly Native American, he didn't have as many blatant racial stereotypes, Longshadow was also the [[Only Sane Man]] among the Ultimen. Unlike the Chief, he didn't need a verbal phrase to use his growth powers, and was a decent fighter even at human-size.
* The toy-based animated series ''[[Bravestarr]]'', which had a titular character based on this trope... Just, like said, in space. Magical Native Spacemerican. He was the on-duty marshal of a mining colony on the planet "New Texas", making liberal use of animal powers bestowed on him by spirits. His mentor's name was "Shaman"...
* Parodied in an episode of ''[[South Park]]'' where Indians are about to buy out South Park to build a casino, and Stan has to become a ''Magical Middle Class White Guy''. Complete with [[Vision Quest]].
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[[Category:Magical Minority Person]]
[[Category:Closer to Earth]]
[[Category:Indexed States of America]]
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