The Navajo Boy
Encyclopedia
The Navajo Boy was a silent film
of the 1950s that depicted the Cly family on the Navajo Nation
in Monument Valley, Utah. The director, Robert J. Kennedy, narrated the film live at each showing. He provided little written information about the context or the identities of the Navajo people featured in the film. (The original spelling of the film is The Navaho Boy, as was customary at the time.)
He featured Happy and Willie Cly, who have since died. Happy Cly is considered the most photographed Native American
person. The "Navajo Boy" for whom the original film was named was Jimmy Cly.
At the turn of the twenty-first century, the Navajo people were more involved in making the documentary The Return of Navajo Boy
(2000), whose executive producer was Bill Kennedy, son of the 1950s director. The Navajo believed the earlier film had treated them as voiceless stereotypes, and they wanted to better represent their story, especially the damage done to countless families from uranium mining on the reservation, which was unregulated for decades.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
of the 1950s that depicted the Cly family on the Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
in Monument Valley, Utah. The director, Robert J. Kennedy, narrated the film live at each showing. He provided little written information about the context or the identities of the Navajo people featured in the film. (The original spelling of the film is The Navaho Boy, as was customary at the time.)
He featured Happy and Willie Cly, who have since died. Happy Cly is considered the most photographed Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
person. The "Navajo Boy" for whom the original film was named was Jimmy Cly.
At the turn of the twenty-first century, the Navajo people were more involved in making the documentary The Return of Navajo Boy
The Return of Navajo Boy
The Return of Navajo Boy is an award-winning documentary film produced by Jeff Spitz and Bennie Klain about the Cly family, Navajo who have suffered health problems due to environmental contamination from uranium mining on tribal land in Monument Valley, Utah...
(2000), whose executive producer was Bill Kennedy, son of the 1950s director. The Navajo believed the earlier film had treated them as voiceless stereotypes, and they wanted to better represent their story, especially the damage done to countless families from uranium mining on the reservation, which was unregulated for decades.