Wonder Woman of the Week: Q'orianka Kilcher

For the long history of Hollywood, white actors often portrayed Native American characters; and when Native actors rarely did have the chance to act, their characters were often stereotypes of outdated caricatures. The 21st Century however has seen a change in the role of Native American actors and characters and one of the actresses helping challenge those outdated stereotypes of the century before in this week's Wonder Woman- Q'orianka Kilcher.

Q'orianka Kilcher spent her childhood in several places. Kilcher was born in 1990 to a Swiss-German mother and a Quechua (Native people of Peru) father in Alaska. Kilcher's father was a rare sight in the young woman's life however and her mother relocated Kilcher and her two siblings to Hawaii in 1992. There, Kilcher began taking hula and Tahitian dance classes as well as martial arts- earning a black belt in two martial arts (Wushu and Kung Fu) and received training to become a stunt performer. At only fourteen years old , Kilcher earned her first major film role by portraying the mythical Pocahontas in The New World as a more historically accurate version of the film than its Disney counterpart.

Twelve years went by however before Kilcher earned a place in her next major Hollywood film with her role in Hostiles beside Christian Bale. During those years, Kilcher performed in several short films, independent films, and made-for-tv films including Sons of Anarchy, The Killing, and Sky. Outside of acting, Kilcher has become a household name in underground human rights movements. The actress has become a champion for environmental protection and advancing the rights of minority groups across the US and Latin America. In 2010, Kilcher was arrested for protesting outside of the White House while President Obama discussed proposed sales of lands in the Amazon to corporate developers.

The actress' protests paid off. Q'orianka Kilcher has become a keynote speaker in several human rights and environmental rights organization- including the UN. The actress has also become an advocate for women's rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, appearing as a guest speaker at several universities and schools in the United States and abroad. Actresses like Kilcher are helping reshape not only the role of Native American actors in film, but help reshape the way their characters are written- such as more accurate portrayal of native languages in films.