Faculty Fellow
Assistant Professor, Department of Cinema Studies
“DeMille Indians”: Native Americans in Studio Hollywood
Jacob Floyd is an assistant professor in the Department of Cinema Studies. An enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Cherokee descent, Floyd’s primary research interest is Indigenous media, particularly how Native American media makers represent themselves, and have used screen media for their own interests throughout history. His current project examines how Native actors in Studio Hollywood performed off-screen to influence the promotion and reception of their films, challenge their on-screen depictions, educate audiences, and advocate for Native causes. He is also interested in how contemporary Indigenous media makers work within, critique, and reinvent approaches to film and genre, especially in documentary and horror cinema. His scholarly work has appeared in journals such as JCMS and the American Indian Culture and Research Journal. He also has a background in film production, and makes documentaries. In 2021, he was named a 40 Under 40 by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.