A family from the
Mescalero Apache tribe
is suing the producers of the
Steven Spielberg television series,
Into the West. The family claims that their daughter's hair was cut without
permission and without regard for tribal customs. The girl, 8-year old Christina Ponce, had her hair cut up to her chin
to make her look like a Native American boy. The Mescalero tribe forbids cutting a girl's hair before she reaches
puberty, when it should be waist-length for a Coming of Age ceremony. Ponce's parents are suing for $250,000 for
emotional distress and $75,000 in damages. The girl was cast in the role after her parents responded to a casting call
in New Mexico last March.
Into the West aired on
TBS TNT last summer.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-18-2006 @ 10:31PM
Erik said...
Dead in the water. I promise that 200 page contract they signed contained a clause about allowing hair and makeup changes...among a thousand other things they won't be able to sue for.
Reply
3-18-2006 @ 11:03PM
Chris W said...
I think it aired on TNT...
Reply
3-19-2006 @ 12:14AM
Seth said...
Into The West was a TNT original series, not TBS.
Reply
3-19-2006 @ 7:50AM
Tweaq said...
Kind of ironic (maybe) that they're Native American tradionalists, with keeping her air and all that. But they're PURE american, that they're sue the pants of anyone. and should her hair cost $75,000? couldn't they have just went with $325,000 for "stress"
Reply
3-19-2006 @ 3:04PM
Brent McKee said...
I have a suspicion that such an act in old Apache tradition would involve a punishment that would be illegal virtually everywhere in the world. Given that this is not something really covered by criminal law,a law suit is probably the prefereable option if you're Mr Speilberg. The big question is if the script called for a Native American boy, why didn't they hire a Native American boy to play the part instead of making a girl look like a boy? Or were they following in the grand tradition that saw Leonard Nimoy playing Nitive Americans?
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