Pow Wow and the Crow

"Pow Wow and his crow brave the forest."

Keys: Space play/pause · ←/→ 10s · F fullscreen · M mute · </> speed

About this film

In an Adventures of Pow Wow episode, the young Native American boy Pow Wow and his crow companion face woodland dangers drawn in limited animation for syndicated children's television. Moral lessons about nature and courage frame the brief adventure aimed at fifties juvenile audiences.

More about this film

About the production

Release date1956

Themes

NatureChildhood courageFriendship

Themes & topics

Pow Wowcrowchildren's TVforest

Historical background

Art Clokey's studio packaged Adventures of Pow Wow for 1950s U.S. television when locally produced children's filler supplemented network cartoons.

Why this film matters

The series belongs to an era of indigenous-styled TV characters whose representation modern critics reassess; surviving episodes document early limited-animation economics on the small screen.

What critics said

Station buyers treated Pow Wow as inexpensive educational programming; later scholars note stereotyped elements common to period children's TV.

Did you know?

  • The crow sidekick recurs across Pow Wow episodes.
  • Episodes ran short enough for local station blocks.

Where to watch

  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK3tda9HWww
  • Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sam%20Singer%20-%20Adventures%20of%20Pow%20Wow%20-%20Pow%20Wow%20and%20the%20Crow%20(1956)%20(without%20audio%20variant)%20(raw%20version).webm