Predators vs. Native Americans: A Spiritual Connection

Prey (also known as Predator 5), directed by Dan Trachtenberg, is set hundreds of years in the past and features Native Americans battling the Yautja. Even before Prey, the Predator franchise had explored connections between Native Americans and the Yautja, often becoming spiritual in nature. The original Predator introduced Billy Sole, a Native tracker, while the initial Predator comics focused on Enoch Nakai, a soldier of Navajo descent. Below is an overview of all known encounters between Predators and Native Americans in movies and comics.

Jungle Hunter vs. Billy Sole

Billy Sole was a half-Sioux Indian mercenary and member of Dutch Schaefer's team sent to Val Verde to rescue the hostages in the first Predator movie. He was in the role of the tracker, finding the most optimal path through the jungle and keeping an eye on the enemy movements. Billy was the first to notice that something wasn't right in the jungle and that a non-human being was hunting them. This was mostly due to his Indian heritage and seeing subtle changes of nature sounds and light being unnatural. The Predator novelization went even further and suggested that Billy had a psychic connection with the Predator, which was passed on to him by his Sioux roots. Billy had a short and memorable duel with the Yautja using only his machete and his head was taken as a valued trophy.

Predators and Ancient Aztecs

A more substantial connection between Native Americans and Predators was established in the first Alien vs. Predator movie. In 2000 BC the Predators ruled a part of Central America and were worshipped as gods by the Aztecs. There is no evidence of the Yautja hunting these humans, but they were used as slave labor to build pyramids and breed Xenomorphs. The Aliens were then hunted as part of a blooding ritual for the young Predators. The Yautja rule did not last long as a Xenomorph infestation got out of hand and the Predators were forced to either self-destruct or leave the planet for a time.

Big Game Predator vs. Enoch Nakai

Enoch Nakai was a Navajo descent Native-American stationed in a US army camp in the New Mexico desert. During the events of Predator: Big Game, a crazed and blood-lusted Predator crash-landed in the desert and started to kill off wild animals, soldiers and local populace as well. When Enoch's home - the US army camp was blown up by the self-destruct of the Predator's ship, he had a vision from his dead brother which motivated him to hunt the Predator down. Using his tracking skills, he followed the Big Game Predator to a volcanic formation nicknamed El Malpais, where they had a brutal duel. After being gravely wounded himself, he managed to shoot the Predator in the head and took the head of the hunter as a trophy. Enoch had more run-ins with the Predators later, notably as part of a Predator hunter team in the Predator: Hunters series.

Predators and Enoch Nakai's Ancestors

Enoch Nakai was not the first member of his family to encounter a Predator. In Predator: Blood on Two-Witch Mesa, Enoch's grandfather reveals that his father also faced off with the hunter demon in the Old West. However, the Predator was not after the Native Americans this time, but cowboys working for an oil company and harassing the local Indians. A single Predator took down the oilers camp and was wounded in the process. The captive Native Americans were freed from the camp and a government agency questioned them later, mirroring the OWLF that emerged 75 years later.

Predator vs. Comanche Warriors in Prey

Prey featured several fights between members of the Comanche tribe and the Feral Predator, an aggressive Yautja who came to Earth in the early 18th century. After dispatching several wild animals, native tribes members, and a band of French trappers, the Yautja faced its greatest challenge with Taabe and Naru. Taabe, Naru's brother, attacked the Predator on horseback, disarming it of its bio-mask and wounding it with arrows. While distracted by Naru and her dog, Sarii, the Predator was stabbed with its own combistick but managed to fatally wound Taabe in return.

Predator vs. Naru, the Female Comanche

This encounter allowed Naru to study the Predator's weaknesses and tactics, knowledge she used in their final battle. Naru used a medicinal flower to mask her body heat and lured the Predator into a trap, using its own bio-mask to turn its targeting system against it. The Feral Predator ultimately killed itself with its bolt gun, falling victim to Naru’s strategy. Victorious, Naru returned to her tribe with the Predator’s head as proof of her triumph, but the appearance of Predator ships in the sky hinted at further challenges ahead. Furthermore, Naru kept the Raphael Adolini flintlock pistol as a trophy, which later ended up in the hands of the Greyback Predator in Predator 2.

Predators vs. Extraterrestrial Natives

The Predators don't just hunt native tribes on Earth; the Yautja have been shown to hunt otherworldly tribal species on other planets. One such example involves the Tetrabrachial Humanoids, an enigmatic species native to the planet UE-753 in the Kaus Borealis System. These four-armed, red-skinned beings were a tribal society that existed in a bronze-age-like state, blending primitive technology with a deeply spiritual culture. During a hunt in 2107, the infamous Yautja known as Ahab clashed with this species. He suffered grave injures, including the loss of a mandible and an eye, before ultimately triumphing over one of the humanoids. This hunt led Ahab to discover cave paintings depicting the mysterious Engineer species, suggesting a shared cosmic thread between the Tetrabrachial Humanoids and humanity.

Conclusion

The Predator series has long explored the Yautja's interactions with tribal societies, both human and extraterrestrial. This has reveal deeper themes of survival, spirituality, and the similar rituals of hunter and prey. Many Yautja clans live in tribal societies themselves, mirroring the communities they often encounter and hunt. From Billy Sole’s intuitive connection with the jungle to the cultural significance of the Aztecs, these stories highlight the Yautja’s respect for strength, skill, and tradition. The historical connection between Predators and the Native Americans was fully realized in Prey, where a Comanche warrior named Naru took down the Feral Predator.

Tag Categories: Yautja Society, Predator Hunt