Top 10 Films Featuring Indian Burial Grounds

Indian burial grounds have become a staple in horror movies and paranormal stories. This concept often involves unsuspecting people disturbing these grounds, leading to hauntings and curses from native spirits. While this theme is often overused and not always accurate, Hollywood continues to revisit it. Sometimes, the burial ground isn’t haunted but still plays a significant role in the story. Here are ten fictional films that involve Indian burial grounds.

Top 10 Films Involving Indian Burial Grounds

Pet Sematary (1989)

Based on Stephen King’s book, the 1989 horror movie Pet Sematary features a Native-American burial ground used by the Micmacs tribe. This ancient ground is near a present-day animal graveyard, which is now cursed. Anything buried there comes back to life, causing chaos for the town and its residents. This trope was popular in many 80’s horror films.

In the film, a cat named Church is buried in the ancient Indian burial grounds after being killed. Church returns, but he’s now evil, smells terrible, and is violently aggressive. A young child is also killed and buried there by his father, who hopes to bring him back. The child returns, but like Church, he is different. Viewers quickly learn that sometimes, dead is better.

Scalps (1983)

Scalps is another 1980’s horror movie that heavily features an Indian burial ground. Six archeology students go to the California desert to dig, despite warnings not to. As they dig around an ancient Indian burial ground, they unleash an evil spirit named Black Claw.

Made on a $15,000 budget, the movie shows Black Claw seeking vengeance. The spirit possesses one of the students and starts killing them one by one. The low-budget film includes slow scenes of characters being scalped, giving the movie its name.

Identity (2003)

While Pet Sematary features burials on ancient Indian soil and Scalps is about digging on a burial ground, Identity features a building built on ancient burial grounds. In this 2003 film, ten strangers are stranded at a small hotel during a rainstorm. Flooded roads force them to spend the night there.

An unidentified killer starts murdering the guests. The strangers find out that the motel is built next to a Native American burial ground, leading them to believe the supernatural is causing the murders. This psychological slasher film is based on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. You’ll have to watch to see if the Indian burial grounds really play a part.

Poltergeist (1982)

In Poltergeist, a family’s home is haunted by many ghosts. At first, the ghosts seem friendly, playfully moving objects. However, the haunting soon turns demonic, terrorizing the family. The supernatural energy peaks when the ghosts “kidnap” the youngest daughter.

The plot is often linked to the Indian burial ground trope, but this is a common misconception. Even an episode of Family Guy, called Petergeist, parodies the movie with Peter Griffin finding an Indian burial ground in his backyard. Poltergeist does feature a cemetery, but it’s not an ancient tribal burial ground. Regardless, the film is often associated with the overused horror trope of the 1980s.

The Shining (1980)

Starring Jack Nicholson, The Shining is a psychological horror film based on Stephen King’s novel. Directed by Stanley Kubrik, the movie is about a family encountering a sinister presence at a hotel. The father, played by Nicholson, becomes violent, while his son has psychic abilities, seeing horrific events from the past and future.

The Overlook Hotel is built on a Native American burial ground. Nicholson’s character interviews for the winter caretaker position and learns about the hotel’s scary reputation but accepts the job. The Shining is a pop culture staple and is considered one of the most influential movies ever made. It’s one of the most popular films to use the native burial ground trope.

Monsterwolf (2010)

Monsterwolf combines fantasy and horror in a low-budget, made-for-TV film. While it didn’t receive great reviews, some horror fans find its predictability and bad acting entertaining. The sci-fi movie is about oil company workers finding new land to drill on. Their work unleashes a wolf-like creature that terrorizes the town.

The land they drill on is actually an ancient Indian burial ground, and the wolf protects the land from those who threaten it. The evil oil workers are killed by the wolf, which can only be stopped by the last surviving Native American. The plot aligns with Indian lore, but the monster wolf adds a new twist to an old story.

Little Big Man (1970)

Unlike the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy movies on this list, Little Big Man is filled with drama, adventure, and comedy. The 1970 film tells the story of Jack Crabb, who recounts being raised by Native Americans. The Native Americans are portrayed sympathetically, while the United States Cavalry are the villains.

Jack tells how he was cared for by the tribal leader, Old Lodge Skins, since he was ten years old. After saving another child’s life, Jack is named “Little Big Man” for his bravery. Later, he accompanies Old Lodge Skins to an Indian burial mound. Old Lodge Skins declares it a good day to die and lies on his spot on the burial ground. Rain pours on him, and he reveals he is still alive, saying, “Well, sometimes the magic works. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

Understanding the plot of Silent Hill: Revelation can be confusing. However, it is enjoyable for fans of crummy horror movies and the Silent Hill video game franchise. According to Revelation, Silent Hill was a prison colony in West Virginia built on stolen Indian ground, known as “The Place of the Silent Spirits.”

The movie is about Heather Mason, who is drawn to an alternate reality in Silent Hill. She believes she is on the run with her father, who murdered a man in self-defense. On her 18th birthday, she learns her dad has been protecting her from an evil cult called the Order of Valtiel. Once she learns her true identity, she falls into the demonic world of Silent Hill with little hope of escape.

The Amityville Horror (1979)

The Amityville Horror, released in 1979, is about a couple who moves into a house with a horrific history. The house haunts them in strange ways, eventually forcing them to move. The story is based on the true accounts of the Lutz family, who claimed supernatural events happened to them, from strange visions to physical changes.

The connection to an Indian burial ground comes from the Lutz’s book, which claims the house was built on ancient burial grounds. They said the home was built on a sanitarium-like property where sick and dying Indians were taken to die. The Lutz family’s claims have been questioned, and there might not be any connection to a Native American burial ground. True or not, the movie has always been linked to the trope, scaring millions.

The New Daughter (2009)

Spanish screenwriter Luis Berdejo debuted as a feature director with The New Daughter. The movie is based on John Connolly’s short story. It’s about a divorced novelist who moves into an old South Carolina home with his two children. On their first night, the daughter hears strange noises outside her window.

While exploring the property, the children find that their new home is next to an Indian burial mound. The father learns that his new home is known for the disappearance of a previous resident. He returns home to find his daughter’s cat mutilated. The family is continuously haunted by the supernatural, as the ancient Indian burial mound plays a major role in the film’s outcome.

These films all play with the trope of Indian burial grounds, each adding their unique twist to the concept. Whether it’s a cursed pet cemetery or a haunted hotel, disturbing these grounds always leads to terrifying consequences.