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Westerns, then, deal with the legends associated with
the settlement of the western territories, but not
necessarily , and not usually, with accurate
historical facts. Myths are born not out of historical
accuracy, but emerge from values and beliefs that
grow round historical events. Yes, pioneers in their
thousands poured westwards in search of land, gold
or merely a fresh start in the vast open spaces of the
western plains, but the struggles they endured
during these long treks are generally portrayed in
western films as consisting of battling hostile Native
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Americans or ‘bad guys’ determined to rule the roost.
The struggles these pioneers had were more to do
with battling the elements, disease and hunger
rather than fighting off ‘savages’ or lawless
gunfighters. Yet movies such  as ‘The Searchers’ and
‘How the West Was Won’ emphasise the conflict with
‘Indians’ because that is perceived as being more
dramatic and appropriate for action movies, which
western films are basically. This leads to a
simplification of the issues involved in the settling of
the west and the interaction with Native American
tribes. At the heart of most western movies is the
romanticised portrayal of the heroism of the pioneers
who faced all these dangers to tame the new frontier.