Tonto the 11th episode of the radio show, which originated on the Detroit, Michigan, radio station WXYZ. Though he became well known as the Lone Ranger's friend, Tonto was originally created just so the Lone Ranger would have someone with whom to talk. Throughout the radio run (which spanned 21 years), with only a few exceptions, Tonto was played by American actor John Todd. Jay Silverheels portrayed the (arguably best-remembered version) in "The Lone Ranger" television series. This was the highest-rated television program on the ABC network in the early 1950s and its first true "hit". Ivan Naranjo, a Blackfoot/Southern Ute
Contemporary Native American issues in the United States were first performed by European Americans dressed in mock traditional attire. Examples included "The Last of the Mohicans" (1920), "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans" (1957), and "F Troop" (1965–67). In later decades, Native American actors such as Jay Silverheels in "The Lone Ranger" television series (1949–57) came to prominence. Roles of Native Americans were limited and not reflective of Native American culture. For years, Native people on U.S. television were relegated to secondary, subordinate roles relative to the white protagonists as shown in notable works like "Cheyenne" (1957–1963) and "Law of the Plainsman" (1959–1963). By the 1970s some