April 17, 2012 - 19:21 AMT
Johnny Depp meets Navajo Indians as “Lone Ranger” filming starts

Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer met local Native Americans to mark the start of filming on The Lone Ranger on location, Belfast Telegraph reported.

Johnny - dressed as character Tonto, complete with tribal face paint and headdress - was pictured being greeted by local government figures from the Navajo Nation to mark the start of the shoot in their territory.

President Ben Shelly and Vice President Rex Lee Jim were pictured shaking hands with the Pirates Of The Caribbean star and his co-star Armie, who will play his cowboy friend in the film, and presented the actors with gifts of Pendleton blankets, People.com reports.

President Shelly said: "It was a great honour and privilege to meet Johnny Depp and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer. We are honoured the movie is being filmed here.

"The Navajo Nation has a beautiful landscape and we are glad it is being shared through filmmaking."

Dr Gayle Dine' Chacon, the nation's surgeon general, also presented Johnny with a traditional leather warrior pouch, which was decorated with an arrowhead to symbolise protection.

She gave Armie a tiny silver revolver tie tack set with a piece of turquoise, which he put in his holster.