“It is human nature to use differences as a way to identify oneself from another. Because of this innate need to self-group, differences become essential to the forming of one identity to another. As Laura stated, dominant cultures "can control the production and distribution of art." In this case, the dominant cultures are also responsible for the production and distribution of dangerous stereotypes which are perpetuated through fashion, media, sports, law, and of course, art.” -Tatiana
When one thinks of social inequalities due to the belief that European culture was the most civilized it is hard not to think of the Native Americans. Between the legal genocide of the Native Americans and Western romanticized representations of the natives, these people have faced horrors time after time. This destruction of the Native Americans way of life is such a large part of American culture.
Like Tatiana and Laura this last week’s readings produced some interesting thoughts with the Western culture’s tendency to dominate and assimilate a culture’s beliefs and artifacts into a Western lens. Last spring I took Professor Dean’s Native American Studies class and one of the main topics we talked about were the robbing of the Natives culture and belongings. While Native Americans also face the dehumanization of their bodies, they are also placed into a certain lens. Stereotypical Native American tropes are the noble savage, spiritual guide, and ecological Indian.
Time and time again you will see Kitsch media portray ethnic characters who possess powers due to their ethnicity. A recent example would be Papa Midnight from Constantine, a DC/Vertigo comic series who recently received a television show on NBC. Often an African is portrayed as a voodoo practitioner who summons power from the underworld. In fact most mainstream representation of voodoo is portrayed incorrectly, due to the discrimination of any non-Christian religion. However, that is a discussion for another time. The spiritual guide trope is usually dressed traditionally even though they are in the modern era. An example of this trope is really any Native interacted with on Walker, Texas Ranger. The amount of times that Chuck Norris’ character went on spiritual journeys assisted by his spiritual guide almost numbers the amount of Chuck Norris jokes I can make.
Ray Firewalker from Walker, Texas Ranger
The Crying Indian Commercial is an example of media using the ecological Indian as a way to promote keeping America beautiful. Native Americans are romanticized as nature loving people who are hurt every time something happens. America promotes that you ruin their way of life by polluting America. The actor isn’t even Native American he is an Italian actor dressed as one. This further changes the perspective on Native Americans by promoting this stereotype.
Little Black Sambo- old racial cartoon on African Americans
Finally Native Americans are portrayed as a dangerous savage culture. Which is why teams are willing to use Indians as their mascot. A recent example is the Cleveland Indians controversy, in which Native Americans are dehumanized. Human beings are not mascots, Sambo an African American satirical racist cartoon is no longer allowed to be portrayed. Yet Cleveland Indians are still allowed to use the Chief Mascot. To learn more about the mascot controversy, I advise looking up the documentary WaWHO? Nothing Is Sacred and this link and this one.
Clevland Indian Logo Chief Wahoo:
It was a defense that there is nothing offensive about the cartoonish representation of the Native American culture and it should be seen as a tribute. They label it freedom of art and saw no reason to rid the mascot because it is just a mascot. As Laura said culture identity and privilege are in relation to how dominant cultures and political forces can control the production and distribution of art. American culture view Native Americans as a past occurrence and see no problem dehumanizing them.
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