Perpetuation of Native American Stereotypes in Children's Literature

One of the themes used in the book is of racism towards the Natives. An example used in the book is of Edward Sheriff Curtis who was a photographer of 1900s. Curtis was interested in taking pictures of Native people, but not just any Native person. “Curtis was looking for the literary Indian, the dying Indian, the imaginative construct” (King, 2003; pp. 34). He used many accessories to dress up people up “who did not look as the Indian was supposed to look” (King, 2003; pp.34). He judged people based on his own assumptions without any knowledge of the group and their practices. Curtis reduced the identity of the Native Americans to a single iconic quintessential image of what Native meant to white society. The idea related to the image of this group of people during the 1900s consisted of racism in terms of the “real looking Indian”. This is not

“Indians are like the weather.” With his opening words Vine Deloria Jr. sets up the basis for the rest of his witty yet substantial manifesto, Custer Died for Your Sins. The book, which describes the struggles and misrepresentation of the American Indian people in 1960s American culture, is written in a style that changes from ironic and humorous satire to serious notions, then back again. Through energetic dialogue that engages the reader in a clever and articulate presentation, Deloria advocates the dismissal of old stereotypes and shows a viewpoint that allows the general public to gain a deeper understanding of what it is to be an American Indian.

Popular culture has shaped our understanding and perception of Native American culture. From Disney to literature has given the picture of the “blood thirsty savage” of the beginning colonialism in the new world to the “Noble Savage,” a trait painted by non-native the West (Landsman and Lewis 184) and this has influenced many non native perceptions. What many outsiders do not see is the struggle Native American have on day to day bases. Each generation of Native American is on a struggle to keep their traditions alive, but to function in school and ultimately graduate.

Another issue is how Native Americans internalize the stereotypes that are forced upon them. In a study conducted by Fryberg, Markus, Oyserman, and Stone (2008), they found three common stereotypes of Native Americans in mass media: Spiritual people who are in tune with nature, warriors, or people with stereotypically bad outcomes, such as alcoholism. It is important to note that not all of these stereotypes are negative, and in fact a few of them are positive. What Fryberg et al. (2008) found, however, was that regardless if the stereotype was seen as positive or negative, all three of those variations caused harm in the form of “students’ feelings of personal and community worth, and achievement-related possible selves” (p. 216). It did

The American desire to culturally assimilate Native American people into establishing American customs went down in history during the 1700s. Famous author Zitkala-Sa, tells her brave experience of Americanization as a child through a series of stories in “Impressions of an Indian Childhood.” Zitkala-Sa, described her journey into an American missionary where they cleansed her of her identity. In “Impressions of an Indian Childhood,” Zitkala-Sa uses imagery in order to convey the cruel nature of early American cultural transformation among Indian individuals.

The constructive portrayals of Native Americans exist in the same way as the negatives and can be equally as damaging. Positive tropes tend to set a higher standard for a race and can lead to vacuous

Even in the case of Native Americans, our American culture creates stereotypes based upon what we

In class, we defined race as a social grouping of a diverse set of people into categories, usually by skin color (or other physical or visible markers) stereotypes, shared experience of oppression and or privilege. We also defined racism as a system of advantage and or disadvantage based on race and supported by individual, institutional and cultural structures that create and sustain benefits for a dominant group that influences decisions, institutions and cultural norms around race. In learning about the true definition of race and racism, and through the discussions had in class, I learned that racism is a system of forces that effectively keep people of color in a permanent second class citizenship status. It is systemic in that it can

From the first mention of Native Americans in American history, they are characterized as “savages” and “less intelligent” human beings. This characterization has remained predominate throughout American history, however in colonial times, this characterization had a larger emphasis in how Americans view Indians. Although this the way in which Americans viewed Native Americans, Native Americans, on the other hand, viewed Americans as “white [racially superior]” (Svingen). In today’s modern day and age, we understand the complexity when it comes to stereotyping certain ethnic groups. In regards to Native Americans in a post-World War II setting, labeling and stereotyping such ethnic group emphasizes the importance to integrate individuals of

A situation where I was stereotyped negatively was when people found out that I was Native American. Once they hear that I am, they automatically assume that I get a check from my tribe. Unfortunately, this stereotype is not true. Although, some tribes receive money but since my tribe is the biggest one, I get no funding. Meaning that most people that are Native American do not get funding. People just assume that because I am Native American, that I get money. From what I have learned, I can cause more flexible stereotyping by helping others not just automatically assume something about an individual. Although, I know it is hard to not automatically make judgements about someone whether it is good or bad. A situation where I negatively stereotyped

After several chapters in Dunbar Ortiz and observing the movie “Reel Injun”, it continue to expand my knowledge and give me a better understanding of Native Americans during early colonization of America as well as the impact they played in early Hollywood. It also talks about how different stereotypes began to rise, although not all were true or actually came from Native Americans majority of the stereotypes stuck on to the Native people. As well as the challenges the Cherokee people faced for siding with Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, as they were considered traitors to America because they wanted protection from scalping bonds that were out on Native American men, women, and children. But once America took over independence this

In his article “Crazy Horse Malt Liquor,” renowned author Michael Dorris speaks of stereotyping against a culture. Being of Native American descent himself, he refers to many common ways the American people stereotype against Native Americans, often unintentionally offending them for seemingly innocuous actions. He speaks of streets and football teams named in honor of fallen tribes, cartoon images, media generalizations that portray Native Americans a specific way, one that creates distance between the Indians and the rest of the world. Dorris also explains that because of stereotyping against Native Americans, the twenty-first

We are an ignorant people. Considering that most of our knowledge about Native Americans is based on the “success of our American hero Christopher Columbus” it is clear why. History has painted it as though Native Americans are savages who have no sense of morality and are wild. So, more often than not, we either have this incorrect assumption or know generally nothing at all. Even though most of our information about Native Americans is based upon stereotypes we act as though that information is cut and clear. This is done without considering their experiences and the inaccuracies of our so-called knowledge. To combat these ignorance writers have taken it upon themselves to showcase the clear lies that history portrays and to display the experiences of Native Americans of the past and the present. This is done using things like satire, their personal experiences, and more.

Throughout time Native American history has changed a lot through the introduction and even the dominance of other races and cultures. Art, in general, is an important part of any culture; it works to tell stories and spawn emotion. Similarly, Native American art tells the story of a culture that has survived hardship after hardship. It portrays the history of a race, as well as an entire country. When viewing Native American art, it is important to keep in mind the struggles that many Native Americans faced, and still face today. It is also important to educate ourselves and others of stereotypes that are still prevalent within Native American Art. Although there are still false representation of Native American culture, as was described through

Today, it is not easy to identify the Native American Indians because they have been assimilated into the American popular culture. That was not the case several decades ago when the Native Indian tribes lived in reservations away from the other races in the country. Alexie’s describes the exclusion of the Indian reservation as being extreme to an extent that the only town was not on the map and the whole population was eager to see a black man (2). Even though the Native Indians had