Not So Innocent Indian Stereotypes

The "Red Man" from Peter Pan
Ward Kimball Animation

      I am sure in most people's childhood they watched Peter Pan and believed it was an innocent film about a boy and his friends who live in a fictional world where they never grow up. However there is so much more to this film, that as a young child, you wouldn't pick up on. If you think back to the movie, Peter Pan, Wendy and her brothers all met some Native Americans while on their territory. This is becomes very stereotypical and racist when you notice that the Native Americans in this scene are portrayed as being of an unrealistic bright red skin tone. The Native American stereotypes are further exemplified when they start singing a song about "What makes the red man red" while dancing around wildly, smoking, and patting at their mouths. It is commonly asked why is this so offensive? Why do people get so offended at such an petty thing? I think we all can see how the unrealistic red skin can be offensive but what is more important is that we realize that this is falsely representing Indians. One would think that because this film was made almost twenty years ago,  there isn't such misrepresentation of Indians anymore. This, unfortunately, isn't the case.
      In recent news, Urban Outfitters was sued for one of their collections,which has "Navajo" clothing and accessories. At first glance this seems like it wouldn't be such a big deal with the collection including Navajo inspired beaded necklaces, socks and other such things. But when you look more at the collection, you will see that this is also included among underwear and even a flask which have a Navajo inspired pattern on them. This is very distasteful. Not only is this embarrassing for the company to be putting out on its shelves but it is also embarrassing for the descendants of the Navajo tribe. Just like so many other nationalities, the Navajos do not want to be portrayed in this way, nor do they want these items to seem to be in association with them. This has many people of the Navajo heritage angry about the false representation that Urban Outfitters is placing by refusing to pull the line.

Urban Outfitters "Navajo" Line
Jezebel.com

A picture of Pocahontas and 

John Smith from the Disney movie

Pocahontas

Fanpop- Pocahontas

Historic portrait of the Real Pocahontas in 

Londan, England at age 21. This was painted

 months before her death.

pocahontas.morenus.org

There has been much controversy over the Disney production of Pocahontas. The Powhatan Indians have had major problems with the way that Disney portrayed the story due to the fact that the story told was not historically accurate. Disney romanticized the story, transforming what would have been a little girl into a young woman. Pocahontas was captured at age 17 by John Rolfes group and she married him in order to get out of prison. John Smith, the man she fell in love with in the movie, would have been 11 years older than her, although in the Disney film he seemed to be her age. John Smith doesn't tell the story of how Pocahontas saved him for 17 years after it supposedly happened. Scholars believe that it is very unlikely that this incident ever truly happened due to the fact that John Smith never wrote about this the year it would've happened and also because since she died at 21, she was dead before he told it. Also, he had apparently told many stories of about the same content, but substituted many different woman's names each time. So why is this so bad? Well, the Powhatan nation is angry that Disney chose to do their first historical film in a non historical, hyper-sexualized and romanticized way. Pocahontas is portrayed as a sexy young, large breasted woman with a very slim, yet curvy figure.  Members of the Powhatan nation confronted Disney and even offered to help them become more historically and culturally accurate but Disney refused saying that the story was "accurate, responsible and respectable." Many of the tribe members find it distasteful that Disney also over portrayed the Native Americans relationship with nature. Native Americans were very close to nature however, some of the portrayals of this, such as the fact that she is friends with a raccoon and a humming bird suggest that she is distant from civilization. 

      The hyper sexualization of Indian woman in film, doesn't stop there. It's not just in movies that we see this. Native American Halloween costumes are short, low cut and very revealing. These costumes also come along with very distasteful and audacious distasteful descriptions such as " make a splash at your next rain dance", "no peekee in her teepee", and  "show the guys there is still undiscovered territory for them to claim". This is so out right rude, condescending and distasteful. Why do people believe that this type of behavior is okay? That it is acceptable to publish this type of stuff when selling a product? And why do people believe it is acceptable to dress up like a Native American? Being Native American is a race, just as Caucasian and African American.  People do not buy costumes labeled "African American costume" so why do we as people think its acceptable to dress as Native Americans? Pictured to the right is a Native American costume sold at Crazy For Costumes.com.

      I believe that the history of Native Americans is important for people to know and that is important for us as humans to respect their culture. Many of the portrayals of Native Americans are very stereotypical and condescending or just straight up not true. This is the result of uneducated people making assumptions and using racial slurs. This is why it is very important that people think before they speak and don't make uneducated comments. If we as a society made a better effort to learn about Native Americans and their culture, we would realize how misrepresenting and condescending all on these representations are toward Native Americans.

Google Books Pocahontas
ABCNews
Party City

Powhatan

NPR.org