Reel Injun and other Native Responses to "Indians" in Mass Media

Reel Injun is a new documentary film that explores the phenomenon of the Hollywood Indian. For over 100 years, Indigenous North Americans have appeared in more than 4000 films.  Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond explores the many depictions of Indians on celluloid and its impact on every filmgoer's understanding or misunderstanding of Native people.

I caught an abbreviated hour long version of Reel Injun on Independent Lens- the award-winning public television series that highlights new drama and documentary films.  I was very impressed with the film and its humorous and poignant insights into the Hollywood Indian.

The most impressive part of the film is its portrayal of Native actors and filmmakers in the earliest days of cinema.  From the silent era through the first talking films, Native people had a surprisingly active role in film production.  It seems only when the studio system became dominant that real Native people took a backseat role (if not wholly disappeared).






Reel Injun proves that one of the most effective ways to examine and question Indigenous depictions in mass media is with mass media itself!  And so long as there have been these Indigenous depictions, so have there been Indigenous people ready to counter them.  Here are a few of those:



Eska Water's new ad campaign: "Eskan Warriors"

Mohawk activist Clifton Nicholas expresses his dismay over a new ad campaign for Eska Water.  It depicts a fictional band of "Eskan Warriors."  According to Nicholas, these ads depict a negative portrayal of Native people even if it is a fictional generic "Native" group.




Time for "THE INDIANS SHOWBAND" to retire!

The Irish showband "The Indians" who perform in stereotypical Indian garb and perform songs like Wigwam Wiggle and Squaws along the Yukon have met their match online.  A protest group on facebook is calling for the group to retire saying they make a mockery of native culture through their stereotypical representation of Native Americans.
 
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110714922354367

Here's Wigwam Wiggle:





AIM Santa Barbara takes on The Dudesons

Way back in May 2010, I broke the story about the new MTV show The Dudesons and their tasteless depiction of American Indian culture in the episode Cowboys and Findians.  Here is part one of a three part series of young AIM activists discussing their concerns about The Dudesons.





Ask an Indian: Cultural Appropriation

Simon Moya-Smith is an Oglala Lakota Sioux journalist and activist who describes himself as a "rug lifter" trying to reveal the many American Indian issues swept under the rug.  He blogs over at http://iamnotamascot.blogspot.com/ where his passionate commentary is always good for a hearty laugh and thoughtful reflection.  Here he is decrying Native appropriation while window shopping.




The Stream - Don't Trend on My Culture - Adrienne Keene

Adrienne Keene is a Cherokee blogger and activist who analyzes a constant stream of Native cultural appropriation over at her blog http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/.  Thanks to her prodigious efforts at tracking this phenomenon, she is making appearances in more mainstream media such as this interview on The Stream on Al Jazeera English.





Dr. Greene's AB-original Pain Reliever

And finally here is Oneida actor Graham Greene with a humorous take on Native appropriation in marketing.  Enjoy!






Additional reading:

Reel Injun Discussion Guide

Hollywood's Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film. Edited by Peter C. Rollins and John E. O'Connor.  University of Kentucky Press (2003).

From Drawing on Indians:

Drawing on Indians: The Wacky World of TV Tropes

Forget Avatar: 10 Compelling Films of Real-Life Indigenous Struggle


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Going Native in Ireland Part II

It's one thing to find a single product in a store that appropriates Native culture but to find an entire business...

Meet Apache Pizza!

Ireland's most popular Native American themed dine-in and carry-out pizza restaurant!

This popular pizza chain with over 40 locations throughout Ireland left me scratching my head just like the Irish Indian Chief Headdress.

Some of the menu highlights include:

• WIGWAMMER pizza  (cause nothing screams woodlands tribes like double decker pepperoni!)
• CAJUN APACHE pizza (I've never had shrimp gumbo with fry bread, have you?)
• HIAWATHA pizza (which apparently is how they spell Hawaiian in Ireland)
• BACON APACHE pizza (cause everything is better with bacon?)
• GERONIMO pizza (how timely of them)

Here is the full menu and a few screenshots:

(

And what themed restaurant is complete without over-the-top decoration (click on the images to enlarge)

 

(but mankind really had to pee and couldn't afford a slice!)

And if you can't make it to the restaurant, just order carryout!

PIZZA BOX (front)

PIZZA BOX (back) featuring:

TEN NATIVE AMERICAN COMMANDMENTS

They even sell licensed merchandise and other novelty gifts such as the Apache Novelty Arrow, Apache Fun Feathers, and Apache Feather Headdress.

"King of your tribe?, then prove it with a feather headress."

Someone care to explain to me what Native Americans and the Apache in particular have to do with pizza?

What's that, absolutely nothing.

Indeed, Native American culture is a pretty odd choice for a pizza chain in the emerald isle, but then again considering the cultural phenomenon that is the "Indian" I'm sadly not surprised by this.

This chain is the epitome of "drawing on Indians" because it is so completely detached from real Native culture and instead dives head first into the stereotypical soup of the "Indian".

It has all the best known elements: a chief head with war bonnet, Hiawatha, Geronimo, a special Indian connection to the natural and spiritual world (though I personally prefer my Native wisdom from tribal elders, not from the back of pizza boxes).

I'm assuming the founders of Apache Pizza were enchanted with the stereotypical Indian of American frontier lore and decided it would make a great memorable pizza mascot.  Thus was born "Big Chief" (he's named in one of the radio adverts) and Apache Pizza!

I was originally going to "go easy" on this company and simply decry it for its clear stereotypes of Native Americans but then I heard the radio adverts.

 Apache- Wife

Apache Pizza is officially racist.  How else can you describe such an ugly stereotype as the tonto-speaking gruff-voiced Indian named Big Chief who literally says HOW every other word?!!!

Stuff like this is supposed to be a thing of the past but I suppose when you take centuries of ugly stereotypes and then move across the ocean to a place far removed from real Native people, this stuff does happen.  Sad.


Outraged?

Let em know:

http://www.apache.ie/customer_feedback.htm


For more European examples check out:

Glastonbury "Indians"

The Dudesons: A Retrospective

Going Native in Ireland Part I


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Former WWE Superstar 'Tatanka' Talks about Being Professional Wrestling's "Real-Life Native American"

Chris Chavis is a professional wrestling superstar who is also descended from the Lumbee Native American tribe in North Carolina.  He began wrestling in 1990 and immediately made use of his Native heritage to create the wrestling persona "Tatanka."  More info can be found at his Wikipedia page and personal website.

Tatanka!!!

Here's a great interview with Chris on the Miami Herald website.  He was in town to wrestle at the Coastal Championship Wrestling indie show at the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming (a tribal casino outside Miami).  I've posted some of the highlights below but I recommend reading the full article to get his whole background.

Former WWE superstar Tatanka talks Native American

Q: What is the history of the Miccosukee, Seminole and Lumbee tribes getting along? Any battles?

A: No. No battles.  I have a contact list of all tribes throughout the U.S. (including Alaska) and Canada. People don't realize there are actually 1,838 tribes. Huge. There's approximately 600 in Canada, 425 in Alaska and and around 1,000 in the U.S. People don't realize that because TV has programmed people to see only the Apache, the Navajo, the Cherokee, and TV always depicted the Native Americans not in a proper way.

That's why it's good we finally have movies that came along -- like "Dances with Wolves" -- that really portrayed the Native Americans as they truly are. Not like the John Wayne movies.


Q: Did you have to overcome any stereotypes growing up?

We really didn't have to deal with that.  Thank God I came from an area where it was accepted. I went to high school and college in Virginia.

North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, those areas have a lot of native tribes. You got the Cherokees. You have the Lumbees, the Iroquois, a lot of different tribes. So it wasn't a thing people wanted to stereotype. It was more accepted.

The stereotyping, yea, you still have that, but I think it's more from some of the areas in the country where you have certain races of people who are very hypocritical or anti.



Q: Did promoters ever want to give you a different character than your real-life persona as a Native American?

A: ...They said, "There's not a lot of natives in the business, but the natives who have been in the business have done great. You can be who you are. You're the real deal. Let's just shoot with you." George Scott was a promoter who believed what you do has to be believable. He would call it a shoot.

So they loved that I was Native American.


...When I went to the WWF, [owner] Vince [McMahon] loved it. He's said, "I loved that you're truly native. We can go right to your tribe. We can do vignettes right at your tribe. They can check your name. We're going to start you as Chris Chavis because Chris Chavis is really Native American. They can find out Chris Chavis is a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe."

Chris Chavis posing with our troops

(image source: www.nativetatanka.com)

Comments:

Admittedly I don't know a whole lot about this "sporting theater" known as professional wrestling or even "Tatanka" the wrestling legend but I watched enough as a kid to know I don't much care for it.

Professional wrestling has never been known for its subtlety or nuance.  It's essentially a testosterone fueled sideshow with crazy characters and even crazier bodies.  (hairless, tanned, and oiled up like they should be...dammit!)  Then again as Chris Chavis demonstrates, it is also a forum for expressing your identity and heritage (albeit through an over-the-top wrestling persona).

Chris is also uniquely qualified to speak on this issue of Native representation in the media and popular culture since he literally was the face of Native America for countless young wrestling fans across America.  I don't know his character Tatanka or his routine to comment on specifics but I suspect it may be a mixture of his personal heritage and culture with some Hollywood thrown in.

Why you ask?

When the event promoters and managers say, "You can be who you are. You're the real deal." I can't help but wonder if they're thinking in the back of their heads "Wow, a real Indian!  We don't have to parade around those fake Indians anymore!"  From the promoters point of view, Chris brings the tantalizing qualities of his authentic native heritage to a public that time and time again has proven its insatiable thirst for the exotic Indian on display.

In my opinion, Tatanka looks like a Native American mascot brought to life.  He has donned the customary plains headdress, warpaint, and even dances.  Then again, all professional wrestlers are forced into a character niche, often stereotypical, to fulfill the demands of the business.

Well enough from me.  I'll let this video do the talking:




The article/interview also has some interesting language.  Whenever someone refers to a Native person as a "real-life Native American" I can't help but shake my head.  It's pretty sad that people have become so used to fake Indians that the "real deal" is so amazing!

“Stephen's really into Indians” (Oh, mom...)

So there I was at a big family dinner with all my relatives. My mother is seated at the opposite side of the table talking with family when somehow I become part of the conversation. Someone happens to make a reference to Native Americans when my mother decides to impart:

“Oh, you know who's really into Indians? Stephen's really into Indians.”

I squirm as the spotlight is suddenly thrust upon me from the opposite end of the table.

Only in retrospect do I realize how insightful is this seemingly innocuous phrase, “Stephen's really into Indians” and it's not because I'm the first word. This phrase once again reveals how in our popular American mindset, Native people are often placed into their own special category, separate from any other racial, ethnic, political, or cultural group.

Nothing makes the point better than substituting in any other group. What if the phrase had been, “Stephen's really into Russians” or “Stephen's really into black people” or “Stephen's really into Lutherans.” All of these make me sound like I have some kind of weird cultural or sexual fetish because those are people!

This brings me back to the phrase itself: “Stephen's really into Indians.” It's not the word Indian itself that is problematic as my point can be made with the phrases “Stephen's really into Native Americans” or “Stephen's really into American Indians” as well.

This phrase demonstrates how in the popular American discourse, “Indians” are held to be an abstract idea, an academic subject worthy of study, a cultural trend even, anything but real modern people. It fails to recognize the humanity behind the word, the people behind the history pages, the culture behind the movie screen.

I'm reminded of the Indian dioramas in Natural History museums throughout the country- miniature nameless figures stuck in a static historical past- reinforcing the Indian as an exotic other.  Like the dinosaurs, mammoths, and stuffed birds around them, they are objects of research and amusement.

This phrase is simply testament to the disparity between Indians the idea and Native people the reality. The disparity that allows non-Native people to sport Indian headdresses, place Indian logos on their products, and use Indian sweat lodges in their New Age ceremonies without giving it even a moments pause.

This phrase fails what I call the “appropriate appropriation” test which states the appropriate level of cultural borrowing is that which you can display in front of that cultural group without offending them.

I can only imagine the looks I'd get if someone used the phrase in front of any Native people.  Now that would make me squirm!