{"id":86045,"date":"2024-11-15T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/?p=86045"},"modified":"2024-11-15T11:54:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T19:54:44","slug":"media-movies-addressing-native-american-stereotypes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/media-movies-addressing-native-american-stereotypes\/","title":{"rendered":"From Media to Movies: Addressing Native American Stereotypes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On November 7, The Washington Post reported<\/a>, \u201cThe FBI and authorities in several states are investigating racist text messages sent to Black people nationwide this week saying they would be brought to plantations to work as enslaved people and pick cotton.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This recent rise in proud, hateful intimidation tactics reminds me of a racist sign that was waved at a 2020 rally that left the news anchor in shock. The disturbing handwritten poster read<\/a>: \u201cComing for Blacks and Indians first…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Abolitionists Who Show Us What White Allyship Looks Like<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking about all this hate against the two most historically oppressed racial demographics in our nation\u2019s history brings tears to my eyes. Sadly, I\u2019m not surprised that, as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha\u2019is of the United States<\/a> wrote, \u201c\u200b\u200bracism continues to work its evil upon this nation.\u201d<\/strong>  In \u201cThe Vision of Race Unity\u201d in 1991, they stated<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The recent resurgence of divisive racial attitudes, the increased number of racial incidents, and the deepening despair of minorities and the poor make the need for solutions ever more pressing and urgent. To ignore the problem is to expose the country to physical, moral and spiritual danger.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve written articles about the stereotypes fueling misogynoir<\/a>, and in this article, I\u2019m focusing on the stereotypes driving anti-Indigeneity. After all, aren\u2019t stereotypes the fallacies behind prejudice? I\u2019m grateful to share the perspectives of Native American Baha\u2019i friends on this important matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How Chief Sitting Bull\u2019s Great-Great-Granddaughter Became the First Lakota Baha\u2019i<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Native American Stereotypes in Media, TV Shows, and Movies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Medicine Eagle, a practicing holistic healthcare practitioner and member of the Anishinaabe nation residing on the Omaha Indian Reservation in Macy, Nebraska, wrote in an email to me, \u201cThe biggest misconception of Native people is that we are \u2019savages.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Medicine
Photo of Medicine Eagle, courtesy of Medicine Eagle<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As stated in the article \u201cI is for Ignoble: Stereotyping Native Americans,\u201d published online by The Jim Crow Museum, Native Americans are \u201crepresented as barbarous, with tomahawk and scalping knife in hand. In contrast, Euro-Americans are depicted as innocent victims of savagery, especially from Indian males.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure many of you have heard of or seen those Westerns depicting our nation\u2019s Indigenous people attacking Euro-American colonizers. In reality, to use the words of the Jim Crow Museum, \u201cmany American Indians were taken captive by non-Indians, tortured, incarcerated, murdered, and expelled into slavery. Because Europeans and Euro-American colonists threatened Native peoples, many resisted mightily to defend their families and homelands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Native Americans are not stereotyped as savage in these movies and television shows, they are rarely represented at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medicine Eagle continued, \u201cDepictions of the Indian peoples in the media are always that of Natives, not human beings that are doctors, lawyers, teachers, artists, farmers, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shared that his dear friend, an actor on a popular Western television program, \u201cwent into show business to dispel the type cast, only to face the reality that he can only be cast as a Native.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every person wants to be seen as a multifaceted individual, recognized for their diverse talents, professions, perspectives, and qualities, rather than being confined to a race-based role and the harmful stereotypes that reduce their full humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to being depicted as savages, Native Americans are often portrayed as impoverished, uneducated, and struggling with addictions. Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, a retired National Indigenous Arts Administrator for the Canada Council of Canada and member of the Nacho N\u2019yak D\u00e4n First Nation of central Yukon, Canada, explained that \u201cso much of the media only portrays the weakness of Indigenous people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Louise
Photo of Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, courtesy of Louise Profeit-LeBlanc<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese stereotypes have weakened the people and also have prevented those who might like to get to know us from doing so,\u201d wrote Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, whose Northern Tutchone name is Ts\u00e9 Itsoh \u2014 Beaver Woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nadema Agard \u2014 whose Lakota name is Winyan Luta, meaning Woman Holy Red \u2014 is a Cherokee, Lakota, and Powhatan artist, educator, consultant, curator, and storyteller. She also emphasized how these highly sexualized images of Native Women are contributing to the high rates of assaults, kidnapping, and murder of Indigenous women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How We Can Combat These Harmful Stereotypes Against Native Americans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Medicine Eagle wrote, \u201cWe need to return to our original teachings, and the teachings of the Baha\u2019i Faith that there is only one race \u2014 the human race. This understanding will aid in eliminating racism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, at a talk in Paris in 1911, Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a>, one of the central figures of the Baha\u2019i Faith<\/a>, said<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For God created us all of one race. There were no differences in the beginning, for we are all descendants of Adam. In the beginning, also, there were no limits and boundaries between the different lands; no part of the earth belonged more to one people than to another. \u2026How can we uphold war caused by an illusion?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Louise Profeit-LeBlanc suggested that we \u201cwork with Indigenous people to find the sacred line of reconciliation and build a new world together.\u201d She shared that \u201cthere are many books that have been written by Indigenous people, and there are many filmmakers, theater artists, poets, and educators who can be called upon to help bring better understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nadema Agard highlighted the importance of having a \u201cbetter Native American curriculum in our school system and more exposure in the media.\u201d She also stressed the need for allies \u201cto support the Native community members but not speak for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo of Nadema Agard, courtesy of Nadema Agard<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Louise Profeit-LeBlanc wished that more people understood that Indigenous people are \u201ccommunity-minded\u201d and want to share their \u201cknowledge of what the land has taught [them] with the rest of the population.\u201d She wrote, \u201cWe have always been hard workers, thinkers, healers, providers, hunters, etc. who care about our human family.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, let\u2019s all care about them and work together to dispel these harmful Native American stereotypes that are stoking hatred and oppression. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On November 7, The Washington Post reported, \u201cThe FBI and authorities in several states are investigating racist text messages sent to Black people nationwide this week saying they would be…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64356,"featured_media":86054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2946],"tags":[2978,3170,3198,2976],"series":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86045"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64356"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86045"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86072,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86045\/revisions\/86072"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86045"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahaiteachings.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=86045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}