Indian Imagery
Above: A. Grossman, How the Navajo Maidens Learned to Weave (Newberry Library, Ayer Art Box 2)
Historically non-Indian Americans have used representations of Native peoples in the arts, political theatre, commerce, and social organizations, and they still do. This imagery has both reflected and reinforced the popular idea that Native people were not capable of contributing to American society. Native people themselves and scholars who study cultural representation argue that American images of Indians actually served the interests of non-Indian groups and governmental policy. This section examines the ways that both negative and ostensibly positive images of “Indians” are inaccurate and inappropriate, that is, stereotypical. It also considers the efforts of Native people to challenge stereotypes in sports imagery and by the development of tribal museums. Finally, the “Indian Imagery” section explores the work of scholars who study why non-Indian Americans think about and represent Indians the way they do.
How do Native people feel about the use of "Indian" imagery?
Native people have challenged the use of stereotypical "Indian" imagery, both by protesting it and by offering alternative interpretations and representations of Indian culture and history. Go to "Challenging Stereotypes" for more detail
How do scholars explain the centuries-old and widespread use of "Indian" imagery in America?
Scholars argue that Americans use Indian imagery to reconcile the contradiction between the ideals of national honor and the actual treatment of Indians in America Go to "How We Know" for more detail
What messages about Native people are conveyed by "Indian" imagery in artistic and commercial activity?
At times Indians are viewed as dangerous obstacles to the American way of life and, at other times, they are viewed as “noble,” if childlike, relics of the American past, who have been helped by Americans. Go to "Stereotypes" for more detail
