Indians like stereotypes too?

Home of the BraveTwenty years ago it was enough to denounce silly books and movies about Indians but today that almost misses the point. What's different about our present situation is that it's become clear that we as Indian people love these books and the images they present as much as anyone else. In fact, both Little Tree and Brother Eagle, Sister Sky will probably find their way under many Indian Christmas trees and the fact of their authorship will not greatly affect their promising future with Indian readers any more than it will with non-Indian readers.

To me these new stereotypes shows us that the myth-making machine has learned new and deadly tricks, much like the cyborg in Terminator 2. The ultimate result--the continued trivialization and appropriation of Indian culture--the absolute refusal to deal with us as just plain folks living in the present and not the past--is the same as ever. That's why challenging negative images and questioning who owns or produces these images are no substitute for a more all-sided oppositional effort. What's needed is a popular movement that could bring about meaningful change in the daily lives of Indian people.