February 04, 2010

Graham Crackers' stereotypical newsletter

David Martinez posted the following on Facebook:This is from the email newsletter sent out today by Graham Crackers, a comic book store with several locations in the Chicago metropolitan area.Cheryl Cash adds:I do not see this on their website, but as Dr. M. said, it was in an email newsletter. This is the contact info from their site:

Phone: (815) 254-3410

Email: johnrobinson@grahamcrackers.com
Comment:  We have Chief Illiniwek aka the big chief: a Plains Indian figure who wouldn't have set foot in Illinois. "Big Heepum" Tonto talk. Wickiups: dwellings used in the Southwest and West, but not in Illinois. ("Wigwams" might've been correct.) And "Ugh."

But this is just a newsletter that doesn't influence anyone, right? People learn about stereotypes from some invisible source that has nothing to do with stereotypical movies, TV shows, comic books, and images like this one. Yeah, right.

For more on the subject, see The Harm of Native Stereotyping:  Facts and Evidence.

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