NBC's Heritage Month promos

Here in Los Angeles, NBC-TV produced five 15-second commercials to promote Native American Heritage Month. Here they are:







Comment:  Alas, you can't say much in 15 seconds. Each person utters only 3-4 sentences, and they don't say anything profound.

The value of these promos, I guess, is showing that Natives still exist. And that they operate in the modern world. These points are obvious to the point of banality to us, but to many Americans, they may come as a revelation.

It's also good that the videos show a range of Indians--different ages, genders, tribes, and settings. Again, you can't say or do much in 15 seconds. But at least the videos didn't show five Lakota Indians at a powwow, in a tipi, or overlooking Monument Valley. The diversity itself is a message.

I saw the Alan Tafoya video in the middle of an evening TV show, so the promos did air in primetime. It's a small accomplishment, to be sure, but one worth noting.

For more on the subject, see Heritage Month and Tribal Summit.