Sexy chief vs. Jana

Someone posted this image on Facebook and asked the following: "In the side-by-side image below, 1) Which is 'OK' & which is 'Wrong'"?



Everyone agreed the first image was wrong, but several people defended the second image. Naturally, I disagreed:

No. 1 is wronger, but they're both wrong.

I dissed this video from Jana long ago:

Dissing Jana's video

Let the debate beginThe photo on the right is not of question...she is actually a tribal member, so leave her be and there is no stereotyping in that image on the right.

I don't like either one.

When people "stereotype" themselves, or don't think they are but the impression & result are, that makes the stereotyping somehow 'ok' bcuz the person is--in this case, Native, or Native looking? I'm asking. Remember, I don't get it.I doubt many modern Native women would say they feel "honored" by either image. Especially if you explain the history of sexual objectification to them.I think we have become so obsessed with stereotyping that people don't know what is stereotyping and what isn't anymore. Where's the line?

Besides the obvious stereotyping like in image A.Jana may think her stereotyping is okay, but I don't.Makes sense ... what you're saying re stereotyping.

How can you stereotype yourself with yourself? That's like saying you stereotype being atheist.[This respondent incorrectly thinks I'm an atheist rather than an agonistic.]

Even though I'm a nerd, I probably don't look like one. But I could stereotype myself as a nerd with the Brylcreamed hair, black-framed glasses, high pants, pocket protector, calculator, etc. This would be wrong because it doesn't represent the real world of nerds.

Same with Jana, a Lumbee from North Carolina, wearing a Pocahontas outfit in Monument Valley for a music video in 2007. Her getup literally has nothing to do with her reality as a modern Lumbee Indian woman.Well, to be fair, I haven't studied the Lumbee tribe or the clothing that they have worn historically. But I gathered from the video that she was showing the many sides of herself.If she wants to show her sexy side, she can come up with something besides a Poca-hottie costume. That outfit is a centuries-old stereotype, not a unique expression of her individuality. There's nothing unique about it since it's been done a million times before.

"Bo Derek" look is "spot on"?I looked it up and Lumbee women probably wore knee-length dresses. So, from a historical and female perspective, her dress is too short and somewhat sexualized.

Again, the pic on the right isn't shown in context so we can't tell what it's message is meant to be. Ok. the dress does look a bit 'Bo Derek' but is it meant to be smutty? Is this 'style' not to be found anywhere among the many tribes? Should native women not be seen, in an appropriate way, as attractive as women from any other culture?

I see the one on the left purely as 50's pin up girl material where everyone was given the stereo treatment--dumb blondes, secretaries filing their nails, busty girls in sexy overalls banging their manicured nails with hammers and knickers falling down same sexy women climbing ladders. It was par for the course back then. The girl on the right looks pretty spot on with reality to me, but I'm an Oz, I could be wrong! We just romp around with kangaroos on Bondi Beach after all!Here's the context for the Jana photo on the right. It's a music video with her and other Indians as noble savages. In the year 2007.



‎"The girl on the right looks pretty spot on with reality to me"...which reality do you mean? The reality of Indian girls like Pocahontas in the 17th century?

It wasn't real even then; Pocahontas probably went naked or topless. And it certainly isn't real now. No Native woman has worn a real-life outfit like that for centuries, if ever.

Native people don't care?Sure, I think it's just a funny pix nothing more nothing less....All women are beautiful, even in a wintercoat or buffalo robe or bikini...no matter what...as long as the real ppl know the real deal its all good. The mainstream ppl will alwys be mainstream. It's like let them have what's theirs, Native ppl know much better than that to get all restless about pin ups and Walt Disney Pocahontas...I still love mini skirts tho especially on brown eyed girl lol.Actually, Native people often protest images like the ones above. They know that stereotypical perceptions affect how they're treated in real life. IOW, if people think Indians are savages, they treat them like savages.So, you have gone and visited every Native woman and looked into her past to find out if she has dressed in a similar fashion?No, but I've read books that cover Native American history from the beginning to the present, with lots of illustrations. No Native women wore sexy buckskin mini-skirts that I recall.

I doubt Jana has read more Native history than I have. And found a culture I'm not aware of. It would be an incredible coincidence if an actual Native outfit just happened to resemble millions of sexy stereotypes objectifying Native women.

And that would be irrelevant anyway. Jana is a modern Native woman, so dressing as any Indian of the distant past is stereotypical. She's a modern Lumbee woman, so dressing as any Indian of another culture is stereotypical. Unless she can find one of her ancestors who wore such an outfit, she has no business wearing it.

And the only excuse for wearing a traditional Lumbee outfit would be to portray her ancestors accurately. But she's not doing that. She's cavorting in a music video set in Monument Valley, 3,000 miles from her ancestral home. She's singing, dancing, and playing with a hawk. None of these have anything to do with traditional Lumbee culture. Indeed, they're a complete fabrication of what Native culture is about.

You do understand that there were thousands of different Native cultures, right? You don't get a free pass for wearing a chief's headdress because some Indian, somewhere, once wore one. Unless your culture wears an outfit now, or your ancestors wore an outfit then, it belongs to another culture, not yours.

Sexy dress represents objectification

As for the context, the image on the right comes from a music video. It doesn't represent any era. What it represents is a fantasy version of what Native women looked like in the past. A fantasy used by the white, male, Christian powers-that-be to objectify, demean, and belittle Native women.

In other words, it's a stereotype. It is not an accurate depiction of tribal wear in any past era. It's certainly not an accurate depiction of what Jana's own ancestors wore.

Y'all are aware that Native women suffer horrendous rates of rape, violence, and abuse, right? Why do you think that happens? It happens in part because we've treated Native women as sexual objects for 500+ years. These images perpetuate the notion that Native women exist to fulfill male fantasies.I can agree with that. I already said, her skirt was too short, both from the female view point and historical one. I totally agree about the headress. There isn't one thing okay with the first picture.For more on the subject, see Review of For the Generations and Indian Women as Sex Objects

P.S. Do I have to explain what's wrong with the costume below? It's wrong for the same reasons that Jana's outfit is wrong.

Review of For the Generations

Here's another documentary I watched on PBS for Native American Heritage Month:

For The Generations: Native Story & Performance to PremiereArtists profiled in the documentary include pop-diva, "Urban Indian," Jana Mashonee; classically trained ballet dancers Michael Greyeyes and Santee Smith, Grammy winners Robert Mirabal and Bill Miller, funky R&B songstress Martha Redbone, Painted Sky's own Northstar dancers and a host of others.

"You will be surprised by these performers," said OPB’s Sean Hutchinson who produced the documentary. "Though they all weave their tribal heritage in and out of their music and dance, their performances have appeal that extends beyond what might be too easily classified as ‘Native-American' music."

Part performance, part behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, the documentary profiles the personal stories of the artists in their own words--weaving a narrative through the performances that lends grit and personality to the beautiful artistry showcased.And:Much of the focus of the documentary centers on the outreach these performers do and their work with native youth. "A person like Jana really shines a light on a pathway to success and presents a model for kids by which they might become an artist or doctor or astronaut--whatever they can conceive for themselves--and not be daunted by some bleak odds," Hutchinson said. An examination of those challenges facing American Indians on and off the reservation include health and fitness issues such as diabetes, alcoholism and suicide.

Artist Bill Miller reveals the healing that music has brought to his life as he returns to his alma mater at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse to debut his latest release. "I’ve been through so much trauma in my life, I need to move on too. And I took this music, not knowing where it would go, but now I see the effect. It's a very healing piece of music."

A grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, in part, has made the documentary possible. "As a tribal foundation, it is an honor to partner with Painted Sky and other funders to promote Native American arts and culture. As a terminated tribe, we know the value of honoring our culture to perpetuate our tribal history," said Fund Director Shelley Hanson. Portland’s Regional Arts and Culture Council provided additional funding.For the Generations: Native Story and Performance  [review]For the Generations: Native Story and Performance is an inspiring and sensitive testament to the importance of performing artists within our culture. The documentary demonstrates that the creative expressions of the “Native Story” ensure the continuing vitality of both the individual and the entire community.For the Generations: Native Story & Performance  [official website]

Rob's review

The hour-long documentary has six segments, each 8-10 minutes long. They're just about the right length: long enough to present each set of performers, but not long enough to cause boredom.

The opening montage is especially nice. Thousands of images of Native artists coalesce to form an image of America. Message: Natives are a fundamental part of this country.

The show might've been subtitled "Song and Dance" rather than "Story and Performance," since that's what it is. Performers such as actors, comedians, poets, magicians, and jugglers aren't included.

The show features five well-known Native performers--well-known to Native audiences, that is--and Painted Sky. Not coincidentally, Oregon Public Broadcasting and Painted Sky co-produced it. The Spirit Mountain Community Fund, the charitable arm of an Oregon gaming tribe, paid for it.

This makes one wonder: Did Painted Sky make it into the documentary only because of the Oregon connection? Was the whole thing created just to provide a vehicle for Painted Sky?

Could be, but the Painted Sky segment is one of the most interesting ones. It would be difficult to say it doesn't belong with the other segments. Therefore, no harm, no foul.

Some specific thoughts on the segments:

Jana is filmed during a couple of stage performances. She's wearing a skimpy buckskin dress with fringe and slits suitable for a Pocahottie-style princess. So are her two backup singers. In her interview, she says:Many people have expectations of what they think a Native should be or what a Native should look like.

I don't want to ever dwell on what's happened in the past. To me it's more about how to move forward, break down the stereotypes, and live like this country was based on.You tell 'em, Jana. I can't imagine where people get the idea that Indian women are "sexy squaws" for men to objectify, fetishize, or brutalize. It doesn't have anything to do with your titillating song and dance routine, right? I'm sure men are thinking about how you wanted to become a doctor, not how they wish you'd play doctor.

Everyone understands that sex sells. The issue is whether Jana needs to sell herself as a sexy Indian princess--a stereotype--rather than as an attractive young woman. Perhaps this performance was an aberration; let's hope so.

"Choreographers Santee Smith and Michael Greyeyes' collaboration, The Threshing Floor, represents the culmination of a lifetime of crossed paths."

Some tidbits about Greyeyes. He was a dancer until age 25, then became interested in acting. He recently had a role in a Canadian theatrical release, Passchendaele, a World War I epic. He's now a professor of theater in Vancouver, where he teaches ensemble creation and movement for actors.

Smith's dance company is called Kaha:wi, which means "she carries" in Mohawk. "It's also the name of her best-known dance composition, a personal narrative that portrays three generations of Iroquois women and the heavy lifting heredity entail."

Bill Miller is a local legend in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which was named for the game of lacrosse. His musical career got started at University of Wisconsin La Crosse. Recently he wrote a symphonic piece called The Last Stand that he performed with an Israel orchestra.

The other segments are on Painted Sky, including R&B crooner Jaynez; Martha Redbone and the other Women of the Four Winds; and Robert Mirabal of Taos.

All in all, this is a fine performing arts documentary. Rob's rating: 8.0 of 10.

For more on the value of the performing arts, see Preserving Hopi Through Performing Arts and Ponca Actress Has Entertainment Epiphany.

Jana's American Indian Christmas

Read about Jana's American Indian Christmas, in which she sings 10 Christmas carols in 10 Native languages, in my Pictographs blog.

For more on Jana, see Jana the Museum Ambassador and The 2009 NAMMY Winners.

Below:  Jana Mashonee's latest album is called New Moon Born. (Carter James)

Jana the museum ambassador

Jana will be Goodwill Ambassador for TIMOTCADuring her performance she introduced the co-founders of The International Museum of 21st Century Arts, (TIMOTCA) Ed Solomon and Maryann Del Pizzo and announced her acceptance as Goodwill Ambassador for TIMOTCA, offering her support for its American Indian Founding Circle of Angels Membership Campaign.

Adding her name to TIMOTCA’s Goodwill Ambassadors, including former artist, actor and activist, Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman and Emmy award-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jana hopes to raise awareness and increase membership in TIMOTCA’s American Indian Circle of Angels.

The museum is an international nonprofit corporation founded in 1980 to foster peace and cultural understanding through the Universal Language of Art and to establish the world’s first global cultural center representing the visual and performing arts of some 300 countries and cultures of the world.Comment:  I assume belonging to the Circle of Angels means you give money to the museum.

For more on Jana, see The 2009 NAMMY Winners and Jana Reborn as R&B Singer.