April 06, 2010

Swedish "chief" dances with tomahawk

Svartahöken



Comment:  The headdress, buckskins, and tomahawk are stereotypical. In general, Indians didn't dance with tomahawks and chiefs didn't dance at all. The guy isn't doing a real Indian dance as far as I can; he's just faking it.

In short, this performance is ridiculous. The guy undoubtedly thinks he's "honoring" Indians, but he's really mocking them.

Someone noted how this dancing chief resembles Chief Illiniwek. It amazes me that anyone could consider this dignified. Can you imagine Sitting Bull prancing around to a pop song?

What would this fellow have to do to look undignified? Get down on all fours and bark like a dog? No, he'd probably call that a sacred wolf dance.

Sheesh. For more ridiculous performances, see:

Kesha in headdress and warpaint
Jerky, moose pole, and snake dance
Italian Dance of the Indians
Russians "adore" stereotypical Indians
Russian skaters do "Aboriginal dance"

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:30 PM

    I found the loon in this video to be quite laughable. Its not as offensive as the 'Italians Dance of the Indians' tidbit, but still a mockery of sorts. That Russian video was also funny. I'm actually surprise they even did a smudging stint in that one. Bet it was opium weeds. What on Earth have we become? The epitomic of Nature lovers?

    ~GENO~

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, Anonymous, you have. Back when people thought Indians had not done anything radical to their environments, many in the ecological movement seized on that as a model to emulate. Not just frozen forever in beads and buckskin, but mystically in touch with nature.

    As opposed to builders of large cities, developers of complex civilizations and cultures, complete with religious beliefs and literature -- You know, the sorts of things once thought entirely the purview of white people.

    Wonder how that fool would think if someone did some spastic jig and called it a 'Russian dance'?

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.