Video response to Ridiculous 6

Native Americans Dispel Stereotypes in Response to Adam Sandler Movie

The actors who protested Sandler’s ‘The Ridiculous 6’ speak out in a new video.

By Jennifer SwannThe actors who walked off the set of an Adam Sandler movie in April to protest its portrayal of Apache culture are back on screen together for a new project, but this time, they’re telling their stories. In a nearly three-minute video shot in New Mexico and released this week, four Native American actors who ditched Sandler’s production speak about their pride in their heritage, the importance of positive representation, and why they want to set a good example for the next generation.

Comment:  For more on Adam Sandler, see Scathing Reviews for Ridiculous Six and Adam Sandler Defends Ridiculous 6.

Acadian singer's stereotypical music video

Natasha St-Pier faces backlash over First Nation-themed music video

Some say Acadian singer's music video is rife with stereotypes depicting First Nations peopleNew Brunswick entertainer Natasha St-Pier has brought attention to her Acadian roots with her new music video, Tous Les Acadiens, but the attention hasn't been positive.

The video, which includes 34-year-old St-Pier sporting a full headdress, dream catchers and the singer paddling a birch canoe, has been criticized by René Cormier, president of the Société nationale de l'Acadie (SNA).

"Despite all the efforts we do, we continue to convey these kind of clichés," Cormier told Radio-Canada on Monday.

Rife with stereotypes depicting aboriginal culture in Canada, the video also includes children in paper headdresses dancing around a teepee.Comment:  For more on the subject, see IndianHeaddress.com and Rod Stewart's Daughter in a Headdress.

"Super Savages and Sovereign Traces"

I went down to the University of Manitoba and conducted an interview about a course looking at Indigenous people in graphic novels. The course is called "Super Savages and Sovereign Traces: Introduction to Indigenous Graphic Novels."Comment:  The course uses Scalped, Cowboys & Aliens, and Tribal Force among other comics and graphic novels.

The video doesn't mention Peace Party or Blue Corn Comics--except in the image used to introduce the class. Based on that, I imagine Peace Party gets a few mentions in the class itself.

Niigaanwewidam Sinclair is the professor. I've talked to him a couple of times, and I helped him build the Mazinbiige comic-book collection. That collection came about after the class started, perhaps because the staff realized the need to have more comics on hand.

For more on Sinclair and his work, see "From Super-Chief to Tonto."

Coke ad triggers conservative racism

This week the right-wing's manufactured controversy was the Super Bowl Coke commercial:

Coke commercial angers Twitter racists: ‘Speak American’ because ‘your in America’

By Travis GettysA Coca Cola advertisement that celebrated the United States’ cultural diversity inspired a Twitter hashtag urging others to #SpeakAmerican and #BoycottCoke.

The one-minute ad that aired during the Super Bowl featured a multiracial cast as voices sang “America The Beautiful” in a variety of languages.

That outraged many viewers, who suggested that English was the country’s official language.

Coca-Cola’s ‘America the Beautiful’ Super Bowl Ad Causes StirToward the end of the first half of yesterday’s Super Bowl, Coca-Cola premiered an ad called “It’s Beautiful” featuring “America the Beautiful” sung in seven different languages. The ad immediately caused outrage on Twitter, hash tags like #SpeakAmerican instantly were trending and people’s ignorance about this country’s true history became glaringly evident.

Many Twitter users think that “America the Beautiful” is this country’s National Anthem and that English is this country’s national language. Neither of which is true. The “Star Spangled Banner” is in fact the National Anthem.

According to USA.gov, “There is no ‘official’ language for the United States, although some individual states list English as their official language.”Coca-Cola's Multicultural Super Bowl Ad Really Angered Conservatives

By Tom KludtFormer tea party congressman Allen West even took time to write a blog post during the game to voice his displeasure. For West, the ad started out strong enough.

"Then the words went from English to languages I didn’t recognize," a troubled West wrote, calling it "a truly disturbing commercial."

"If we cannot be proud enough as a country to sing 'American (sic) the Beautiful' in English in a commercial during the Super Bowl, by a company as American as they come—doggone we are on the road to perdition," he wrote.

Michael Patrick Leahy over at Breitbart was offended, too.

Not only did Coke use "a deeply Christian patriotic anthem whose theme is unity–in several foreign languages," but Leahy noted that the "ad also prominently features a gay couple."

The Not-Racist Butt strikes again! "I'm not racist but, This is America! We speak English!"

Why don't these people make it easy for everyone and just wear "I'm a racist" buttons? Proclaim it proudly, bigots--you know you want to!

Given that every anthem-like song is sung in English 99.99% of the time, what possible reason could you have for objecting to a one-time foreign-language version? It's not a ballot you have to pay for. It's not a button you have to press on a phone. The song literally has no effect whatsoever on your life. So what exactly is the basis for your complaint?

How is complaining about an Asian, African, European, or indigenous language any different from complaining about an Asian, African, European, or indigenous appearance? Both are different from the "norm," but neither one affects you. It's the epitome of prejudice to say, "I hate that because it's different." To say, "America is white/Christian/English and anything else is foreign."

Beck is right!

Glenn Beck: Coca-Cola Was Trying To 'Divide People' With Super Bowl Ad

Hey, Beck is right! He said:It's in your face, and if you don't like it, if you're offended by it, you're a racist. If you do like it, you're for immigration. You're for progress. That's all this is: To divide people.Like a broken clock, Beck is correct for once. The commercial does a good job of identifying who's a racist.

And separating the racists (i.e., conservatives) from non-racists (everyone else), so we can marginalize and shun the bigots, is a problem...why? I must be missing something because I'm not seeing it.

Beck seems to be saying it's inherently bad to "divide" people. Why, because we should embrace racists? Invite them over, give them a hug, and listen raptly as they spew their hate? No thanks.

If Beck wants a better country, I think he'd be glad for a clearcut test that identifies racists for further shaming and shunning. The Coca-Cola song test is as good as any. Maybe we should make it a mandatory component of citizenship.



Conservatives are racists

The following posting agrees with me:

I’ve Got a Few Words for Those Offended By Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl Commercial

By Allen CliftonIt wasn’t, as Glenn Beck tried to say, a statement to “divide” people. He tried to perpetuate this idea that this was an “in your face” statement where, as Beck said, “…if you’re offended by it, you’re a racist. If you do like it, you’re for immigration. You’re for progress. That’s all this is: to divide people.”

You know who’s offended by this commercial? Ignorant bigots. Yes, if you’re offended that an American song might be sung by an American in a different language, you are a racist and a bigot.

Why would it offend you if you weren’t? A fact doesn’t suddenly become opinion just because some conservatives don’t like the fact that it exposed the total ignorance of the average conservative voter.

You know how a commercial like the one Coca-Cola aired might not divide people? When people stop acting like bigots who wished every “American” was a straight, white Christian who speaks English.As we've noted many times before, these conservative outbursts of racism don't just happen at random. Rather, the Republican Party has cultivated and promoted this racism for at least 45 years.

The GOP's Coke Freak-Out

By The Daily Take, The Thom Hartmann ProgramSensible conservatives try to say that people like Gohmert and Stockman are just a few bad apples, but those conservatives are ignoring their party's own history.

The real agenda of the Republican Party is to serve billionaires and transnational corporations, but because that group represents such a small number of voters--they need to expand the tent.

They have done this by aggressively courting bigots and racists, along with the religious fringe, misogynistic men, and people who fetishize guns.

It started when Richard Nixon manipulated white people angry about the Civil Rights Movement in his 1968 presidential campaign, the so-called "Southern Strategy."

It was perfected when Ronald Reagan gave the first speech of his 1980 campaign for President of the United States in Philadelphia, Mississippi--the place where three civil rights activists were killed in the 1960s--and told people at a county fair that he "believed in states' rights."

Last March, RNC chairman Reince Preibus promised that his party would try to make itself more appealing to women and minorities, but a year of scandals and politically incorrect freakouts--the most recent over a Coca Cola ad of all things--shows that the Republican Party still embracing their Southern Strategy.

Conservatives fear multiculturalism

Some postings talk about how conservatives fear the changing face of America.

Coke ad’s ugly, demented moral: Exposing the right’s zero-sum culture war

For “English first” nativists, the simple act of recognizing other heritages detracts from their own

By Simon MaloyCoca-Cola’s ad was a nod to a long-standing truth about America: A country of such broad ethnic diversity is going to have whole communities that speak languages other than English. From the barrios of Los Angeles to the tenement blocks of turn-of-the-century New York to the Gullah region of the antebellum South, there have always been American communities where standard English wasn’t spoken at home. In my own family it’s not uncommon to hear conversations in English, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese. This isn’t a threat to American culture. It is American culture.

But for the conservative pundits and “English first” nativists, the simple act of recognizing other heritages somehow detracts from their own. This is the culture war, and it’s a zero-sum fight. In the eyes of the critics, Coke’s acknowledgment that English does not command 100 percent of the linguistic market was giving aid and comfort to the enemy. It’s a blatant and nasty appeal to cultural resentment and xenophobia.

This same zero-sum dynamic animates so much of the cultural discussion. We’re about to resume the debate over immigration reform, which is always colored by conservative complaints about immigrants receiving “special privileges.” The embarrassing annual spectacle of the “War on Christmas” assumes that anyone who has the temerity to say “Happy Holidays” isn’t giving Christianity its due as the true American faith. The fight over same-sex marriage is replete with conservatives arguing that recognizing the union of two men or two women will fatally undermine “traditional” marriage.

They allow no possibility for mutual benefit–if the Spanish speakers or the Kwanzaa celebrators or the gay couple down the street are winning, then English-speaking, Christmas-observing, heterosexual “real” America must be losing. There’s no real sense to it, but it’s a good way to exploit anxiety over demographic changes and stir up outrage.

The Coke ad got it right: America is beautiful, in any language

By Paul WhitefieldNow, you could see the most recent backlash as an example of the ugly anti-immigrant undercurrent in America sparked by the millions of folks living here without documents. Yes, many of those folks speak Spanish. Yes, there are more of them—legal or otherwise—living here than ever. And no, that is not going to change.

In other words, it isn’t a white man’s America anymore.

And apparently, some people can’t handle that. Or perhaps, by the time the Coke ad ran—in the second half of the game—the Bud Light was flowing more freely. Either way, the Ugly Americans beat up the Beautiful Americans about as badly as the Seahawks beat the Broncos.

Frankly, I’m getting more than a little tired of hearing from angry America. I’m also less than fond of knee-jerk America. And when you combine the two with the Internet, you too often get stupid America, which is really annoying.

Face facts, folks: A lot of people came here not speaking English. We like to think that they all quickly learned it. Some did; many didn’t. But, their kids did. And their kids speak English; many probably couldn’t speak the grandparents’ native language if they wanted to.

So get a grip: We’re not being overrun by hordes of Spanish speakers. Just like always, we’re growing a new crop of Americans. They are enriching the country. They are working hard, paying taxes. And they will create future Nobel Prize winners and future presidents and future titans of industry.

In short, they will make America beautiful.Coca-Cola's multilingual "America" ad didn't hit any wrong notesThere are, according to statistics cited in a Huffington Post article here, http://huff.to/1nJc0Sn, 381 languages spoken in these United States. That is a potent passel of patois in which we Americans freely engage. One of those used in the commercial, Keres Pueblo, is a Native American tongue that was used in this nation before there was a hint of a nation.

We can't fathom that the argument should gather much traction here in the Lebanon Valley, steeped as we are in our Pennsylvania German traditions. Yes, our forebears learned English, but PA Dutch still gets trotted out for occasional use in church services and when watching stuffed groundhogs predict winter weather, as happened just this weekend.

There is nothing wrong with multilingualism. If anything, we don't spend nearly enough time learning at least a second language. That is both an American-centric and educational failure.

The first thing the commercial proved is that the song sounds pretty good regardless of the language in which it is sung. The second thing it proved is that there are individuals who believe in the words even if the language in which it was originally written is not the one that came first for them.

Yes, we believe those living in the United States should learn English. It is not the official language but it has been, since the nation's inception, the accepted common tongue, and it will continue to be. Our inclusive society requires some desire on the part of others to be included. Learning English is a part of that inclusivity.

But it does not mean that we are forced to unlearn those things that defined us before we came to be Americans. We can be just as patriotic, and we can act just as freely, if we sing those words in English or in any of the languages listed above and any of the others that were not.

In the final analysis, for Coca-Cola, this was money well spent. Here we are, still talking about that ad.For more on conservative racism, see:

White men lose to demographic change
Racists hate and fear minority babies
Whites feel like a minority

NCAI releases Redskins video

ICTMN Exclusive: NCAI Releases R-word Video Ahead of Super BowlThe National Congress of American Indians has release a video extending their efforts to eradicate the offensive R-word.

Just days before Super Bowl XXLVII, the NCAI is reminding Americans that Native people are not mascots.

“This week’s celebration of football is exactly why we need to keep talking about the D.C. mascot,” the organization said in an email to ICTMN. “Cheering for a football team should never include the casual use of a racial slur. It is important for all teams and all of their fans that the name of the D.C. team is changed.”

In October 2013, the organization released a 29-page report called Ending the Legacy of Racism in Sports & the Era of Harmful ‘Indian’ Sports Mascots, which ICTMN covered here.

The video called “Proud to Be” illustrates the strength and beauty of tribal nations and highlights prominent and influential Native people throughout history. The roughly two-minute video ends by saying that Native Americans call themselves many things, but not the R-word; and the last shot of the video is a picture of the ‘Redskins’ helmet.

The Redskins issue also got a mention in the NCAI's State of the Indian Nations speech, which I think is rare:

2014 State of Indian NationsWhile our nations may be old, our people are disproportionately young. Nearly 42% of Native people are under the age of 24.

Native youth are also disproportionately vulnerable. Many grow up in communities where jobs are scarce or even non-existent… where classrooms lack basic essentials… where parents go sick because they don’t have access to decent health care.

And yet, whatever hardships they might face, our young people grow up surrounded by family and enriched by our timeless traditions. In this spirit, the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed to keep Native children with our families and communities... guided by our Elders, learning about our culture, and taking pride in who we are and where we come from.

We want our young people to live proudly as First Americans… while also embracing, and being embraced by, non-Native America.

That’s why the mockery of Native celebrations and dress in the name of sportsmanship is not just offensive, but insidious… because it asks us to accept the denigration of our heritage. It erodes our children’s sense of self. And that is simply unacceptable.

Alive video stirs controversy

This music video titled Alive has generated controversy in Indian country.



An article provides some background:

'Alive' Director: Blackfeet Thought Rez Drug Abuse Story 'Needed to Be Told'

By Vincent SchillingThe music video for Chase & Status' dance track "Alive," directed by Welsh filmmaker Josh Cole, has inspired a tremendous reaction from Indian country. Just read through the comments on the ICTMN Facebook page and you'll get the picture--some viewers have praised the clip for its tale of drug abuse on the rez and spiritual redemption, while others feel it's exploitative and disrespectful of the ceremonies it depicts. The video, which shows dramatized drug use, crime and ceremony, was shot on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Cole has received considerable attention in Indian Country.

Cole filmed the video on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana, and worked with Blackfeet tribal members during the course of its creation.Dueling responses

Chase Iron Eyes waxing self-righteously on FILMING THE SUNDANCE CEREMONY, WTF?!Now the Blackfeet music video is a bit more complex because it involves legitimate “Indian subjects.” I hope the video goes global because of its raw power in portraying the struggles we face coming up in an imposed poverty culture. The protagonist of the video succumbs to the ills that are a symptom of this imposed poverty (substances and violence) only to find salvation through the sober, clear life of ceremony that his ancestors sacrificed their own lives for. Yet, we cannot fail to pass criticism on the filmed portrayal of the sundance ceremony if we are to be morally upright in our ability to hold that position with respect to the sanctity of ceremonial practice world-wide or at least with respect to the ceremonies that the Creator trusted us with.

We should not film sacred ceremonies. What is sacred? You know; your spirit knows. You know when you are stepping over the line. Filming an actual sundance is clearly stepping over the line. If you want to spectate at the act of piercing or sun dancing you should not be able to do it on a god damned computer or any digital media for that matter. Haul your ass to an actual sundance; and when you're there don’t spectate, participate even if you consider yourself in the “audience” (support circle). Although we cannot fully incriminate the creators of this video because it’s not patently offensive as is the film of the actual ceremony, we still must state publicly, for the purpose of guiding the future of Indigenous country that filming or even dramatizing (in human form for the purpose of filming) the conducting of sacred acts and ceremonies such as the offering of a connected pipe and the sundance should never be taken lightly and altogether avoided. We only do these things to connect to the universe, not to make objects of them.Other than that, though:[T]o see those images (even in dramatized form) is unsettling but I love your video--it’s pure badass.When You Look in the Mirror, What Do You See? Are You Free to See an Individual Who is Free? A Response to Chase Iron Eyes Sundance Ceremony Column

By Sophia MarjanovicThe take away message of the “Alive” video is that it is ok to view just another dead Indian girl and boy. I know death at an early age happens on our reservations more often than anyone is comfortable. While the artists who filmed the video want to help, just like the case of the Mastodon attempt to help us, don’t help. As an outsider, you are not aware enough of the dynamics through which we are dealing in our struggles. You have come along lately and see some disturbing things, but you are not raising awareness among us. If you think you are helping us by merely sharing the narratives of despair to show what colonization has done to some individuals in our communities, you are not helping. By turning addicts into rock stars, you are not helping our communities heal. Instead, you are showing people that it is ok to be an addict because we will eventually get our 15 minutes of fame to cry a river over our plight. You are exploiting the poverty and the altered state of mind among some vulnerable members of our community for your personal gain, usually as a sympathy ploy to get others who sympathize for us to give you something in return. This is not ok. Our vulnerable individuals in their struggles deserve better than that. Indian Country does not need a Sally Struthers crying for us and asking for donations to charities that too often do not get back to the communities who need them.Filmmakers defend video

The people involved in making the video have defended it. First, Vincent Schilling interviewed Josh Cole, the Welsh director:How did you first come up with this concept of using a Native Reservation story for this video?

As a reformed drug addict I follow stories around the world where the worst drug abuse is common. It’s my mission with my career to try to steer people into recovery as a thanks to those that helped me with my own addiction. As such I was shooting a story about a reformed Hispanic gangster turned graffiti artist in LA and I met a Native American rapper who grew up on a reservation.

I was shocked to hear stories about the reservations--in Europe there is no concept generally about contemporary Native Americans. I then started researching and put together a story based on the stuff I was told about. I decided I would really like to tell Europe how difficult it is for Native Americans in modern America because most people have no idea who they are. All my work is about the beauty that comes from hardship and I wanted to tell the story of the spiritual awakening of a drug addict in a Native American community.

What were the reactions about this young man turning toward good then becoming a “martyr” as you put it?

I felt that the film needed an emotional finish. When people are moved they remember what they have seen. Plus it actually is somewhat of a happy ending because he is reunited with his girlfriend in the afterlife. There's also a message in there about the way your past follows you--that no matter how much you reform you can't always avoid who you were before. I have lost many many friends to the illness of addiction and this is often my experience.

Many Native people are concerned about using Native Americans in a romantic way as a form of poverty porn or sensationalism, what is your response?

I strive against this type of imagery myself and I don't think my work inspires pity at all. Everywhere I shoot I work very closely with the actual community to tell their story in the most authentic and meaningful way possible. Everywhere I've ever shot I can go back to and work again.Cole also posted this interview in his blog:

Alive VideoThere has been some controversy surrounding the video and one of our collaborators, Sterling HolyWhiteMountain wanted to have his say...

1. What did you do for the Alive video? How should we describe you?

I was the casting director, a production assistant, one of the primary in-community contacts, occasional truck driver, and loudest laugher on the set.

2. Why did you get involved in its production?

I got involved because I wanted to be part of this video that was going to be shot in my homeland, in the place that made me and is always with me no matter where I go or what I do. But also because I thought I might be able to offer advice / provide ideas regarding authenticity–and I mean that in the broadest sense. I'm fully aware of the difficulties American Indians face when it comes to issues of misrepresentation, and so if I can do something to alleviate that I will. Also, because this is a world where people need work to survive, I needed a temporary job to get me through the end of the fall semester.

3. What did you think of the storyline when you saw it? How do you think it portrays your community?

The storyline brings up a difficult question for me, and that is–how would I like our community to be seen? From an internal, on-rez perspective (namely mine), I think the story is eminently familiar, in part because various types of addiction are a serious problem in many reservation communities. Ours is no exception. And the juxtaposition of the healing power of traditional ceremony with these difficulties is also familiar–it's relatively easy to find people on the Blackfeet Reservation whose lives have been turned around in a good way through ceremony. I think this is a really important aspect of the narrative–that this young man, lost in drugs and violence, turns his life around through involvement in ceremony. People might say, Well, yeah, but he dies in the end–but everyone dies in the end, the question for me is how you lived the time you had. One of the difficulties, I think, comes in that this issue of addiction and poverty and violence on reservations is, in a way, a common story in Indian Country. Some Indian people are going comment that they want to see another aspect of our various communities represented–because reservation communities are in fact very diverse, and very complex, and there are many things, some quite beautiful and some quite banal, that get very little attention when it comes to national or global media. And I agree–these things do need to be shown. I want them shown as much or more than others. I’m a writer–my head is full of stories I think need to be told, and all of them are stories from Indian Country, and all of them are stories I want told as truthfully as possible. And sometimes truth hurts, but also in my experience healing usually begins with the pain of recognition.

So herein lies one of the great difficulties of the social demand for "realistic" representation vs. artistic/narrative demand. While there is shared space between the two, they are, I think, fundamentally different perspectives with ultimately different goals. The social demand is one of improved human rights, improved living conditions, better political and legal representation, etc.–and all of these things without ambiguity. There’s no way for me to call myself an American Indian and not be concerned with these things. On the other hand, the artistic demand is primarily a demand for successful art, and that demand falls into the realm of aesthetics–a realm that, for what it's worth, is almost always immediately thrown out when discussions like this come up. If the video weren't aesthetically successful, I'm not sure we'd be having this discussion at all, because it wouldn't be worth our attention. But because Josh Cole et al. shot a successful video, we’re having this dialogue which has nothing to do with the aesthetics of the thing. Ironic, to say the least. This is also why the goals of agents of social change are not necessarily going to line up with the aims of an artist, native or non-native. And this difference is why there is likely always going to be a degree of conflict between their disparate aims. Long story long, what I'm saying is that while the content of the video may in some ways be a relatively common story in Indian Country, to say that kind of story should not be shown simply because it's common is ridiculous. The answer to the problems of misrepresentation is not to stop representing difficult things that are still happening in Indian Country–the answer is more and more representation of the many different things that are happening.Some discussion of these issues on the Native Appropriation page in Facebook, with my comments:

I think a problem with HolyWhiteMountain's position is that it doesn't address Cole's intent. What did Cole say his intent was: to expose conditions on the rez, or to make successful art? If Cole had any desire to fulfill a "social demand," then all the criticism about "poverty porn" is on point. And HolyWhiteMountain is missing that point by suggesting we can't judge art by social or political standards.

No more dead Indians

Native filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers isn't buying the Alive defense. In her blog, she addressed Cole and his arguments:

"Alive" or Better Off Dead?You mentioned in your interview with ICT that you wanted to “tell Europe how difficult it is for Native Americans.” That’s a great idea and all but let me try and put this into context for you. Poverty, lateral violence, substance abuse and addiction are all a daily reality for Indigenous communities across this continent. These issues come as a result of a violent colonial history and a violent colonial present. But many non-Indigenous people cannot or will not put two and two together. Instead, they choose to view these issues as inherent to native people.

The problem with the story you chose to tell is that it is a narrative that has been told time and time again. It depicts a losing battle with poverty, addiction, and violence. It’s a narrative about the dying race, the vanishing Indian. And who does this narrative blame for the death of a people? The Indians themselves. This narrative ignores the complexities of colonialism and all those implicated within the colonial narrative. In telling the story this way, you ignore the reasons behind this young man’s addiction and his community’s struggles.

Again, as you mentioned, several of the CrazyDogs connected with the script because it was similar to their own story. In fact, the story is quite like my brother’s story. However, he is now acing his second year of university, he is the president of the Native American Students Association at this university, and he is actively involved in the Sundance societies. He is also expecting his first child with his beautiful Blackfoot partner who is attending university as well. You see, he didn’t end up dead and neither did those CrazyDogs you worked with. So I find it quite interesting that the song is titled “Alive” yet you leave us with a dead Indian at the foot of Chief Mountain, one of our most sacred sites. Was it really necessary to kill your main character? Wasn’t one dead Indian enough for you? You sure do make the afterlife look appealing in comparison to reality and your statement on this being a “happy ending” is a bit too simplistic. I hope you understand that your choice in ending plays into another very familiar narrative for us–that our people are better off dead. That “the only good Indian is a dead Indian.” Our people don’t need to see another dead warrior. What you could have shown is a story like my brother’s or all those living and breathing members of the CrazyDogs. A story that give us hope and that doesn’t leave us feeling completely defeated.

We should also discuss Indigenous representation. You see, native people have been represented and misrepresented onscreen since the time the very first moving picture was made. We’ve seen the stoic Indian, the drunk or strung-out Indian, the helpless Indian maiden, the broke Indian, and the dead Indian a thousand times before. We get it. We’ve got problems that need fixing but it’s not your job to fix them.

"Ask a Slave" on Indians

YouTube Comedy 'Ask a Slave' Tackles the Thanksgiving Question: 'What About the Indians?'“Was your great-grandmother a Cherokee princess like mine? You can kind of see it in my cheekbones."

So launches the latest episode of Ask a Slave, the YouTube comedy series by comedian Azie Mira Dungey, an actress who spent two years playing a slave at George Washington’s plantation, Mount Vernon. So many absurd questions were posed to Dungey as she portrayed Caroline Branham, who “belonged” to Washington back in the 1700s, that she created the character of Lizzie May, “personal housemaid to president and Lady Washington,” as she puts it in her intro. “And I'm here to answer all of your questions.”

The episode posted on November 24 deals, fittingly, with Thanksgiving.

"I know you're a slave, but what about the Indians?” asks the aforementioned man whom Lizzie May dubs “Cheekbones.” “Do you know any?"

Luckily, she does.

"Well I don't know why y'all keep bringing up Indians,” says Lizzie May, after fielding a few Thanksgiving questions. “But it's a good thing I happen to have my dear friend Red Jacket here with me today."

Enter the Seneca leader Otetiani Sagoyewatha (which Lizzie can’t pronounce), using the English moniker given him for fighting on their side during the Revolutionary War. What ensues is not unlike the queries recounted last summer by a staffer at the information kiosk at the Montreal First Nations Festival in Montreal.

Toothpaste commercial shows stereotypical costume

What a Crest Toothpaste Commercial Can Teach Us About RacismThis Halloween-themed Crest commercial blipped onto our radar, and it's a very clear illustration of what, exactly, the big deal is when it comes to costumes and mascots.There are at least 12 children wearing costumes in this video. We'll run down the list, saving the important one for last:

Triceratops: A dinosaur that went extinct 65 million years ago.
Ninja: A master of martial arts from feudal Japan. Ninjas ceased to exist sometime in the 17th century.
Cow: A farm animal.
Bumblebee: An insect.
Skeleton: The human skeletal system.
Flower: A plant.
Werewolf: A fictional monster.
Boxer: An athlete.
Goth princess (?): A young lady wearing ghostly white makeup, and dressed in a princess outfit with spiky gloves and headband (forgive us, we're not really sure what this one is).
Space Alien: A fictional inhabitant of another planet.
Robot: A humanoid machine with artificial intelligence.
Chick: A baby chicken.
American Indian: A race of people.

What's wrong with this picture? All but one of the kids are dressed as things that are imaginary, or historical (if not extinct), or whimsical, or generic. Just one of them is attired as a stand-in for a living people--a living people who are still living, despite the U.S. government's efforts to kill them off. And yes, some of these people do, today, wear a feather headdress or paint their faces in ceremonial gatherings, although many do not.

Kids look cute dressed as bumblebees, or robots, or ninjas, and there's little danger that their fertile minds will form opinions about these things they will carry into adulthood. But what of the little Indian? What does his costume teach? If this is what an Indian looks like, does that define, for children, what all Indians are? Can an Indian be a lawyer? Do Indians live in houses? Do Indians speak proper English, drive cars, or even wear underwear? (And how come he doesn't have a dead crow on his head like in the movie?)Comment:  Actually, there are two skeletons--one which glows in the dark. Also a ladybug and a pharaoh. And I think the "cow" is a pink poodle.

This is a funny commercial except for the stereotypical Indian costume.

Alas, the nature- and fantasy-based costumes indicate that Indians belong in the natural or fantasy worlds. So the commercial is telling us Indians aren't modern-day people. That's false and stereotypical.

Mexican inspector humiliates Tzotzil boy

Juan Diego Lopez Jimenez, Mexican City Inspector, Makes Street Vendor Cry: Watch 10-Year-Old Tzotzil, Manuel Diaz Hernandez, Get Humiliated [VIDEO]Video footage of a Mexican inspector making a 10-year-old Indian street vendor cry has gone viral. The footage melted the hearts of Mexicans and has resulted in the firing of the Mexican official.

The footage shows the poor Tzotzil boy selling candy, cough drops and what looks like cigarettes in Villahermosa, the capital of the state of Tabasco. The boy, identified as Manuel Diaz Hernandez, was trying to make money to buy his own school supplies.

A city inspector, Juan Diego López Jiménez, is seen in the video spotting the boy, confronting him and taking packs of cigarettes from his basket. For full disclosure, it is illegal in Mexico for minors to buy or sell cigarettes. The inspector forces Manuel Diaz Hernandez to throw the candy onto the pavement and the boy is seen crying.

After the inspector walks off, another man helps the young boy pick up the sweets and Manuel Diaz Hernandez falls down into a squatting position, covers his face with his arms and begins crying while rocking back and forth.

It is not uncommon in Mexico for street vendors to sell single cigarettes at double the price to people who need just the one or don't have the money to buy a full pack. The cost of the candies and cigarettes thrown by the inspector is most likely more than what the boy would make in profit in a week, which explains his sobbing reaction. Officials have agreed, after the story hit the news, that the punishment for the boy was too severe, especially since Indians were enslaved a century ago in the region.

The video, taken last Monday, has been seen hundreds of thousands of times and on Friday, the National Human Rights Commission announced it would investigate the case. The city revealed on Wednesday that it fired the inspector.

"Any form of violence against children is totally unacceptable, especially when directed against Indians, who are one of the most vulnerable groups in the country," said the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.Mexicans outraged by video of official humiliating Tzotzil Indian boyThe video was viewed hundreds of thousands of times over the last few days, and on Friday the governmental National Human Rights Commission announced it would investigate the case. The city announced on Wednesday that it has fired the inspector.

It was the latest victory for social media in winning some measure of justice in Mexico. In recent years, social media have exposed a number of scandals and instances of mistreatment that often would have gone overlooked in the past.And:The Tabasco state prosecutors’ office said the boy’s aunt, Maria Diaz Diaz, said she had brought Manuel to Villahermosa about 10 days earlier. She said the boy lives with his grandparents in the Tzotzil Indian village of San Juan Chamula, in neighboring Chiapas state, and wanted to work during his summer vacation to raise money for school supplies in the fall. Mexican children get free textbooks, but often have to buy their own pencils, paper and uniforms.

Tabasco state Gov. Arturo Nunez announced Thursday his administration would give Manuel and his family “a scholarship, as well as all medical and psychological help for the boy.”Comment:  There's no clear evidence that Lopez picked on Manuel because he's an Indian, but it's quite possible. As I've noted before, Mexico has a problem with racism against Indians just like the US.

Once again, we see the power of social media. Because of the online outrage, the inspector gets fired and the boy gets a scholarship.

For more on prejudice in Mexico, see Indigenous Mexicans Face Prejudice and Mexicans Gyrate in Blackface.

Videos rip Johnny Depp's Tonto

Comment:  For more on Johnny Depp, see Depp to Indians: "You're Still Warriors" and Depp Keeps His Ancestry Ambiguous.

Taiwanese video on Washington Redskins

Must-See Video: Taiwanese Animators Take on the Racist RedskinsThe Taiwanese company Next Media Animation, which skyrocketed to pop culture cult status with its infamous 2009 Tiger Woods video, has turned its sights on Dan Snyder's NFL Washington Redskins. The resulting animated video, titled "Redskins name is racist against Native Americans and a disgrace to NFL," is, well, something that must be seen to be believed. NMA made some minor noise in Indian country last year with a Super Bowl preview cartoon, but the new anti-Redskins effort takes things to an entirely new level.

Comment:  Black, brown, and red skins to the left, white skins to the right.

Good video. And it's interesting that a Taiwanese company is tackling this subject. Many people still don't know or care about the Redskins controversy, although that's changing.

For more on the Washington Redskins, see NFL Commissioner Defends "Redskins" Name and White House Gets Redskins Question.

Mithlo's TEDx talk on stereotypes

Nancy Marie Mithlo's TEDxAlbuquerque Talk on Images of Native WomenNancy Marie Mithlo, Chiricahua Apache, is an Associate Professor of art history and American Indian studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who recently gave a TEDx talk in Albuquerque regarding images of Native women in popular culture. She specifically addressed a number of recent incidents that received significant coverage here at ICTMN.com--Paul Frank Industries, No Doubt, and Victoria's Secret.

She ended her talk by citing the title of a column by Sasha Houston Brown: "Nothing Says Native American Heritage Month Like White Girls in Headdresses."

It's an informative presentation that all Americans ought to hear--we recommend forwarding this one.

Comment:  I'd say Mithlo should talk faster, but this is an excellent talk on the harm of Native stereotyping.

As Mithlo (below, center) says, fake Indians are why people are confused when they meet her. Because of media stereotypes, they don't recognize her as a real Indian.

Are you seriously going to argue that stereotypes aren't a problem when a real Indian can't even be recognized? Go ahead and explain how this complete lack of recognition doesn't and can't affect employment, law enforcement, healthcare, education, self-image and self-esteem, etc., etc. Good luck with your answer...you'll need it.

Mithlo noted the violence against Native women and how that's linked to images of "sexy squaws." She added that the connection between media stereotypes and actual harm to Indians is hard to prove. True, but it's also hard to deny.

Indeed, I'd say the onus should be on the deniers. You think Native stereotypes don't influence how we think about Indians? Prove it. Because the anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly suggests that people believe what they see.

Incidentally, Mithlo contacted me via e-mail to let me know of the video. She lists BlueCornComics.com at the end as a further resource. Yay for me and her!

She referred to Native activists "and their allies," which means people like me. I take that and her listing of Blue Corn Comics as an endorsement. Meaning that it's fine for non-Natives like me to speak on Native issues if our positions are smart and well-informed.

For more on the subject, see Pocahontas Poster Shows Movies' Influence and Nugent "Tomahawk Chops" Mascot Critics.

Sheen helps at Navajo drama camp

Martin Sheen coming to Shiprock drama camp

Hollywood actor will perform skits with students at local camp

By Jenny KaneHollywood actor Martin Sheen's next role is going to be alongside hundreds of Shiprock youths.

The famed star is coming to Shiprock to help out with a local community camp and series of workshops. Sheen will be working with both children and adults Sunday through Tuesday. He arrives Saturday.

Sheen will work with the camp's drama clinic, which will produce a 45-minute video starring both Sheen and the children.

"Anyone that would like to go, can go," said Kathleen Norton, field director for the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health.Sheen knows something about Native America:It is not often that such A-listers frequent the Shiprock area, unless they are wrapped up in filming. They rarely stick around to hang out with the locals.

Sheen, however, is friends with the parents of one of the volunteers leading the drama portion of the camp. He spoke at a Native Vision event initially and gained further interest in what Native Vision actually did for communities.

"We've really forgotten about our Native American population," Sheen said in a video for Native Vision. "Our citizens on the reservation have been neglected for so very long."Comment:  For more on Navajo movies, see Black Cat in Space and Navajo Star Wars Cast Chosen.

Hollywood Indians in Idle No More PSA

Saginaw Grant and Other Natives in Hollywood Come Together for Idle No More PSAThis is a public service announcement made by JT Pro Imaging and overseen by actor Saginaw Grant for IdleNoMore.ca and starring Native celebrities of all ages. Those appearing in addition to Grant include Shannon Baker and Shauna Baker (the Baker Twins), Sam Bearpaw, Shayna Jackson, Crystle Lightning, Zahn McClarnon, Rick Mora, Rocky Navajo, Marisa Quinn, MC Red Cloud, DeLanna Studi, Alan Tafoya, and Shaun Taylor-Corbett.

A collection of studio portraits from the project can be seen at the JT Pro Imaging blog.Comment:  For more on Idle No More, see Canada Faces "Catastrophic Confrontation" and Canada Owes Billions for Unfulfilled Treaties.

Depp's Gathering of Nations greeting

Even more than the 20-minute Lone Ranger excerpt featuring wendigos, this video stirred up some antipathy in Indian country:



Depp continues his preemptive PR campaign to forestall criticism of his redface Tonto portrayal.

Sounds like he's reading off a teleprompter to me. Unnatural and not especially heartfelt or sincere.

I wonder if he thought he had to speak slowly and carefully for a Native audience. Not because they're stupid, but because they're dignified and spiritual and deserve respectful worship. Which is still stereotypical thinking, of course.

The candles are probably a similar idea: trying to look all natural and authentic to get down with his Native brothers and sisters. Because Indians still live in teepees without electricity, I guess.

Natives respond

Adrienne Keene's tweet on this video was:I can't believe this is real. Why the eff do we worship this guy??Another Native comment I saw was:Just saw a video of J Depp opening the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow. Seriously? By the sounds of it, his English must be in its fourth iteration--baby talk English, Pirate English, TV NDN English, English with a TV NDN English accent.But the most detailed response so far was this:

Johnny, Johhny, Johnny. Are you kidding me? This is embarrassing for you and just plain stupid to those of us who get it.

By Michelle Hall Shining ElkYou know how there are people who tell you they want to help you, but you look at them and think to yourself "Yeah...thanks, but no thanks." Well that's what I thought when I watched this video. I thought that, and I thought "WTF were they thinking? Whyyyyyyy? Whyyyyyyyyy people! Whyyyyyyyyy!"

Anyways, I watched this and I think to myself...

1. Is he high? Is that why he is talking so slow (like a buffoon)?

2. He wasn't adopted by the Comanche Nation, he was adopted by a family of the Comanche Nation, neither of which make him a bona fide member of the Comanche Nation, nor a real Native. He remains, as he forever shall be, not Native.

3. What is the point of this...other than to try and make a pathetic attempt to convince his audience he is really and truly connected to our Indian community--as if he is one of us. Frankly, I couldn't understand what language he is speaking in this video, he lost me at "Greetings."And:6. Does he think that we are so clueless that we don't know that if "that" film wasn't coming out in July, he would have remained as he always has always been--not interested in our people or communities.

7. Does he not know that we get that it's only because he is playing "that Indian" character in "that" film that he is doing stunts like the Comanche adoption, showing up at the Comanche Nation Fair, doing this video, and so on.

8. Does he believe that we don't see that he is so transparent that we see he truly doesn't have an ounce of respect for who we are, or what we are about. Because if he did, he would have rethought how he is portraying and playing "that Indian" character in "that" movie coming out in July.For more on Johnny Depp, see Hammer Says Indians Love Depp and Little Criticism of Depp's Tonto?!

Below:  If Depp thinks his crow-head portrayal is honest and respectful, why doesn't he wear a crow-head today? When he appeared in the Comanche Nation's parade, for instance, or this video. Wouldn't that have been a great way to honor the Comanches he's portraying in the movie?

Sexy "Indians" in Snoop Dogg video

Chief Enlists Snoop Dogg and Pocahotties for 'Blowed' Music VideoFans of rapper Snoop Dogg, these days known as Snoop Lion, had reason to be excited today--the single "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks," featuring Miley Cyrus and produced by Major Lazer, was released online.

It's an interesting tune, but in Indian country a different track might become a topic of discussion and perhaps heated debate.

Snoop is the guest vocalist on "Blowed," a single by Native rapper Josh "Chief" Hill, off his EP Smoke Signals. Chief, who grew up on the Six Nations Reserve according to RealHipHopDaily, won a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award in 2008 for his video "Big Boi Boppin." Here's the video for his new song:

Comment:  I gather the song is a play on the rapper's nickname "Chief" and the slang term "to chief," which means to get high smoking marijuana.

The video features several faux "Indian maidens" in feathers and leather bikinis. One is wearing a chief's headdress.

Needless to say, all this is stereotypical and arguably racist. It promotes a false image of Indians that many believe is true.

For more on Snoop Dogg's racism against Indians, see Snoop Dogg in a Headdress.

John Lennon on Indians

Plex Releases Idle No More Anthem--With a Little Help from John LennonIndigenous hip hop artist Plex has joined the legion of artists who've been inspired by the Idle No More movement, recording "No More," a rousing single in support of the cause. It kicks off with a sound bite taken from John Lennon's September 11, 1971 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show.

Can you tell us about the John Lennon quote? Is it the kind of thing you'd been wanting to use or did you discover it recently?

During the first couple weeks of the movement, there was this enormous tension between both sides of the Idle No More movement. I say both sides, because there are many First Nations and people around the world who stand behind it and there are many Canadians who are completely against it. While this was going on, numerous internet memes and videos supporting indigenous rights started to circulate via social media. One of them was the John Lennon sound bite I would later use. It was only about 20 seconds long, so I searched for the complete interview on the Dick Cavett show. I watched the entire episode and this clip wasn't even aired in the original broadcast. So I searched some more and found this 10 minute clip where John Lennon and Dick Cavett talk about how the US government doesn't support the rights of the "red Indians." I thought it was great. But I had to narrow it down to 30 seconds, so I chopped it up a bit. I've always admired John Lennon. He stood for so many of the same beliefs I have. I mean, come on.... All you need is love? Love is all you need? Is that not what life is really about? It's simple, but brilliant.Comment:  The Dick Cavett clip is below. Plex talks about searching for it as if it took a while, but the clip isn't hard to find. If you Google "John Lennon Indians," it's the first thing that pops up.

The part about Indians begins at the 2:34 mark:



And here's Plex's No More video with excerpts from the Dick Cavett clip:



For more on Idle No More, see Rolling Stone Covers Idle No More and Racists Infest Newspaper's Facebook Page.

Commerce Casino's racist "Mayan" commercial

Doomsday apocalypse, Jamie Kennedy style. Aired live on KDOC Channel 56 during First Night with Jamie Kennedy New Years Eve Special.Comment:  The premise for this video is simple. "Mayans" (white guys dressed up in Plains outfits and garishly painted like clowns) predicted the world would end and thus spent all their money. Now they need to go to a casino to make more money.

You can see how bad this video is from the default image. Or from any random moment in the three-minute production.

As some commenters noted:Wowwwwww that's incredibly racist.

If you guys were smart you take that off of YouTube.

It's cool to see the Commerce Casino and Hotel supports overt racism.Indeed it is racist. Newspaper Rock readers don't need me to explain why.

For more on racist videos, see "Native American Christmas Gangnam Dance" and No Doubt's Looking Hot Video.

"Native American Christmas Gangnam Dance"

Family Dressed as Indians for Christmas Doing Gangnam Style: 'No Offense Intended'This came over the Twitter wire a short time ago from our friend @NativeApprops--she wrote:In case you forgot in the midst of #IdleNoMore how most of the US sees us: "Native American-Christmas-Gangam-Dance"The video below is of a white family who, for reasons unknown, have dressed as Indians for their Christmas gathering. And as you might expect, "Gangnam Style" ensues. The explanation posted to YouTube:Unfortunate intersection of a Native American themed Christmas family reunion dancing to Gangnam Style.

PS - No offense intended to our native american friends!Comments on the video are piling up fast and furious, but perhaps the best is the simplest, from user uttja:To be clear: saying, "No offense" does not in fact make this inoffensive.Comment:  The people who posted the video have removed it and the comments. Presumably because too many people excoriated the creators for their blatant racism.

Fortunately, we have a screen shot from the video. I think it gives you the basic idea.



I trust I don't have to explain what's wrong with this.

Who posted the video?

The phrase "unfortunate intersection" suggests that the people who danced aren't the ones who posted the video. Perhaps the posters were bystanders who happened to come across the dancing family and filmed them. Or perhaps the family posted the video on another site and someone reposted it.

If the people who posted it weren't the dancing family, that sheds a different light on the "no offense" comment. The posters may have posted the video to illustrate the racism and stereotyping in our culture, not to revel in its ridiculousness.

This is the reason Native Appropriations and I often post "offensive" material: to expose our society's prejudice against Indians. If that was the posters' intent, then no apology is necessary.

For more on the subject, see Racist "Make Me Indian" App and What's Wrong with No Doubt's Video.

Animated stories for NA Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month: Check Out These Animated Stories on YouTubeOne may not think of YouTube as being a place to find information about Native American history, but a number of individuals and tribes have taken to using animation to tell their stories.

So, for Native American Heritage Month, here are a few examples of how animation has been used to tell Native stories.Comment:  The posting includes seven examples of animated Native videos.

For more on the subject, see Halbritter Signs Books, DVDs and Iktomi Cartoons on GoodHealth TV.

Below:  "This animation uses puppets to tell the story of The Owl and the Lemming: An Eskimo Legend, in which the main character is outsmarted by his would-be dinner with flattery."