Indians in T Shirts

Check out this great article :

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/article/244662

Stuck in My Head

John Wayne's Teeth

Apache (jump on it?)

Apache - 1954

This 1954 Western staring Burt Lancaster (100% Irish) as the Indian 'Massai' was the inspiration for the often covered instrumental song 'Apache'.  Here are some of the more popular versions.

The Shadows - 1961

Jorgen Ingmann- 1961

The Ventures - 1962

 

Sonny James a.k.a. 'The Southern Gentleman' took things to the next level by adding lyrics about young Native American love:

In 1973 the Incredible Bongo Band covered 'Apache' and it instantly became a sampleing staple in the early hip-hop movement:

In 1981, things took a shocking turn when the Sugar Hill Gang Covered the Incredible Bongo Band version of 'Apache' adding some really...ummm...intense lyrics and costumes. This version is not for the faint of heart.

If you are in your mid to late 20's to early 30's you might remember it this way better:

 

Or this way:

 

What a long road 'Apache' has had, and completely untouched by any Apaches. 

Right On, Off the Rez

So I just got done reading Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer and watching Smoke Signals and, as a person who is extremely susceptible to cravings for nearly any food that is merely mentioned, you had better believe that I was about ready for some frybread.
And wouldn't you know it, there is a food truck that serves up frybread and frybread tacos right in the heart of Capitol Hill every Friday and Saturday night! Off the Rez owner Mark McConnell saw the need for Native American cuisine in
the Seattle area and stepped up to fill the role with food inspired by his mother, who grew up on the Blackfoot reservation in Montana. 
Guess where I'll be on Saturday night? Work. But after that, OFF THE REZ!

Right On, Village People Indian

One of the first things that I wrote down when I decided to look into the misrepresentation of Native Americans in popular cultures was "Village People Indian". I assumed that he was going to be one more in the long list of people with absolutely no Indian roots who was capitalizing off of an image that he had no connection to.

I was so wrong! 

Felipe Swift Arrow Rose was the founding member of The Village People. His mother was Puerto Rican and his father was Lakota Sioux. He is an accomplished singer, dancer and has been very active in the Native American community. Check it out and get his full story on his wikipedia page or his personal website.

• Rose has won multiple Native American Music Awards for his solo work including "Best Historical Song" for "Trail of Tears" in 2002
• Donated his gold record for the single "Y.M.C.A" to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
•  Donated the Village People's first gold record, a feather headdresses, and a jacket to the Seminole Tribe to display in their Casino
•  Was inducted into the Native American Hall of Fame in 2007
•  Is asked to present his motivational talk "Ethnic Diversity and Empowerment" at events around the country
•  Makes donations to many charities benefiting Native Americans (Pink Shawl Organization in the pine Ridge Reservation, for example)
• Contributed millions of dollars with the Village People to the Native American College Fund and AIDS foundations
 

Cultural Appropriation 1970's style

 The Warriors - Film - 1979

Cher - Half-Breed - 1973

Billy Jack  - Film - 1971

Tonto? Tont-no.

First things first, I saw this on GAWKER so follow that link for the original post.

Johnny Depp is playing Tonto in the upcoming huge Hollywood movie 'The Lone Ranger'. Of course, right? Because Johnny Depp is Native American. No. Well, maybe. I know! Let's ask Johnny Depp:

 "I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line. My great grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian."

Oh, my bad. Johnny Depp is for sure 'maybe' Indian...'I guess'. Plus, look how awesome he looks in his totally authentic Native American costume! I bet he asked his 'quite a bit of' Native American relatives for some input. 

No. Johnny Depp's Tonto is based off of a painting (above, right) done by a white guy named Kirby Sattler who makes his living selling paintings of Native Americans that he dreams up in his minds eye.

From Kirby's "About the Artist" page:

"The subjects are a variety of visual references and my imagination. I am not a historian, nor an ethnologist. Being of non-native blood, without personal history, it would be presumptuous to portray the subject I paint from any other view than as an artist with an innate interest in the world's indigenous cultures.I attempt to give the paintings an authentic appearance, provoke interest, satisfy my audiences sensibilities of the subject without the constraints of having to adhere to historical accuracy."

Oh, dear.

But back to Johnny Depp. Why? Why would he agree to participate in this?  He must have something totally not offensive to say about it:

"The whole reason I wanted to play Tonto is to try to mess around with the stereotype of the American Indian that has been laid out through history or the history of cinema at the very least."

 

Ack! 

How is this OK? I mean, yes, as discussed in a previous post Hollywood clearly has issues with allowing Indians to portray themselves in anything. But why are we OK with this? I am unclear on how this is different than if George Clooney played Cliff Huxtable in a movie adaptation of the Cosby Show.

Here is a link to the Canadian Mohawk First Nations actor who played Tonto in the 1950's Lone Ranger television show Jay Silverheels.

Old Iron Eyes

 

I am not ashamed to admit I learned that Iron Eyes Cody was actually Italian American on an episode of the Sopranos. Iron Eyes Cody, or Espera Oscar de Corti, appeared in over 200 films!  But what Ralph Cifaretto brought up in an attempt to stop Native Americans from burning an effigy of Italian-American hero Columbus on Columbus day reminded me of the nearly comical (so sad it's funny?) aversion the television and film industry has to using actual Native Americans to portray Native Americans in movies, television shows, and commercials.

For example...

 I mean, yes, he has a tribal tattoo with salmon and everything but real Taylor Lautner is actually Dutch, German, and French with 'distant' Native American ancestry. I wonder if that would have been noted on his Wikipedia page if he hadn't have played Jacob Black, the 'Native American friend' of the lead character, Bella Swan.

Just something to think about.

Here are links to Iron Eyes Cody and Taylor Lautner's Wikipedia pages.

And here is a link to a website that lists Native American actors along with links to their IMDB pages.

Let me see your tootsie roll

Until today I was under the impression that if your Tootsie Pop wrapper had the image of an Indian taking aim at a star with his bow and arrow that you had won a prize (although I have always been unclear on what the prize was *read: lazy*). But according to the Tootsie Pop people this is not the case. And according to the internet, I am not the only person who is wrong about this, as a matter of fact it looks as though people have been wrong about this since the 1930's!  

How can so many people have been so wrong about something for so long?  There are plenty of other pictures on the Tootsie Pop wrapper; children playing football, tennis, marbles, skiing, and sailing. Why are these images taken at face value while the Native American image needs further explanation. Is it because we consider all of these other activities to be 'normal' or rather 'white' and thus 'normal'?  Is the only way to process the image of something 'other' than what we are comfortable or personally familiar with to assume that there must be some ulterior motive for it's mere existence? Could this be a symptom of America's systematic 'mysticizing' of Native Americans?

It makes you wonder...

Little Hiawatha

Little Hiawatha - Disney Silly Symphonies - 1937

Hiawatha Belt - Symbol of the Five Nations 

Hiawatha is a legendary Native American leader and the founder of the Iroquois confederacy.

What makes the red man red?

Q: What made the red man red?

A: He kissed a maid and started to blush and they have all been blushing since.

Q: Why does he ask you 'how'?

A: Once the Injun didn't know all the things that he know now. But the Injun he sure learn a lot, and it's  all from asking 'how'.

Q: When did he first say 'ugh'?
A: When the first brave married squaw he gave out with a big 'ugh' when he saw his Mother-in-Law

"No matter what's been written or said, now you know why the red man's red!"

Alright, now that we have the foundation of an accurate history of the Red Man, lets get started!