2008 Woodie Awards
American Indian perceptions discussed
Victoria Riggs
Issue date: 10/25/05 Section: Campus
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"I" is for "Indian." Or is it?
The inaccuracies about American Indians in the pictoral alphabet cards atop many an elementary school room blackboard are one example used by Adrienne Thunder in the workshop she presented Oct. 11 in the Student Union.
The workshop, "Enduring Images: American Indians in the Popular Imagination," was developed by Thunder (Ho-Chunk) and her husband, J.P. Leary (Cherokee/Delaware) to help deconstruct misconceptions about American Indians perpetuated through movies, advertising and educational curricula.
The Cleveland Indians' team logo is a prime example.
"This kind of representation would not be tolerated by any other ethnic group," Thunder said. "Why are these (types of) images still in our schools?"
According to Thunder, the popular misconception among non-Indians is that Indian mascots and team names are meant to honor Indians. Not so. Ceremonial regalia, especially the feathers, are considered sacred to American Indians. Using them to capitalize on non-Indian interests is actually a form of disrespect.
"Feathers equal Indian. Outside of a powwow, how many of you have seen an Indian wearing a feather on the way to McDonalds," Thunder asked with a smile, drawing laughter from the audience.
Thunder explained why using the colloquialized word "squaw" is especially offensive. The word is believed to be derived from a term used to describe a specific type of native woman used by fur trappers.
Thunder and Leary use the presentation as part of their professional roles, respectively, Thunder works as advisor in the Cross-College Advising Service of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Leary works as consultant, American Indian Studies Program of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
"Our goal for this workshop is for participants to have fun, but to also think about what they're responsible for when it comes to an issue as huge as racism," Thunder said.
Ruth Harper, a professor in the SDSU Counseling and Human Resource Development department, attended the workshop.
The inaccuracies about American Indians in the pictoral alphabet cards atop many an elementary school room blackboard are one example used by Adrienne Thunder in the workshop she presented Oct. 11 in the Student Union.
The workshop, "Enduring Images: American Indians in the Popular Imagination," was developed by Thunder (Ho-Chunk) and her husband, J.P. Leary (Cherokee/Delaware) to help deconstruct misconceptions about American Indians perpetuated through movies, advertising and educational curricula.
The Cleveland Indians' team logo is a prime example.
"This kind of representation would not be tolerated by any other ethnic group," Thunder said. "Why are these (types of) images still in our schools?"
According to Thunder, the popular misconception among non-Indians is that Indian mascots and team names are meant to honor Indians. Not so. Ceremonial regalia, especially the feathers, are considered sacred to American Indians. Using them to capitalize on non-Indian interests is actually a form of disrespect.
"Feathers equal Indian. Outside of a powwow, how many of you have seen an Indian wearing a feather on the way to McDonalds," Thunder asked with a smile, drawing laughter from the audience.
Thunder explained why using the colloquialized word "squaw" is especially offensive. The word is believed to be derived from a term used to describe a specific type of native woman used by fur trappers.
Thunder and Leary use the presentation as part of their professional roles, respectively, Thunder works as advisor in the Cross-College Advising Service of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Leary works as consultant, American Indian Studies Program of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
"Our goal for this workshop is for participants to have fun, but to also think about what they're responsible for when it comes to an issue as huge as racism," Thunder said.
Ruth Harper, a professor in the SDSU Counseling and Human Resource Development department, attended the workshop.