Chicago Tribune Magazine
Injun Summer

IMHO, this very much fits your criteria of "institutionalized racism in the media," even if it isn't "new." It is certainly "institutionalized" however, since the Chicago Tribune has been re-printing this story for over 60 years, sells posters of it, and there is a copy of it enshrined in a Chicago museum.

Some excerpts:

"...there used to be heaps of Injuns around here—thousands—millions, I reckon, far as that's concerned. Reg'lar sure 'nough Injuns—none o' yer cigar store Injuns, not much. They wuz all around here—right here where you're standin'."

"Don't be skeered—hain't none around here now, leastways no live ones. They been gone this many a year."

"They all went away and died, so they ain't no more left."

"...an' th' Injuns are hoppin' 'round 'em t'beat the old Harry."

"Jever notice how the leaves turn red 'bout this time o' year? That's jest another sign o' redskins. That's when an old Injun sperrit gits tired dancin' an' goes up an' squats on a leaf t'rest."

"See how red it is? That's the war paint rubbed off'n an Injun ghost, sure's you're born."

"Purty soon all the Injuns'll go marchin' away agin, back to the happy huntin' ground..."

I'm not the least bit interested in "winning" your contest, I just feel quite strongly that this particularily egregious piece of garbage deserves a place in your excellent pages. There's been a whole group of us speaking out against the Tribune's editorial decision to continue their "tradition" of printing this story as a nostalgia piece every fall. Giving this article additional exposure in your own pages could hopefully give our cause a boost.

Thank you,
Rebekah Morrigan
Host, Indian Country Perspectives
Delphi.com

Indians are REAL human beings, but are not treated as such by the general population. Instead they are claimed and defined by the mainstream as objects of nostalgia and stereotype, and when they speak out against this reduction and dehumanization they are dismissed and demeaned by a mainstream that prefers to insist on it's "nostalgic" fairytale "In**ns" so that it retain its comforting illusions of a "vanished noble race".

THAT, sir IS offensive! And if you cannot see it, and you claim Jewish heritage as well, try this scenario:

"K*ke Summer", a heartwarming little period piece written by a beloved N*zi literary figure. An old Aryan grandfather entertains his grandson with a nostalgic tale of the vanished Jews, and how their spirits come back every fall, carrying Menorahs, their side-locks bouncing as they dance the hora ("to beat ol' Harry") around the ruins of Auschwitz.

But the Jews shouldn't be offended right? Because it's such a lovely, charming tale with such delightful, poetic imagery, and a beloved part of everyone's childhood memories.

This is NOT about "political correctness", this is about RACISM!

This is about demeaning and trivializing an entire group of people, and the grievous injuries they have suffered, with outright misinformation: "they are all gone", offensive words: "in**n, red**in", and crass stereotyping: "dancin' to beat ol' Harry".

And if you can't see that, try telling African Americans that they are being merely "politically correct" if you had a story called "Dark*e Summer" where they were referred to as "ni**ers" and imaged as dancing around ("to beat ol' Harry"), and sitting around grass huts eating watermelon and fried chicken, and they objected to it.

I rather doubt your protestations of warm, fuzzy nostalgia would go very far.

Enough is enough. This is the 21st century and racist stereotypes belong in a museum, not in a newspaper.

<<it's still gives a cultural view of Indians>>

Whose culture? Not Indians' culture! It gives the reductive, patronizing, stereotypical, utterly ignorant and misinformed cultural view of racist white culture. That's the ONLY cultural view promoted by this piece of tripe.

So basically what you are saying is that the dominant group's "warm fuzzys" are due more consideration than the feelings of the minority group who are being demeaned.

Well, I'm sure the Southerners had plenty of "warm fuzzy" stories about their "mammys" and happy-go-lucky "dar**es" back in the days of slavery and segregation, but I'm betting no newspaper today would even remotely consider printing any of them — no matter how many racists insisted that they were "harmless" pieces of folksy nostalgia.

A decent people, when informed that they have offended someone, will apologize and refrain from repeating the offense. It is nothing but utter selfishness for a people to value their own banal sentimentality over giving respect to another people.

But that has been the way of things since the European invasion of this country. Indians have been denigrated and held to be of lesser value by the Eurocentric culture for over 500 years. Apparently you are quite content to see this mindset continue.

<<they are still selling Cowboy hats and kids still play cowboys and Indians.>>

Okay, I'll break this down into two parts.

First, you said: <<Do Cowboys get the same treatment? Do they still sell Cowboy hats in the store?>> in response to my pointing out that stereotyping Indians is racist.

So in reference to children playing "cowboy", "fireman", "doctor", "teacher" or whatever, these are all OCCUPATIONAL groups, NOT ethnic groups. Stores sell play versions of any number of occupational accoutrements. No problem. As an occupational group, cowboys are no different from any other occupational group. There are plenty of Indian cowboys, in fact.

Now you bring up playing "cowboys and Indians".

The fact is, as long as the adults in the dominant society persist with stereotyping Indians, abusing and misappropriating the symbols, sacred ceremonies, and promulgating imitation artifacts of Indian culture, and using images of Indians for their own entertainment or labels on products, children will know no better.

As long as stories like "In**n Summer" persist, with its derogatory language and stereotypical images, its treatment of a living people as bygone mythical figures, children will not learn otherwise.

As long as the history of this country that is taught in schools, is sanitized and the truth of the genocide that was promoted by this country's government is withheld, children will know no better.

Disrespect, misinformation, and stereotyping of Indians are firmly embedded in the dominant culture, negative attitudes toward Indians have been carried forward from colonial times, the process of dehumanizing Indians has a long interrupted history in this country.

As long as the majority of images of Indians that children see in the mass culture are caricatures, inaccurate and derogatory "pretend" Indians being portrayed by white people; the inherent racism toward Indian people that permeates the dominant culture is passed down from generation to generation. And children, taking their cue from the adults around them, will continue to "play" Indian. Why not? Since it is so apparent that it is condoned by the adults.

We are saying the time is NOW for this to stop. It is time for the dominant culture to relinquish its false images and acknowledge and respect Indians as a living people, not stereotypes. It is time for the dominant culture to stop thinking that it OWNS Indians, to cease defining Indians on its own terms, and to stop telling Indians how they should feel.

Time for Indians to be listened to, and respect and attention paid to how Indians define themselves.

Put an end to all the "playing Indian" that is done by adults, and the children will learn by example.

Reba

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