Blue Corn Comics -- Stereotype of the Month Entry

Stereotype of the Month Entry
(4/23/01)

From Robert Eurich...thanks!

April 22, 2001
More mascot mania

By R. CORT KIRKWOOD—Ottawa Sun

Well, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission has given tongue to its pronunciamento on public colleges using Indian mascots, and if you know anything about this debate, you don't need to consult the spirit of Chief Seattle to know what it said.

Indian mascots are racist stereotypes that must be abolished, it avers, but reading between the lines reveals racism really isn't the point. The point is to stigmatize the "dominant culture" by attacking its symbols, which will undermine the culture itself.

Indian mascots, the commission complains, are "particularly inappropriate and insensitive in light of the long history of forced assimilation that American Indian people have endured in this country," and could well "create a racially hostile educational environment ... intimidating to Indian students."

The statement also claims, laughably enough, mascots might even cause poor academic performance among Indian children, although as is typical of this kind of argument, it does not explain why. It's true because it's true. Mascots "teach all students that stereotyping of minority groups is acceptable, a dangerous lesson in a diverse society."

Anyone who knows anything about American education, colleges or Indians knows the commission is speaking with a forked tongue.

For one thing, mascots clearly don't teach that stereotyping is acceptable. Consider the Stalinist atmosphere in public schools, particularly colleges with speech codes, which permit the radical left's ideas on "sensitivity" and "tolerance" to prevail over free speech and even the truth. You can't even tell a joke.

Nor were Indians victims of "forced assimilation." The real crime is forced segregation, the idea behind reservations. Over the last century, the Great White Father in Washington has done everything he can, short of outright genocide, to destroy Indians with a system of collectivist camps whose residents are entirely dependent on government largesse and where the only industry in gambling.

The statement also avers most Americans have a "mythic" view of Indians, that personified by the loyal, stoic "Tonto." But that was 50 years ago.

The new image is equally stereotypical, imparted in such films as Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves. The politically correct movie Indian warbles about the moon and stars, has mystic access to the secrets of the cosmos, and plays an environmentally enlightened steward of the plains, whose civilization is superior to that of the encroaching and destructive pale faces.

This last image is a negative stereotype of whites, but in any event one wonders which view of the Indians is worse, given they are just like everyone else, with their share of the bad and the ugly along with the good. Few school kids will ever learn, for example, about the unsavoury historic practices of some tribes, like roasting captives alive, because the aforementioned "sensitivity" and fear of "stereotyping" in public schools forbids it.

The commission admits Indian symbols, particularly the noble, fierce warrior, were not intended to stereotype when adopted, but it argues they are now offensive. Well, then maybe we should stop teaching the history of Little Big Horn, and level the fierce-looking Crazy Horse National Monument.

The commission has always been a playground for the kook left, which wants to erase the symbols and images of the "dominant culture" it seeks to undermine.

Indian mascots and Confederate battle flags are thus tarred with falsehoods and forbidden, but not "The Fighting Fitzgeralds," or again, those destructive white pioneers, created by a film industry dominated by left-wing ideologues. Some stereotypes are offensive and false, others aren't.

The left, firmly entrenched in the institutions that count, cares about this struggle and knows why it is important. The American people don't, and that is why the symbols of their culture are destined for the Happy Hunting Ground.

For those who might care to respond to this absolutely clueless writer letters to the editor can be sent here:

Letters to the editor

Robert

*****

Rob's comment
Another column in a major newspaper denouncing Native Americans for protesting mascots. Ho-hum. Some excerpts with my responses:

>> The point is to stigmatize the "dominant culture" by attacking its symbols, which will undermine the culture itself. <<

If a culture discriminates against people and stereotypes them, what's the problem with undermining it? Does Kirkwood think his culture is unassailable? Is he defending its racism and prejudice? Why?

>> The statement also claims, laughably enough, mascots might even cause poor academic performance among Indian children, although as is typical of this kind of argument, it does not explain why. <<

The arguments for the harm caused by Native stereotyping are close to overwhelming. See the following pages for a sampling of these arguments:

The harm of Native stereotyping: facts and evidence
Quotes on Native stereotyping

>> Consider the Stalinist atmosphere in public schools, particularly colleges with speech codes, which permit the radical left's ideas on "sensitivity" and "tolerance" to prevail over free speech and even the truth. You can't even tell a joke. <<

Most colleges don't have speech codes. The problem we're talking about happens particularly in grade schools, not in colleges. By focusing on the wrong end of the education spectrum to trivialize the issue, Kirkwood has told a joke. A funny but sad one.

>> Nor were Indians victims of "forced assimilation." <<

The well-documented history of boarding schools and termination efforts says otherwise.

>> The real crime is forced segregation, the idea behind reservations. <<

That's another crime. So give the Indians back their original land, or even the land they agreed to in treaties, and rectify the crime. They won't argue with that.

Tonto still with us
>> The statement also avers most Americans have a "mythic" view of Indians, that personified by the loyal, stoic "Tonto." But that was 50 years ago. <<

Tonto is still visible today in reruns and on video. Disney's Pocahontas was supposed to marry a stoic Indian warrior in the 1995 movie and had a stoic Indian bodyguard in the 1998 movies. The picture at right is of Chief Illiniwek doing the stoic chief bit in 1997. The picture above was taken at a trading post south of Phoenix in 2000. In short, the image persists.

Most Americans have false or ignorant views of Indians, as research has shown. Again, go to Quotes on Native Stereotyping for some of the voluminous evidence.

>> The new image is equally stereotypical, imparted in such films as Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves. The politically correct movie Indian warbles about the moon and stars, has mystic access to the secrets of the cosmos, and plays an environmentally enlightened steward of the plains, whose civilization is superior to that of the encroaching and destructive pale faces. <<

Who do you think invented stereotypes ranging from the Noble Savage to the Eco-Indian? Native people? And who do you think is protesting the New-Age Indian frauds and wannabes? White people? Guess again.

Most Indian people would agree the new images are also stereotypical. That's why they're making movies like Smoke Signals and Naturally Native, with complex portrayals of Indians. Not like Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas, which were made by white people.

>> This last image is a negative stereotype of whites <<

Perhaps, but like every stereotype, it has a measure of truth.

>> but in any event one wonders which view of the Indians is worse, given they are just like everyone else, with their share of the bad and the ugly along with the good. <<

Thanks for that news flash. Not all Indian people are good...wow. Next Kirkwood will be telling us the Mafia wasn't a liberal media concoction and actually did originate in Sicily.

Kirkwood is telling us about stereotypes based on Dances With Wolves? Did he even watch the movie? Does he remember the part where the "good" Lakota battled the "evil" Pawnee? Dances With Wolves employed some stereotypes, but presenting all Indians as good and all white people as evil wasn't one of them.

Back to the point
But the point of this diatribe was mascots. I'm pretty sure Indians don't have anyone as ugly as Chief Wahoo. If Kirkwood can find a real Indian who resembles this obnoxious stereotype, he should present him to us for our inspection.

>> Few school kids will ever learn, for example, about the unsavoury historic practices of some tribes, like roasting captives alive, because the aforementioned "sensitivity" and fear of "stereotyping" in public schools forbids it. <<

Luckily, James W. Loewen has reviewed school textbooks in his masterful book Lies My Teacher Told Me. He addresses this point on page 109: "The authors [of the history textbooks studied] are careful to admit brutality on both sides. Some of the books mention the massacres of defenseless Native Americans at Sand Creek and Wounded Knee."

Repeat: Brutality on both sides. That's an evenhanded treatment of history, not a one-sided stereotype of "savage Indians."

>> Well, then maybe we should stop teaching the history of Little Big Horn, and level the fierce-looking Crazy Horse National Monument. <<

Many Indians would be happy to level it, since they think no one should try to portray their sacred spiritual leader. For an analogous belief, consider the Islamic prohibition against portraying Mohammed.

What does Kirkwood think, that Indians commissioned this monument to glorify themselves? That's not only wrong, it's ignorant. Duh.

>> Indian mascots and Confederate battle flags are thus tarred with falsehoods <<

What does Kirkwood think the truth is? That Indians really have "red skins" or look like Chief Wahoo? That the slave-holding South wasn't fighting to protect its right to own human beings? Sorry, those are falsehoods according to every fact in evidence.

>> Some stereotypes are offensive and false, others aren't. <<

All stereotypes are at least somewhat false or they wouldn't be stereotypes. And racially-based stereotypes are offensive to many people.

>> The left, firmly entrenched in the institutions that count, cares about this struggle and knows why it is important. <<

We can only wish the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, the business world, the military, and so forth didn't count. But alas, they do, and they're dominated by conservatives.

>> The American people don't, and that is why the symbols of their culture are destined for the Happy Hunting Ground. <<

Another stereotype...cute.

I'm glad Kirkwood agrees the stereotypical mascot symbols are doomed. Too bad he's trying to slow down rather than speed up their inevitable demise.

Rob

* More opinions *

. . .

Copyrighted material is posted under the Fair Use provision of the Copyright Act,
which allows copying for nonprofit educational uses including criticism and commentary.

Comments sent to the publisher become the property of Blue Corn Comics
and may be used in other postings without permission.