Native Americans face stereotypes

by Megan Kuhn
Staff Writer

After listening to her sob uncontrollably for an hour and a half, Barry Landeros-Thomas finally calmed his daughter down enough for her to explain to him why she came home from school in tears.

During recess, a couple of boys danced around her singing a Pocahontas song, "Savages! Savages! Barely even human," he said.

When the Eastern Band Cherokee questioned his daughter’s teacher about the incident, the teacher didn’t see a problem until Landeros-Thomas explained that the boys didn’t sing just any Disney song to his daughter.

The continual perpetuation of subtle racism of imagery that objectifies and dehumanizes Indian people extends beyond the classroom. At least 218 schools in Ohio use "Indians" or Native American related words as a team names. Landeros-Thomas is not flattered.

"I think it’s unfortunate that there are so many schools in Ohio still using racist and stereotypical portrayals of Indian people," Landeros-Thomas, coordinator of American Indian Student Service at Ohio State University.

"We have the Saints but you don’t see mascots dressed up like Jesus carrying a big Styrofoam cross doing the sign of the cross every time a touchdown is made. That’s the parallel with the eagle's feather, which is sacred to many nations and traditions. They don’t understand the sacredness of the feathers."

Landeros-Thomas said people think it’s okay to use images sacred to American Indians because most people think of American Indians in the past tense.

"They don’t think Indians are around. We are still here despite very pointed and direct campaigns to exterminate us, either physically or culturally," Landeros-Thomas said.

Ohio University graduate student Mason Martin said one of the challenges faced by Native Americans today is the reluctance of older generations to pass on native culture. In Martin’s case, his grandmother forbade him from speaking in native tongue because of the persecution she endured for being American Indian while attending boarding school.

"She was pretty traumatized," Martin said. "She definitely carried it with her for the rest of her life. Her story isn’t unique."

Martin is Sioux and Assiniboine, but said he did not admit to being Native American until he was 19.

"It used to be you never told anyone you were Indian," he said. "I didn’t look Indian. I was hated for being Indian off the res(ervation) and hated for being white on the res(ervation)."

Marcelyn M Kropp’s reservation experience differed from Martin’s. Growing up on an Osage reservation in Pawhuska, Kansas, she immersed herself in native culture. The OU doctoral student, who moved to Athens three years ago, said she is still getting used to the way other Americans value self-promotion over collective identity.

"There’s a sense of sharing I don’t see everywhere else," Kropp said. "It’s not about material gain. It’s not about who has the most toys. (In Kaw and Osage culture) it’s about sharing and making sure everybody has what they need."

To learn more about native culture, there is a traditional beading workshop at 7 tonight in 330 Baker University Center.