How Many More Indians? An Argument for a Representational Ethics of Native Americans

Abstract

This article explores the persistence of stereotypical representations of Native Americans as brand images and situates a call for change within an ethics of representation. American Spirit Cigarettes are used as an illustrative case study to demonstrate that these representations cannot be relegated to less enlightened times, rather endure because naturalization is part of commodified racism. The present essay argues for engagement in representational ethics on the part of communicators to interrupt the contribution of stereotypes to the maintenance of colonial ideologies.

Framing Disaster

“…Anyone not convinced of this need look no further than the spate of recent controversies with prominent companies, including the following: the Victoria’s Secret’s 2013 televised runway show, where an “angel” walked down the runway wearing high heels, lingerie with turquoise stones, and a feathered headdress (Li, 2012); Ralph Lauren’s use of old photographs depicting Native Americans to help sell their Fall 2014 line of clothing in what was criticized as a “genocide aesthetic” (Chumley, 2014); and Paul Frank’s promotional “powwow” night, complete with plastic headdresses, tomahawks, and drinks called “Rain Dance Refresher” (Sieczkowski, 2012). Merskins (2014) observes that “this identity theft is common in American culture, particularly in the naming of products and the creating of brands, logos, and advertising” (p. 186), similar to what Keene (2015) refers to as “Native Appropriations” (p. 105).…”

“…Merskins (2014) observes that “American Indians do not represent a significant target audience to advertisers, accounting for less than 1% of the U.S. population and are the most economically destitute of all minority groups” (p. 198, citing Cortese, 2008). The economic considerations of Native Americans matter when it comes to journalism—an industry so reliant upon advertising dollars.…”

Tobacco industry misappropriation of American Indian culture and traditional tobacco

“…However, these types of representations dehumanise diverse peoples and cultures, contributing to ignorance among non-Natives, and could result in Native people internalising negative perceptions of their culture. 1 54 Misappropriation and misuse of American Indian names, signs and symbols are not limited to tobacco products 55 ; previous research has identified commodification of American Indian images on products like Crazy Horse Malt Liquor 56 and Big Chief Sugar, 54 as well as sports teams’ mascots, which have prompted much debate in recent years. 57 Given historical trauma and continued disenfranchisement of Native people, there is a need for the immediate end to discriminatory and degrading use of Native imagery that takes a toll on health and undermines the intellectual property rights of Indigenous communities.…”

Teaching and Learning about Settler-colonial Racism: A Case for “Unsettling” Minoritizing and Multicultural Perspectives

“…Writing in the context of education, Indigenous scholar Cornel Pewewardy (1991Pewewardy ( , 1999 posits that with the closing of the physical frontier and land dispossession, a time when the size of the American Indian population was at an historic low, "Indian" enemies were turned into sport mascots as part of the process of deculturation or eliminating Native cultures. Likewise, during the early twentieth century, commodification of "Indianness" in film and mass advertising became common (Merskin 2014). Anthropologist C. Richard King (2008) built on these insights to argue that "playing Indian" in sports "traps Native Americans with the past, in perpetual, unwinnable conflict with the superior white man" (p. 424).…”