Indian Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak OutAccording to an early 1990s study, 95 percent of what college students know about Native Americans was acquired through the media, leading to widespread misunderstandings of First Nations peoples. Sierra Adare contends that negative "Indian" stereotypes do physical, mental, emotional, and financial harm to First Nations individuals. At its core, this book is a social study whose purpose is to explore the responses of First Nations peoples to representative "Indian" stereotypes portrayed within the TV science fiction genre. Participants in Adare's study viewed episodes from My Favorite Martian, Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager, Quantum Leap, The Adventures of Superman, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Reactions by viewers range from optimism to a deep-rooted sadness. The strongest responses came after viewing a Superman episode's depiction of an "evil medicine man" who uses a ceremonial pipe to kill a warrior. The significance of First Nations peoples' responses and reactions are both surprising and profound. After publication of "Indian" Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction, ignorance can no longer be used as an excuse for Hollywood's irresponsible depiction of First Nations peoples' culture, traditions, elders, religious beliefs, and sacred objects. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 11 | |
| 16 | |
Future Indians Past Stereotypes | 29 |
Shoshones and NonShoshones Assess Quantum Leap Freedom A Special Showing | 58 |
Sky Spirits in Space Indian Spirituality and the Small Screen | 74 |
Visions for the Future | 91 |
Conclusion and Epilogue | 102 |
Shoshone Survey Form Stereotyping Indigenous Peoples in Science Fiction TV Shows | 106 |
Survey 2 Form American Indian Religions and Spirituality Stereotyping in Science Fiction TV Shows | 107 |
Interview Questions for Focus Group | 108 |
Categorizing the Comments | 109 |
Common Threads Positive and Negative Comments on Stereotypical Depictions of Indians in the Episodes | 111 |
Notes | 115 |
Bibliography | 131 |
Index | 137 |
Other editions - View all
Indian Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak Out Sierra S. Adare Limited preview - 2009 |
"Indian" Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak Out Sierra Adare Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
Adventures of Superman alien American Indian Stereotypes American Indians buckskins Captain Cardassians Celluloid Indians ceremonies Chakotay Chakotay's Cherokee crew culture Delta Quadrant depiction of Indians dominant society dressed elders episode's Fantasies father Favorite Martian Favorite Martian Go female Hollywood Hollywood Indian Hollywood writers Horse humor Ibid Indigenous Janeway Joseph Journey's End Kilpatrick Kirk Kolopak Lakanta living male Martian Go West Mascots Master Race medicine bundle Mihesuah Mohawk movie mystic Nations individuals Native American Negative comments Newspaper Indian North America Okatee Paradise Syndrome Participant 21 planet portrayal portrayed Positive comments pow wow Press Quantum Leap Freedom religion religious beliefs Repository Robert Beltran savage science fiction fan sheriff Sky Spirits Star Fleet Star Trek stereotypes Superman Test Taggart Tasiwoopa ápi teepees television traditional Trek The Paradise tribal tribe TV science fiction Uncle Martin University viewing vision quest Voyager Tattoo Voyager The Cloud wants Warrior Wesley woman Young Martian Yumas
Popular passages
Page 25 - My brother, it seems your Friends have not done you Justice in your Education ; they have not well instructed you in the Rules of Common Civility. You saw that we, who understand and practise those Rules, believ'd all your stories ; why do you refuse to believe ours?
Page 26 - If a white man in travelling through our country enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I do you : we dry him if he is wet; we warm him if he is cold, and give him meat and drink that he may allay his thirst and hunger ; and we spread soft furs for him to rest and sleep on. We demand nothing in return.
Page 26 - If a white man, in travelling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I do you; we dry him if he is wet; we warm him if he is cold, and give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst and hunger; and we spread soft furs for him to rest and sleep on: we demand nothing in return But if I go into a white man's house at Albany, and ask for victuals and drink, they say, Get out, you Indian dog.
Page 135 - Being an Account of the Principal Events in the Career of the Human Race from the Beginnings of Civilization to the Present Time Comprising the Development of Social Institutions and the Story of All Nations from Recent and Authentic Sources.
Page 26 - If a white man in traveling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I do you. We dry him if he is wet ; we warm him if he is cold, and give him meat and drink, that he may allay his hunger and thirst, and we spread soft furs for him to rest and sleep on.
Page 3 - These people must die out — there is no help for them. God has given this earth to those who will subdue and cultivate it, and it is vain to struggle against His righteous decree.
Page 24 - Did you ever eat the liver of a Frenchman, or his leg, or his shoulder! There is fine eating! I have eat twenty. My table was always well served. My wife was esteemed the best cook for the dressing of man's flesh in all North America.
Page 25 - The good missionary, disgusted with this idle tale, said, "What I delivered to you were sacred truths; but what you tell me is mere fable, fiction, and falsehood." The Indian, offended, replied, "My brother, it seems your friends have not done you justice in your education; they have not well instructed you in the rules of common civility. You saw that we, who understand and practice those rules, believed all your stories; why do you refuse to believe ours?
Page 17 - Dysconsciousness is an uncritical habit of mind (including perceptions, attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs) that justifies inequity and exploitation by accepting the existing order of things as given.
Page 11 - ... appalls us that the West can desire, extract and claim ownership of our ways of knowing, our imagery, the things we create and produce, and then simultaneously reject the people who created and developed those ideas and seek to deny them further opportunities to be creators of their own culture and own nations.5 The primary purpose of this research project was to address the responses of First Nations adults' perceptions of the portrayal of cultural traditions and stereotypes of "American Indians"...