Native American Stereotypes

McKenzie Spivey, Riley West, Lauralyn Smith, Chyanne Moore

Standards: 5.C.1 Understand how increased diversity resulted from migration, settlement
patterns and economic development in the United States.
5.C.1.1 Analyze the change in leadership, cultures and everyday life of American
Indian groups before and after European exploration.
5.C.1.2 Exemplify how the interactions of various groups have resulted in the
borrowing and sharing of traditions and technology.
5.C.1.3 Explain how the movement of goods, ideas and various cultural groups
influenced the development of regions in the United States
5.C.1.4 Understand how cultural narratives (legends, songs, ballads, games, folk
tales and art forms) reflect the lifestyles, beliefs and struggles of diverse ethnic groups.

Overview:
In this project we are looking at the Native American Stereotypes in American culture.

We are going to look at two different clips from Disney Movies and we are also going to look at

some pictures. The two movies that we are going to look at are Disney’s Pocahontas the song

“Savages” and also Disney’s Peter Pan song “What Makes the Red Man Red?”. We are also

looking at several different picture about what Indians look like. The students will be learning

about how to be sensitive when talking to and about people, especially while using stereotypes.

In the song “Savages” we are looking at how Native Americans were viewed as savages.

In the song the Europeans saw the Native Americans as “savages” and “barely even human”

because the Native Americans are different than the Europeans. In the song “What Makes A Red

Man Red?” we are going to talk about about how Native Americans look in comparison to the

white people that were making the stereotypes. The pictures also talk about the stereotypes about

what Native Americans look like.

 Pocahontas- Savages

The following clip shows the British and Native Americans preparing to fight each other,
and is part of the full-length Disney movie Pocahontas. It is a quality clip, full of color, sound,
and expression. The British sing out about their stereotype of the Native Americans they want to
steal land from as “savages” and “barely even human”. This is how a lot of people thought of the
people they called Indians back then, and some even still have this stereotype today. This clip
was chosen because it shows how people thought of Native Americans, as “savages”. It provokes
discussion of stereotypes of Native Americans, how they occur today, and what people can do to
change this! The question set that goes along, to be showed after this clip, helps students to
increase media literacy. They can use media to instigate meaningful conversations about culture.
Using this song from the movie Pocahontas, students can talk about the stereotypes seen in the
excerpt and how they relate to what they can see in real life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S_NyeiTRJc
Stereotype from Pocahontas- “Savages” song

Question Set (use after the Pocahontas clip is over):

(Comprehension)
1) Why do you think the Englishmen thought of the Native Americans as “savages”?
Explain.

Sample Answer:
They thought the Native Americans enjoyed fighting and killing. They also looked down
on the way that the Indians lived in their villages, and hunted animals with bows and
arrows and did not really have access to guns. The Englishmen probably thought they
just liked to destroy things around them.

(Comprehension)
2) What do you think is meant by “barely even human”? Explain.

Sample Answer:
The Englishmen might mean that they view the Native Americans as less than human.
Also implied in this is that the Englishmen think they are the superior race and properly
human, and since the Native Americans are not like them, they are not really human. The
English probably made this stereotype from what they thought they knew about Native
American villages not being made of the same materials that their buildings in England
are made of, and the different way of life that the Native Americans had (i.e. hunting and
traditional ceremonies).
(HOTS-analysis)
3) Analyze some of the stereotypes in this clip and compare them to the reality you see
today.

Sample Answer:
1) Stereotype 1: Native Americans are warlike and resent anyone who tries to come
into their territory.
What is seen today: Not many Native Americans live in traditional villages. There
are also not really instances of them killing or wanting to fight people who come
to visit their reservations and other land still under tribal control.
2) Stereotype 2: They live in primitive villages and dress in materials like deerskin
and furs.
What is seen today: Many people of Native American heritage live in a
stereotypical house in a normal town, and hold a job like anyone else. They wear
clothes made of cotton and other materials, just like many other people. They do
sometimes dress in traditional clothing for things like traditional ceremonies,
festivals, or celebrations.

Peter Pan- “What Makes the Red Man Red?”

 This clip shows how Native American cultures are portrayed in Peter Pan. I chose this
media because it describes how Native Americans are portrayed as illiterate and “nonhuman.”
We are describing stereotypes of Native Americans in this project and this media shows how the
Native Americans appear lower than the white people. This media describes how in the song that
is being played, the Native American culture is dehumanized and disrespected. Children will
view this media and learn that the Native American culture is only this way. I am pointing out
that this video clip from “Peter Pan” teaches children the wrong information about Native
American cultures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_at9dOElQk
Stereotype from Peter pan- “What Makes the Red Man Red?” song

Question Set: (Use after the the Peter Pan clip is over)

(Knowledge)
1. Define what an “indian” in the “What Makes the Red Man Red?” song looks
typically like. What do you imply from this song about the “indian” people?

Sample Answer:
In “What Makes the Red Man Red?” song all Native Americans that are portrayed all wear
the same thing, speak the same way, and sing the same songs. In this portrayal of Native
Americans, it does not show the different cultures that create the Native American heritages
and implies that all of these cultures look like that. This song/movie portrays Native
American people as people who cannot speak correctly and implies that is how they all
speak.

(Comprehension)
2. Describe how the portrayal of the people in this song are being perceived by children
and how they will grow up to view them as. Explain why.

Sample Answer:
The children that are watching this movie will create this idea in their head that all Native
American people look like that and talk like that. They will outcast them and learn that they
are “different” from them. This is because they are perceived as being lower than the white
children and speak illiterate throughout the song/movie. Children will assume from watching
this movie that all Native American people cannot speak and be like them.

(Evaluation)
3. Argue why this song can be some form of racism and how can it be disrespectful
towards Native American cultures.
 Sample Answer:
Firstly, the song title is offensive towards the Native American cultures. “What Makes the
Red Man Red?” title is very controversial because of how the Native American people are
being portrayed while singing. As you can witness in the video, the Native American people
are doing a stereotypical dance while wearing a stereotypical costume. This portrayal of the
Native American peoples is a form of racism because it lets people assume that all of the
Native American cultures are like this. It is disrespectful because all of the cultures are not
accurately portrayed throughout this film.

Native American Image Stereotypes

Many people in the world stereotype Native americans and think of the first two
pictures to associate what Native Americans tend to look like when this is not the case
whatsoever. Stereotypes are all over this world and it is up to us to figure out how to change
people’s first thought of another person before they have even met them. Native Americans
may have resembled the two first pictures many many years ago but now they are normal
human beings. Work have families where regular clothes like many other people in the
country. Just because in the past they looked like that doesn’t mean that they still do, they are
just like anyone else and to say, “oh you’re a Indian so you wear like headdresses and things
like that?” I chose to use these specific pictures to capture the reality that we as a nation view
people who are Native Americans and how their families tend to look. So these pictures
demonstrate that Native Americans are not as we think they are. They are regular ordinary
people who are just finding a spot in this world. The questions I chose will help lead the
students in media literacy by making them analyze pictures and realize that stereotyping is
more than just things you think. It is a real life issue we face everyday, the willingness to
think of a certain race or ethnicity and not judge or stereotype at all.

Question Set:
(Comprehension)
1.) Why do you think we as Americans still hear the word Indian and think of
someone who wears a headdress and have feathers?
Sample Answer:
1.) Many Americans are ignorant to the fact that times are changing. We still think
people are acting in way they would have many many years ago. Some people
are still stuck in an age where those stereotypes are real in their minds but
they’re not. Many people do not truly think they’re normal people like me and
you they think of tribes and teepees, because they used to actually do these things
and look like the stereotypical Indian that image just isn’t out of their head and I
do not think it ever will.
(Knowledge)
 2.) When you think of the words, Native American or Indian, what
comes to your mind?
Sample Answer:
2.) When I hear the words Native American or Indian feathers and teepees often
come to mind. Even though I know that they do not do things such as these
anymore and there aren’t many Native Americans that still wear their feathers
and traditional Native American wear. But I often times stereotype people like
this without even thinking about it it is just what comes to mind when someone
brings up the question which it is one thing to say it and another thing to actual
believe that that is still the way they live when they do not; however, I still think
we all as Americans need to work on trying to expand our horizon on the proper
way to act and change the way we think.

(HOTS- Analysis)
3.) Compare and contrast how you believe the Native Americans feel when
they are stereotyped, how would you feel if someone constantly thought you
looked and acted like your ancestors years ago.

Sample Answer:
3.) I think that they kind of feel dehumanized. If it was me I would not want people
going around associating me with turkeys and feathers and look at me and think
about the Indians on movies and things like that. I can only imagine it does not
make them feel valued in the sense that they should feel valued. I think we as a
Nation need to leave what has been in the past in the past. When we continue
bringing up things and teaching our children that yeah Indians wear headdresses
and feathers, etc. things like stereotyping is never going to go away.

Video Sources:

[The Disney Life].(2015,January 13).Savages-Pocahontas.Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S_NyeiTRJc

[Disney’s Peter Pan].(2007, March 26). What Makes The Red Man Red-Peter Pan.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_at9dOElQk
 Images Sources:

Native American Cultures: The Northeast. (2017, June 22). Retrieved October 21,
2018, from https://newsela.com/read/lib-native-americans-northeast/id/31971/

Owen, J. (2017, February 28). Only 1 In 50 People Can Pass This Native American
Quiz. Can You? Retrieved from http://definition.org/people-cant-pass-native-american-
quiz-can/

Lee, M. (2012, November 13). Ona, an Inspirational Native American Student « Native
American / American Indian Blog by Partnership With Native Americans. Retrieved
October 21, 2018, from http://blog.nativepartnership.org/ona-an-inspirational-native-
american-student/

Garrison, N. A., Ph.D. (n.d.). Cases of How Tribes are Relating to Genetics Research.
Retrieved October 21, 2018, from http://genetics.ncai.org/what-do-tribes-think-about-
genetics-research.cfm