Hollywood Stereotypes of Aboriginal People
Over the past 100 years the "Indian" has been portrayed in a negative way in film. Whether it be in Western's, Science Fiction, Drama's etc. the Aboriginal character is given a minor or secondary role and is never as clever or sophisticated or even as Indian as the "white man". There is nothing the white man can't do. For example, in over 400 films the Aboriginal People were seen as primitive savage Warriors but then when they tried to fight with the white man they would only be defeated. According to Robert Harding in his article, The Media, Aboriginal People and Common Sense, the idea of Aboriginal people as Warriors still exist today but one of the more prevalent stereotypes has to do with casting doubt on the ability of Aboriginal people to successfully manage their own affairs. Therefore, these old stereotypes that emphasize Eurocentricism or white man superiority (white man do it better) still exists today.
Disney's Portrayal of Aboriginal People
Disney to Reality
Disney does a great job at perpetuating the stereotypical images of Aboriginal people but adapts to suit popular culture. The racist ideas behind Peter Pan's, "Red Man" scene is fairly obvious. They showcase a simplistic group of people and defame their sacred rituals, such as a peace pipe ceremony, by negatively portraying the substance and discrediting its purpose. Both Peter Pan and Pocahontas tend to also sexualize the Indian Princess. This sexualization is still alive and well today. I particularly noticed it during halloween when individuals were wearing sexy Indian Princess costumes bought at stores like Spirit Halloween where the company exclaims you can put the "wow back in Powwow" if you wear their outfit.
In the above clip, you observe Pocahontas debating between a stable, dependable guy or adventure and freedom and she chooses the latter. Subtly, this scene influences the belief that Aboriginal women are unable to settle down and be in stable relationships. Society continues to believe the stereotype that Aboriginal women are promiscuous and are more likely to have children before marriage. Overall, there are a lack of good Aboriginal role models in Disney that accurately depict healthy role models of Aboriginal people. There are even fewer roles that relate to their identity as urban Aboriginals in the 21st century.
In the above clip, you observe Pocahontas debating between a stable, dependable guy or adventure and freedom and she chooses the latter. Subtly, this scene influences the belief that Aboriginal women are unable to settle down and be in stable relationships. Society continues to believe the stereotype that Aboriginal women are promiscuous and are more likely to have children before marriage. Overall, there are a lack of good Aboriginal role models in Disney that accurately depict healthy role models of Aboriginal people. There are even fewer roles that relate to their identity as urban Aboriginals in the 21st century.
Lack of Positive Aboriginal Presence in Film or Media
From watching this Tyra Banks talk show interview, we see that there still continues to be discrimination and a lack of opportunity for Aboriginal people in the media industry (including acting, modeling, etc). As a result, they are forced to take on other roles like playing different ethnicities in order to try and make a living out of this career. There are even fewer roles where they can be themselves and step out of the role as 'Aboriginal'. The Baker Twins make it evident that there is just not enough positive Aboriginal presence in media. This is not the result of actresses, actors, journalists, reporters or models not pursing these professions but a reflection of how there are still inequalities present in media related fields that continue to disempower Aboriginal peoples. This is not unique to specific media related professions, however, it has a major influence on how Aboriginal peoples are being portrayed in mainstream society.
Impact of Media and Stereotypes on Children and Teens
Stereotypes being perpetuated by media creates a viscous circle of misrepresentation that begins to be believed and accepted by everyone, including young people who are Aboriginal. This can lead to the "looking glass self" psychological phenomena in youth where they start to shape themselves based on the perceptions of others.
Media Smarts: Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy have come out with a comprehensive article on how media stereotyping of Aboriginal people can negatively impact young people especially. Below is a snippet of the article. You can find the link below to the article.
Media Smarts: Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy have come out with a comprehensive article on how media stereotyping of Aboriginal people can negatively impact young people especially. Below is a snippet of the article. You can find the link below to the article.
Anyone who understands or studies the social development of children and young people knows that attitudes, values and self-esteem are well developed by the mid-teen years, or even earlier. What young people see and hear in the media helps them to figure out how the world works and who and what is valued in our society.
If the media’s take on Aboriginal people is interpreted at face value, then kids are growing up with a biased vision of what it means to be part of a First Peoples society. If they get their impressions from the news, they’ll likely view Aboriginal people as a negative force. And if their impressions come from films and TV programs, they’ll learn to think of Aboriginal people as inferior (passive, aggressive or drunk) or simply as non-entities, obliterated by omission.
When young Aboriginal people read the newspaper or turn on the TV, how often do they see their own life experiences reflected? Almost never, says Children Now, the U.S. research organization that analyzed the presence of Native American children on TV in 1999, and conducted focus groups with children from 20 tribes. Furthermore, they contend, those children have learned to associate positive attributes with white television characters, and negative attributes with non-white characters.
"The media have a lot of power to endorse stereotypes," says Susan Swan, an Ojibway from the Lake Manitoba First Nation. "We go into First Nations communities to talk to youth about gangs. When asked, the kids estimate that about 95 per cent of Aboriginal youth is involved in gangs. The actual number is three per cent. Why do they think these numbers are so high? It’s because this is what they get from television and newspapers."
The popular media are "cool" in the eyes of most kids. If the existence and value of a group of people is not affirmed by inclusion in media information and entertainment, the message is clear—they’re not important. In Aboriginal communities, this can contribute to, as one community sociologist calls it, "learned helplessness, alienation and a sense of having no control."