Native Americans?

Question

What do you think are different representations of Native American culture? How do you think the U.S. uses the images and ideas of an American Indian? This is part of a homework assignment I have to do so any help would be appreciated. It has to do with the book "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie. Thank you.

Answer 1

I have not read the book you referenced & I have no intention of doing your homework for you, however, your question brings up an issue that many Americans have paid too little attention to.

We don't know & aren't taught that our constitution is based on the principles found in the native american tribal councils where each nation was represented & heard before the council.

Many don't know & weren't taught how important a role women played in the government & policies of native american councils. Most tribes were matriarchies, even if the representative from the entire nation to the council was a male warrior.

We're also not taught that the first settlements would not have made it through the severe winters if the native americans would not have helped the settlers & taught them about which plants to plant when & where.

Its a sad statement on American society when the most well known images of native americans are the one of the man with a tear running down his check due to the damage to the environment & of half-naked, war painted males with bows & arrows attacking colonial settlers. Nowadays, too, there is the image of the native american dealing cards at a casino on a reservation.

I suggest people go to a native american reservation near them to see the beautiful beadwork, pottery, silver smithing, etc. they do, attend a powwow to listen to the music & see the themed dances performed.

Its like anything else - if you're ignorant of a whole culture's history & background you have no appreciation of what you might have learned from them.

Answer 2

Many, many years ago I wrote to one of our presidents with my concerns for the Native American Indians. That president was Richard M. Nixon. He, did not consider my concerns worth answering I'm still waiting I guess it's not going to happen from him
Richard M. Nixon
Served as
37th President of the United States
January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974
Died: April 22, 1994
I must have waited 20 years at least for an answer.
My opinion I don't think they know.

Cherokee Trail of Tears
The Trail on Which They Wept

http://www.semorpc.org/ttmsfc.htm
Theodore Pease Russell, whose family had settled in Iron County in 1838, recalled,
"There were about 2,000 Indians in this division. All the others had gone by way of ******Farmington,******* but the roads
were so bad that this last division had to come this way along the Fredericktown Road and such a road at that time!"
St. Francois Counties, Missouri

Answer 3

the Cleveland Indians logo is not flattering. The Braves and Redskins' logos aren't so bad. USA may tend to trivialize Native american paraphernalia: note the dream catcher. We seem to respect the drum, the feathers. I wish NA spirituality was more commonplace. The white buffaloes get some press but not much.

Answer 4

the GOVT created "title iv indian education" to HELP preserve indian culture. On it's face it looked promising. In reality they were attempting to replace REAL traditions with PAN-Indianism.
Dressing Miwok Boys up like Plains Indians for Pow Wows.

An entire generation grew up dancing pow wow but not with their own dances, their own REAL regalia.

I have my own issues with sherman. For some reason when they were shooting smoke signals, he wouldn't use the local rez boys to play rezboys even though they were just extras. his reason "they don't know how to act" and "this isn't a documentary"

Answer 5

http://www.americanwest.com/pages/indians.htm