Introduction
Indigenous peoples are an essential part of nation-states and their history. In addition to the fact that the culture and lives of these people must be protected, how indigenous people are portrayed in the media is an essential aspect. This is because the light in which Indians are portrayed in social media directly impacts the worldview of the population. It is important to analyze a few examples of how Indigenous people are shown in different media types and what the consequences are.
Indigenous Peoples’ Representatives
Thanks to the efforts of indigenous peoples’ representatives over the past 30 years, indigenous peoples’ rights are now receiving more attention at the United Nations and in the international community at large. In 1971, 26 independent human rights experts, appointed one of its members, Mr. Martínez Cobo, as Special Rapporteur (Pive, et al, 2018). He was asked to prepare a comprehensive study on discrimination against indigenous peoples and recommend national and international measures to eliminate such discrimination.
Theoretical Ideas
Above all, it is necessary to identify the method by which the “unit of analysis” in theoretical media studies will be selected. Media studies as a field of scientific knowledge need empirically fixable general properties of phenomena and principles, and it is impossible to stop at hypothetical statements (Dahl, 2018). To implement empirical research, it is necessary to define a specific unit of analysis, and the main object to be considered in the study (Dahl, 2018). Through the theory of identifying the key unit, the unit of analysis, in this case, is the reputation of Aboriginal people.
Actuality of Discrimination
On July 30, 2021, Native Americans decided to declare the diminution of their culture. Citizens erected a pillar sacred to Native American culture in the nation’s capital. The action was called Red Road to D.C. (Hedgpeth, 2021). The totem pole traveled across the country, with organizers making stops at places that are sacred to Native Americans. The Totem Pillar honors a place sacred to Native peoples and is a gift as well as an urgent call to action. Communities across the country are asking President Biden to immediately protect the sacred sites (Hedgpeth, 2021). A ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., to mark the arrival of the totem in the capital. It was attended by the head of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Deb Holann, who is the first Native American representative in that position (Hedgpeth, 2021). This case demystifies the acuteness of racial discrimination against Indians, but it also characterizes the changes in society’s consciousness.
Native Americans on CNN
In this case, it is necessary to analyze the example of an aggressive attitude toward Native Americans by Santorum. American politician and CNN columnist Rick Santorum spoke unflatteringly about the indigenous peoples of the United States, believing that European colonists rejected the local culture and created the country from scratch (Fitzsimons, 2021). According to Newsweek, the former senator was on the verge of being fired because his words provoked a negative response among the public, who felt that he downplayed Native American contributions to U.S. history. In his remarks, he pointed out that the people who came to the continent from European nations created “everything from scratch.” In other words, Santorum meant, that the American nation has done their culture by themselves (Fitzsimons, 2021). There were Native American peoples, but frankly, there’s not much Native American culture (Fitzsimons, 2021). Such remarks provoked a certain public reaction.
Many Native American organizations believed that Santorum thus rejected the activities of Native North Americans before the arrival of Europeans on the continent. Activist Nick Estes believes that Santorum’s remarks represent an attempt to erase indigenous peoples and their history (Fitzsimons, 2021). The politician’s opponents are convinced that he acted like a racist and deserved punishment, including a ban from CNN and a boycott by advertisers of the media platforms where he regularly appears. The politician later responded to the outrage by stressing that he in no way meant to diminish or devalue Native American culture (Fitzsimons, 2021). CNN has not yet commented on whether it will respond to the outrage over Santorum’s words.
Indians in Hollywood
Europeans have long had their own idea of what the Wild West was like. There were stereotypes in clubbing that Indians were always wild and brutal people who had to be exterminated in order to protect civilized society (Common portrayals of aboriginal people, 2021). In addition, while presenting such ideas in films, directors refused to cast Aborigines, discriminating against them out of mistrust. In almost all films, Indians were played by American, Japanese, or Spanish citizens, whose main distinguishing characteristic was the darkness of their skin.
A striking example of such racial oppression is the film Shadow of the Wolf, where the roles of Indians were represented by different nations. The film, as well as other pictures, glorified the uncivilized, wild and dull Indians who were unable to live in peace and quiet (Common portrayals of aboriginal people, 2021). In addition, there was a devaluation of the achievements of the Indians in the arts and sciences, which gave rise to many stereotypes in the masses (Common portrayals of aboriginal people, 2021). However, very few non-natives had the opportunity to meet the natives in real life. Even if the action in the old westerns rarely took place in Canada, the stereotypes they conveyed crossed borders. This phenomenon did not cause resonance in society in itself, so it is not necessary to talk about the reaction, but if we turn to the current culture, the reputation of Native Americans is relatively restored. This conclusion is based on the fact that representatives of Native Americans can be seen in major and minor roles in films. It is also worth noting that the image of the Indian or Native American has been portrayed in a deeper, more ambiguous, and more respectful way.
Indians in Feature Film
The sphere of feature filmmaking can be examined with the example of the film Indian Princess. This film has been criticized many times for its subjective and irrelevant historical demonstration of aboriginal life and politics. For example, the most important misconception of the filmmakers was the introduction of kings, princesses, and monarchical states into the Indian way of life (Common portrayals of aboriginal people, 2021). It is important to note that, in fact, there were no such facts, and Valaskakis and Burgess decided to destroy these misconceptions (Common portrayals of aboriginal people, 2021). The image of the Indian princess created by the media is refuted by Aboriginal cultural events, such as Powwow, where young women are elected because of their attachment to traditional values of respect, sharing, and solidarity (Common portrayals of aboriginal people, 2021). This image of the princess does not reflect a romanticized and stereotyped image, but rather a desire to change the trend: for a long time the model of youth has been self-destruction, vandalism, and the use of drugs and alcohol.
Conclusion and My Point of View
Through analysis of the above examples, we can conclude that the presentation of Native Americans in the media is problematic. Although organizations like Native Lives Matter actively fight discrimination, indigenous peoples are surrounded by stereotypes. This problem is damaging to Aboriginal people’s culture and social standing because it creates prejudice and mistrust among others. It is an essential virtue of modern society that people stand up for Indigenous peoples and condemn and challenge insults or unfounded criticism of Indians. Nevertheless, it is necessary to continue to restore the reputation of disadvantaged people and destroy all stereotypes that have arisen based on discrimination.
To analyze my attitude toward the way Aboriginal people are covered in the media is ambiguous. The fact is that most channels, or, for example, journalists prefer to speculate on facts or words in a way that is profitable. However, they do not pay attention to the worldview of Native Americans and how their words may affect public opinion about oppressed Native Americans. The Santorum situation analyzed in the essay is a perfect example of this speculation. After all, he may not have even tried to insult the nation, but one must watch his words and thoughts more carefully. Otherwise, such words take on a double meaning, can be interpreted differently in society, and, in the end, discriminate against someone. At such moments I have negative emotions and questions as to why the editors or journalists do not change the text so that it does not become offensive or negative for a certain group of people. In other words, ignoring the feelings of Indians is inherently discriminatory.
References
Common portrayals of aboriginal people. (2021). Media Smarts.
Dahl, S. (2018). Social media marketing. Theories and applications. SAGE Publications.
Fitzsimons, T. (2021). Rick Santorum says ‘there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture’. NBCnews.
Hedgpeth, D. (2021). Native Americans are transporting a 5,000-pound totem pole to D.C. from Pacific Northwest. The Washington Post.
Piven, I., Gandell, R., Lee, M., and Simpson, A. M. (2018). Global perspectives on social media in tertiary learning and teaching. Emerging and opportunities. IGI Global.