Societal Stereotypes about Indigenous People by Julie York

Ms. York

jyork20 — 2024-10-28 13:44:17 UTC

Disney has a strong influence on our ideas, and I remember enjoying Pocahontas when I was younger. The Indian Princess stereotype comes from the obession of well-connected Virginians to align themselves with a princess in colonial times through the bloodline of Pocahontas.

Ms. York

jyork20 — 2024-10-28 13:44:24 UTC

The story of Rex Tilousi (Havasupai) stood out to me because I've always enjoyed the decision by the government to establish National Parks for citizens. I thought this was such a great gesture that preserved these areas, but I have not stopped to think about how these federal decisions displaced certain people. We have to remember that any of the public lands we enjoy today displaced indigenous people who now live uprooted in new places.

Ms. York

jyork20 — 2024-10-28 13:44:31 UTC

The Indian Princess

Addison Jones, Mink, Collin

2025-11-03 13:46:20 UTC

Distant from Modern Society

James, Maabena

2025-11-03 13:46:47 UTC

The Warrior

Raya, Leah, Aubriella

2025-11-03 13:47:09 UTC

Stereotype: Most Native American people live in poverty and have poor health and less education. More Native American people use drugs or alcohol than the general population.

Julia, Jade, Aly

2025-11-03 13:48:17 UTC

Stereotype: Thanksgiving was a peaceful tradition

Leila, Aleco

2025-11-03 13:49:19 UTC

Animal sacrifices/ crazed behavior

Addison Jones, Mink, Collin

2025-11-03 13:49:51 UTC

In the history we are taught growing up, we see indigenous tribes only in the context of history. Not in modern day society. This limits our scope of what we believe is possible for such tribes, and pushes us to believe they are stuck in the past and distant from the society we currently live in. This is only emphasized by the images posted on social media, where people see reservation life and immediately assume its the complete opposite of the life non indigenous people live.

Ainsley, Gaibel, Ellie, Grayson

2025-11-03 13:51:12 UTC

Stereotype: Natives have no government, low intelligence, and only live on the west side of the Mississippi.

James, Maabena

2025-11-03 13:52:04 UTC

The warrior image is portrayed in the media about Native representation so much that the stereotype has grown into a mass idea of Native Americans, especially Native American men. In The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, the only Native American character, Kiowa, although portrayed as a compassionate and Christ-loving figure, carries weapons with him, such as a hatchet, which ties him back to the warrior image imposed upon him as a Native American man by society.

Olivia, Adam, Miriam, Amira

2025-11-03 13:52:19 UTC

Stereotype: All Native American people live on reservations and face poverty and alcoholism. Only a small amount of Native Americans left.

Addy, Mink, Collin

2025-11-03 13:53:18 UTC

In the context of viewing indigenous people as primitive and detached from modern society, our group chose to focus on Noreen Mirabal-Montoya who is part of the Navajo and Laguna people. She is a good example that people who are a part of an indigenous culture can be connected to modern culture as well. She works as a tourism coordinator for her town, sharing the wealth of art and tradition around her in the modern day.

Miriam, Amira Olivia Adam

2025-11-03 13:54:06 UTC

American media and television is historically known to portray indigenous Americans in an inaccurate light, generalizing their cultural practices, and over-exaggerating their ethnic features. The end result is a dehumanized caricature. This depiction of native Americans has led American society to accept these racist and outdated stereotypes as fact.

2025-11-03 13:54:12 UTC

Anti indigenous propaganda has been perpetuated throughout generations, only recently being opposed by the general public at all. Stories of resilience such as There, There have only even existed in recent times, the single story agenda has acted as the only agenda for generations.

Leah, Raya, Aubriella

2025-11-03 13:54:17 UTC

The movie Peter Pan tried to make Native American people seem less intelligent, which ties in to the stereotype that Native American people are uneducated. In the movie, the Native Americans were treated like they were not human, which relates to the general stereotype that Native American people are "lesser than."

Julia, Jade, Aly

2025-11-03 13:55:02 UTC

As kids, we are taught that Thanksgiving was a peaceful tradition that brought two groups together, when in reality, the concepts behind this tradition were filled with hate and violence. American society has twisted this story to instill accepting and friendly qualities within the youth. They tried to hide the harsh past of America with this facade to show children and adults that the formation of America was not built on bad terms.

Leila, Aleco

2025-11-03 13:58:31 UTC

People are used to thinking of indigenous people as uncivilized. This was colonist's way of making sure indigenous people didn't fight back. The narrative became that native's believed that colonists were there to save them and bring them to proper civilization due to assimilation. This prevailing idea often led future generations to hate their way of life and think poorly of their heritage.

Aly, Jade, Julia

alytaylor614 — 2025-11-03 13:59:41 UTC

Helen Williams from the Paiute Tribe stood out the most because she shows the lost side of Native culture that resulted from the pioneers taking their land and traditions away from them. Over time, tribes like the Paiute have lost their connection to their languages because of colonization and the internalized racism in America.

James, Maabena

2025-11-03 13:59:50 UTC

The story of Migizi Pensoneau sheds light on how the stereotypes of Native Americans create an entirely different race of people. Instead of seeing them as human beings with feelings, lives, love, and property, they were subjected to harmful stereotypes that confined them to a single, narrow category, with the warrior being just one of many. By stripping away the humanity of Native Americans, the colonizers were able to justify taking away their land and even their lives. By fighting against these stereotypes, Native Americans inch closer and closer to reestablishing the sovereignty that was stripped away from them all those years ago.

Grayson, Ainsley, Ellie, Gaibel

2025-11-03 14:01:16 UTC

In this story two Apache dancers were so talented and intertwined with their culture that they had received two Grammy nominations. Despite their talents the two did not win any awards, possibly due to racial bias against them.

Leah, Raya, Aubriella

2025-11-03 14:01:46 UTC

In Charlotte Logan's story, she talks about having both a Western education and a Native education. This obviously goes against the stereotype of Native people being less educated, and shows that people can be educated without receiving the "traditional" education we are used to.

Adam Olivia Amira and Miriam

2025-11-03 14:03:48 UTC

Stephen small salmon

In the article, the author describes an interview he had with Stephen. He is trying to preserve his heritage by teaching native languages to younger generations. He wants to preserve cultural practices and escape gentrification.

Leila, Aleco

2025-11-03 14:11:09 UTC

In Dr. Mary Evelyn Belgarde's story, we can see how assimilation is a very real threat to Indigenous people even today as she elaborates on how their culture's children are being, "forced to choose between cultural education and western education." The fact that children under these circumstances have to either choose their heritage or education speaks volumes as to how far the harmful stereotypes of Native Americans have gone to, such as the harsh stereotype that they are not educated.

Lila, Emory, Isaac, Lily

2025-11-03 18:50:41 UTC

They only live in huts, and live in California. They are often less civilized than other Americans.

Lila, Emory, Isaac, Lily

2025-11-03 18:51:29 UTC

School taught us from the colonizer prospective instead of the Native perspective.

Miriam, Allison, Heather

heatherlong523 — 2025-11-03 18:53:31 UTC

Stereotypes: All indigenous people are very spiritual.

Ellora, Maggie, Thomas, Darcy

2025-11-03 18:53:36 UTC

Stereotype - Indigenous people are typically considered to be living in the wilderness and isolated, while the truth is most tribes had well run cities and a close community

Sy, Kylie

2025-11-03 18:53:46 UTC

Suffer broadly from alcoholism, systemic poverty, less resources for education.

Miriam, Allison, Heather

heatherlong523 — 2025-11-03 18:54:40 UTC

This likely developed because of the portrayal of Native Americans in mainstream media.

Sy, Kylie

2025-11-03 18:55:16 UTC

Stories we've read in the past that featured those elements strongly in important characters.

Ellora, Maggie, Darcy, Thomas

2025-11-03 18:56:41 UTC

Education about them was taught from the colonizer's perspective, who saw the Indigenous community as lesser because their community and lifestyle was not what they thought it should be.

Lila, Emory, Isaac, Lily

2025-11-03 18:59:52 UTC

The story about Marina Koonooka brings us through her story about living in alaska, and how shes learning to become a nurse to help the people in her homeland. She keeps the traditional diet with her lifestyle and where she lives which includes Walrus, seal, and reindeer. This story stood out to us because she takes months out of her year to be away from her family learning about COPD and diabetes, so she can help her family and people survive.

Sy, Kylie

2025-11-03 19:01:39 UTC

Olivia Komahcheet's story about her life as an indigenous composer. This story stood out because her life and interests were shaped by her family, and the tragedy of the loss of her cousin, which enabled her to fully pursue singing. And she uses that drive to encourage indigenous youth to pursue their gifts.

Ellora, Maggie, Thomas, Darcy

2025-11-03 19:05:15 UTC

Amanda Attla's story stands out because she recognized that she was going down a path of alcoholism. She wanted to break her families generational cycle of abuse, and she made the decision to become sober, and mentor children on sobriety.

Heather, Miriam, Allison

heatherlong523 — 2025-11-03 19:06:44 UTC

The story about Charlotte Logan stood out because it talks about her experience of having to teach herself how to be Indigenous in modern day society. And learning about her own traditions, history and language with the same scholarship that she studied western disciplines with.