Getting Beyond the ‘Noble Savage’

Pretty much as soon as Europeans landed in the “New World” and encountered American Indians, they began creating stereotypes. 

For Columbus, the people who greeted his ship were essentially “savages” with some potential as slaves.  Much later, after disease, war and removal policies had reduced their number, some began to idealize American Indians as “noble savages.”

Rather than go away, the stereotypes have multiplied over the years. Today, many schools and sports fans cherish their “fierce warrior” team mascots [2]. New Age religious groups invoke wise elders and “shamans.” School children form their first impressions around the “friendly Indians” at the first Thanksgiving, or from a Disneyfied Pochahontas. And many people still see Native Americans as a single group that lives in tipis and wears feather headdresses.

The source—and amplifier—of many of these stereotypes has been Hollywood.  During May, Turner Classic Movies is screening movies [3] that depict American Indians as part of its special series “Race in Hollywood: Native American Images on Film.”  Shown every Tuesday and Thursday, the series explores different topics each night and features commentary by Hanay Geiogamah, director of the American Indian Studies Center at UCLA.

The series seems like an interesting chance for educators to explore the issue.  Those who want to delve into the topic with students should see the Teaching Tolerance lesson, “Stereotypes and Tonto. [4]”

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