Treatment Of Native Americans Essay

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The Depiction or Treatment of Native Americans in American Media
Over the years Native Americans have been stereotyped and depicted in very negative ways in movies and tv shows. They are usually portrayed as savages and uncivilized people who are inferior to white people. These stereotypes have made the public view and attitudes toward Native Americans very poor. These poor opinions have led to discrimination against Native American people. There have been many movies and tv shows which have done this, some of the most notable ones are, Tonto and the Lone Ranger, Pocahontas, and Peter Pan. The really surprising thing about this is that two out of the three are kid's movies, these are meant to be consumed by kids.
The first Tv show is Tonto

This movie was a children's movie made by one of the most well-known and beloved studios, Disney. Pocahontas was a movie released by Disney on June 23, 1995, and the story tells an animated story which was based on the real-life story of Pocahontas, a Native American woman who lived in Virginia in the early 1600s during the time of the English colonization. (Baswan, Meera). In the movie, Pocahontas is seen as a free-spirited woman who has a connection to nature. She meets John Smith, an English explorer who has come to Virginia with the other colonists to search for gold and establish a settlement. Despite all the differences and tension between the two groups, they end up falling in love. The movie depicts and portrays Native Americans as peaceful and in touch with nature, while the white characters are portrayed as civilized and superior. In the movie, it can be seen that the Native Americans can communicate with animals and nature spirits. This portrayal reinforces the idea of Indigenous peoples as "primitive", "mystical," and “one with nature”, which can be harmful and stereotypical to some natives. But there were also some good things that this movie portrayed, the movie portrays the Native American characters as strong and resilient. Native American characters remained true to their beliefs and traditions. This shows the important recognition of the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples against

These stereotypes can contribute to the discrimination faced by Indigenous communities, not all natives want to be thought of as, "primitive", or "mystical”. It also creates the stereotype that they can all communicate with animals and nature. Pocahontas was actually based on real events. “The 1600s were a dangerous period for tribes near Werowocomoco, including Pocahontas’ tribe. (Baswan, Meera). This was the time when English colonizers arrived and began targeting women and young children. Pocahontas was kidnapped and forced to do unthinkable acts, “later on, she gave birth to another son, Thomas. She was eventually converted to Christianity, and her name was changed to Rebecca ".(Baswan, Meera). This is an example from the movie of how the natives or in the movie “indigenous” people are being colonized. Many were not very happy with how natives were depicted in this movie, “Not only has Disney inaccurately portrayed the life of Pocahontas - they have also romanticized her life, and in extension… The true story of Pocahontas strays far from her seemingly perfect life”.(Baswan,