Essay On Native American Stereotypes

723 Words2 Pages

Conclusion: Moving Forward The stereotyping of Native Americans has cemented them in the historical context disabling their political power within the 20th and 21st century. Stereotypes such as the vicious savage or noble savage perpetuated the ideas that Native Americans were not civilized based on their religious practices, habitual practices, and language, thus effectively harming their fight for civil liberties regarding such court cases as Porter v. Hall and Opsahl v. Johnson. In regards to modern colonial discourse, the current stereotyping of Native Americans through textbooks, mascotting, media, and news outlets is hurting the awareness of reservation conditions, in particular Pine Ridge Reservation. Through the constant stereotyping of Native Americans as either the degenerate welfare-earning loser or wealthy casino owner that pervade through news outlets, along with …show more content…

As society continues colonial discourse and disregards current reservation conditions, letting them live in third-world plight, we are attacking their culture. The harm, both mentally and physically, is seen as Pine Ridge experiences the following; a teenage suicide rate four times higher than the U.S. national average, an infant mortality rate 300% higher than the U.S. average, a tuberculosis rate 800% higher than the U.S. average, a cervical cancer rate 500% higher than the U.S. average, and a diabetes rate 800% higher than the U.S. average (True Sioux Hope Foundation: The Need). By continuing to underrepresent Native Americans within media and textbooks, along with keeping them portrayed in a historical perspective through stereotype, the United States is inflicting these conditions of life on Native American groups. Thus, we are destroying Pine Ridge and its culture as younger residents such as Jamie Turninghory want to “escape the reservation” or decide to commit suicide in a sense of

Open Document