Stereotypical Images of Native Americans

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Recommended: Native American Cultural Assessment Project

Stereotypical Images of Native Americans

The encounter of Christopher Columbus with the indigenous people of the Americas and the Caribbean would ultimately set in motion the destruction of Native American life and culture as it had existed for thousands of years. Images and stereotypes of the Native Americans were indelibly etched into the minds of the Europeans and we struggle today to eradicate these harmful portrayals.

When Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, he was greeted by the natives of what is currently Haiti and the Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola. These people were the Taino Indians, who belong to the general group Arawak, which primarily describes the common language shared by the native people from the area now known as Venezuela all the way up to modern-day Florida.

Columbus was immediately struck by the peaceful, generous nature of the Taino. He wrote, "they are gentle and comely people. They are so naive and free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would never believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone... They willingly traded everything they owned..."

The Taino society was very highly organized, with a patriarchal hierarchy and distinguished by happiness and friendliness. There were 5 different kingdoms on the island of Hispaniola and each kingdom was led by a cacique. Polygamy was in practice and the caciques often had as many as 30 wives, although most men had only 2 or 3. The wife of a cacique enjoyed great status and honor, as did her children. The people of the kingdom paid a tax or tribute to their cacique in exchange for overseeing the village. There were other hierar...

... middle of paper ...

...ine:

I. Columbus meets the Taino/Arawak Indians

A. Peaceful/ generous nature

1. highly organized society

2. little defense capabilities or the necessity for them

B. Manner of living

1. dress

2. housing

C. Genocide

1. cruel treatment

2. disease

3. disappearance of cultural heritage

4. population estimates

II. European Impressions

A. Strong, self-determined people

1. King Ferdinand's letter to the Taino

B. Savages

1. Religious implications

2. Self-serving rationalization

III. Native American Stereotypes

A. Film

B. Literature

C. Children's Books

1. The Indian in the Cupboard

2. demeaning vocabulary, "vanishing Indian" concept

IV. Contemporary Impressions

A. "red" man - designation created by Linnaeus

1. tribal affiliations disregarded

2. assimilation in "white" society

B. Discrimination in current society

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