Indigenous Revelations

"People go through every moment of their lives... without thinking about Native peoples or american colonialism for one second. And, frustratingly, our society and education system has deemed that perfectly fine.” This blog is dedicated to north 'american' Indigenous culture, struggle and identity. It serves as a tool to not only celebrate these cultures and people, but also to combat the continuous cycle of ignorance, racism and cultural genocide against Native peoples.
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moniquill: moderndayndnprincess: Spirit of the Earth™ Barbie® Doll from the Native Spirit™ Collection Amazon.com indicates that these dolls go for around 75 bucks a pop. 75 bucks that an actual Native Artisan could probably have really used. I feel hugely conflicted about things like this; this is a mass-produced item made by a huge corporation. Who is this Barbie supposed to represent? What is she supposed to represent? What nation is she (Hint: She’s not any nation; she’s a melange of white intepretation of what Native Americans should look like). But her clothes are actually reminiscent of something one might see at a modern powwow (the same cannot be said of other dolls in this collection, though: what the shit is this?) And yet she’s not as bad as this: But she’s also not this: or this: And she’s still not a depiction of anyone who could have been a real person, modern or historical. She’s not an image that I’d want to give to any child and say ‘This is what you should think of when you think of Native people.’ Throughout my childhood I got bombarded with deliciously conflicting images about What Makes the Red Man Red and how apparently I’m supposed to care about the fucking Colors of the Wind (and about having to sing that song in middle school chorus, and feeling icky about it but not having the wherewith to confront authority about it because at 13 I couldn’t articulate why it felt so icky). It’s about how I’m supposed to be wearing Braids, Beads, And Buckskins 24/7 OR ELSE I AM NOT REALLY NATIVE (And yet wearing moccasins around the dorm and/or campus is SO WEIRD!) and how I should be happy that at the the image has changed from the 1950’s Scalpin’ Savages to the clearly superior Magical Native American. It’s about The Great American Indian Novel. It’s King Phillip’s War never having been taught in any of my American History classes despite my schools being built on the goddamned battlefields where it took place. It’s having been taught throughout my childhood that The Wampanoags Helped The Pilgrims and they Ate Together at the First Thanksgiving! Yay! And then never having indigenous folks mentioned again until they were bothering the poor heroic homesteaders as they braved their way out west. It’s having been told point-blank that the Wampanoag people -died out- (Unless said teacher knows about the group at Marthas Vinyard, in which case ‘Oh they live on reservations now’ might be mentioned). It’s about having been told time and time again that I don’t exist, that I’m not a person, that I don’t matter and that I don’t have a voice.That NDN people are archaic and strange and look a certain way that is VERY DIFFERENT from how other people in America look. But as a kid, I loved seeing these depictions, even as horrible and problematic as they were, even as confused and conflicted as they made me feel, because there were all that I was offered. Because the only choices were ‘shitty stereotype’ and ‘total absence’. And I guess that doll’s slightly better? Right? A little bit? Maybe? ::sob:: As much as I hate Disney for its standard portrayals of INA folks (Re: Peter Pan, Pocahontas, Squanto)? I kind of love Lilo and Stich. Because Lilo and Nani were clearly Indigenous Hawai’ian and the story just went on around that without it being a super-special plot point and without it being expected that they live in a way that is hugely vastly different from other residents of their hometown or else aren’t -genuine-. I want an NDN doll that’s not dressed in full regalia, just once, for fuck’s sake, PLEASE. What I really want to see on the shelf is the NDN edition of Computer Engineer Barbie or Presidential Candidate Barbie or Sign Language Teacher Barbie or Veterinarian Barbie or Paleontologist Barbie… Or hell, and actual Powwow Barbie or Shawl Dancer Barbie, because if you MUST put regalia on your NDN doll (because, yanno, no one will recognize what an NDN doll is unless they’re in regalia) at least let it be modern and remotely accurate and have the back blurb on the box explain what it is and where it fits in the current world. Because NDNs are real people who are currently alive and wandering around doing shit. And also I’d like to strike the word ‘Spirit’ from the vocabularies of people marketing NDN-associated things.

moniquill:

moderndayndnprincess:


Spirit of the Earth™ Barbie® Doll from the Native Spirit™ Collection

Amazon.com indicates that these dolls go for around 75 bucks a pop.

75 bucks that an actual Native Artisan could probably have really used.

I feel hugely conflicted about things like this; this is a mass-produced item made by a huge corporation. Who is this Barbie supposed to represent? What is she supposed to represent? What nation is she (Hint: She’s not any nation; she’s a melange of white intepretation of what Native Americans should look like). But her clothes are actually reminiscent of something one might see at a modern powwow (the same cannot be said of other dolls in this collection, though: what the shit is this?)

And yet she’s not as bad as this:

But she’s also not this:

or this:

And she’s still not a depiction of anyone who could have been a real person, modern or historical. She’s not an image that I’d want to give to any child and say ‘This is what you should think of when you think of Native people.’

Throughout my childhood I got bombarded with deliciously conflicting images about What Makes the Red Man Red and how apparently I’m supposed to care about the fucking Colors of the Wind (and about having to sing that song in middle school chorus, and feeling icky about it but not having the wherewith to confront authority about it because at 13 I couldn’t articulate why it felt so icky). It’s about how I’m supposed to be wearing Braids, Beads, And Buckskins 24/7 OR ELSE I AM NOT REALLY NATIVE (And yet wearing moccasins around the dorm and/or campus is SO WEIRD!) and how I should be happy that at the the image has changed from the 1950’s Scalpin’ Savages to the clearly superior Magical Native American. It’s about The Great American Indian Novel. It’s King Phillip’s War never having been taught in any of my American History classes despite my schools being built on the goddamned battlefields where it took place. It’s having been taught throughout my childhood that The Wampanoags Helped The Pilgrims and they Ate Together at the First Thanksgiving! Yay! And then never having indigenous folks mentioned again until they were bothering the poor heroic homesteaders as they braved their way out west. It’s having been told point-blank that the Wampanoag people -died out- (Unless said teacher knows about the group at Marthas Vinyard, in which case ‘Oh they live on reservations now’ might be mentioned). It’s about having been told time and time again that I don’t exist, that I’m not a person, that I don’t matter and that I don’t have a voice.That NDN people are archaic and strange and look a certain way that is VERY DIFFERENT from how other people in America look.

But as a kid, I loved seeing these depictions, even as horrible and problematic as they were, even as confused and conflicted as they made me feel, because there were all that I was offered. Because the only choices were ‘shitty stereotype’ and ‘total absence’.

And I guess that doll’s slightly better? Right? A little bit? Maybe? ::sob::

As much as I hate Disney for its standard portrayals of INA folks (Re: Peter Pan, Pocahontas, Squanto)? I kind of love Lilo and Stich. Because Lilo and Nani were clearly Indigenous Hawai’ian and the story just went on around that without it being a super-special plot point and without it being expected that they live in a way that is hugely vastly different from other residents of their hometown or else aren’t -genuine-.

I want an NDN doll that’s not dressed in full regalia, just once, for fuck’s sake, PLEASE.

What I really want to see on the shelf is the NDN edition of Computer Engineer Barbie or Presidential Candidate Barbie or Sign Language Teacher Barbie or Veterinarian Barbie or Paleontologist Barbie… Or hell, and actual Powwow Barbie or Shawl Dancer Barbie, because if you MUST put regalia on your NDN doll (because, yanno, no one will recognize what an NDN doll is unless they’re in regalia) at least let it be modern and remotely accurate and have the back blurb on the box explain what it is and where it fits in the current world. Because NDNs are real people who are currently alive and wandering around doing shit.

And also I’d like to strike the word ‘Spirit’ from the vocabularies of people marketing NDN-associated things.

#Barbie  #Native American  #Indian  #Spirit of the Earth  
9 months ago on August 14, 2011 at 08:33am with 56 notes
Via barbiecollector.com
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    this:or this:And...people.’Throughout
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    It would just be nice if toys and dolls like this that were made for POC were made BY POC. I think that is what is...
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    really, really great post.
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    Amazon.com indicates that these dolls go for around 75 bucks a pop. 75 bucks that an actual Native Artisan could...