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MODERN CASE STUDY: DISNEY'S POCAHONTAS
RIGHT: Pocahontas, Disney Film 1995 (IMDb), TOP RIGHT: Romance scene between Pocahontas and Capt. John Smith (IMDb), BOTTOM RIGHT: Pocahontas, Daughter of Chief Powhatan (IMDb).
A 1995 DISNEY FILM, Pocahontas is the animated tale of the romance between a young Indian America woman, Pocahontas, and Captain John Smith, who journeyed to the New World in hopes of a new life. The film contains abundant flaws and fallacious stereotypes of the Native American community. For example, Pocahontas was not romantically involved with John Smith, a common perception we have grown accustomed to. In addition, the film uses racist language, including terms such as "savages," "heathens," "pagans," "devils," and "primitive," connoting something wild, primitive and inferior (Hanksville).
IN HIS JOURNAL ENTRY, CORNEL PEWEWARDY, A NATIVE AMERICAN PROFESSOR OF INDIGENOUS NATIONS STUDIES AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY DESCRIBES THE EFFECTS OF THIS. "YOUNG INDIAN STUDENTS WHO ARE TREATED AS THOUGH THEY ARE LESS THAN HUMAN BEINGS IN MOVIE CARTOONS AND AS SPORTS MASCOTS, LOGOS, AND EVEN THE TOMAHAWK CHOP, OFTEN ASSUME THAT THEY ARE, INDEED, INFERIOR TO 'NORMAL' CHILDREN," HE SAYS (HANKSVILLE).
Pocahontas "Savages" (Bijan Iranpour, YouTube)
CHIEF ROY CRAZY HORSE OF THE POWHATAN RENAPE NATION BELIEVES "IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS SAD STORY, WHICH EURO-AMERICANS SHOULD FIND EMBARRASSING, DISNEY MAKES 'ENTERTAINMENT' AND PERPETUATES A DISHONEST AND SELF-SERVING MYTH AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POWHATAN NATION" (LAKOTA CHILDREN'S ENRICHMENT).
Painting of Pocahontas Saving John Smith (ThoughtCo).
Films such as these do not simply blossom and dissolve in one period; instead, they play again and again, influencing young minds with dreadful misconceptions. As a result, negative representations of races can stimulate the mindset of a race being “superior” or “inferior,” propelling this cycle of dichotomy.
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