Representations of Native Americans in Disney Productions...

Historically the treatment of Native Americans has been highly problematic, especially throughout the colonization of the New World. Although, when colonising some Europeans took a merciful and sympathetic approach to the Native Americans, generally the treatment towards the indigenous people was not humane. Not only did the Native Americans die at the hand of the settlers, they also died from diseases that had been brought to the new world by explorers for which they had no immunity. In some cases diseases such as smallpox wiped out entire tribes. Together, the introduction of diseases and the actions of the European settlers had devastating effects on the Native Americans. In 1830 Native Americans were forced to relocate from the south†¦show more content†¦Typically referred to as ‘Indians’ in popular culture, Native Americans were traditionally seen in Westerns as the antagonists. The Western genre typically tells the story of the colonisation and discovery of America, which saw the major Hollywood studios revive the interest in the Western. Westerns draw on â€Å"historical actuality, a romantic philosophy of nature, and the concept of the [†¦] savage† (Saunders, 2001, p. 3). Westerns often split the â€Å"depiction of the Indian, with the cruel and treacherous [Indian] balanced by the faithful [Indian]† (Saunders, 2001, p. 3) which resulted in the portrayals of Native Americans witnessed in films today. The Western genre tended to portray Native Americans stereotypically; males were often shown as barbaric and the antagonist to the masculine Western cowboy. This links back to the savage stereotype, and how Westerners are often shown in a positive and heroic light whereas other ethnicities are demoralized and shown as negative characters. There are a select few stereotypical representations of Native Americans which are highly common in film, for example Native Americans typically speak â€Å"with a broken dialect of ‘baby’ English. They are not able to fully understand or express thoughts in the English language† (â€Å"The role of Native Americans in film, n.d.). This representation has changed in recent years with theShow MoreRelatedThe Little Foreign Princess, Pocahontas, And Sweetest Of Savages2049 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"warrior princess† Pocahontas in the 1907 Harper’s Weekly. It was this idea of the perfect Indian woman that set the stan dard for all other Native American women. at the time. While Pocahontas has continued to be a popular American culture icon, it is not just the Native American women’s image that is exploited in the public media . Throughout history, Native Americans have often been portrayed as one of two extremes, warrior princesses or unruly savages and a burden onburdening American civilization.Read More Insensitive Portrayal of Society and Cultuer in Disney Films1538 Words   |  7 PagesSo Wonderful World of Disney The â€Å"Wonderful World of Disney† has been a part of America for as long as I can remember. With its movies, television shows, songs, theme parks, toys, and fictional characters, Disney is the epitome of children’s entertainment. Disney serves as one of the largest sources of entertainment to Americans, which is why it reigns as a commercial success and influence in our country. According to Henry Giroux, a popular critic of the Walt Disney Company, Disney’s immenseRead MoreDiversity at Disney5774 Words   |  24 Pages1 Disney Disney 2 For more than nine decades, the name Walt Disney has been preeminent in the field of family entertainment. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to today s global corporation, Disney continues to proudly provide quality entertainment for every member of the family, across America and around the world. The company is diversified, focusing on its mass media headquartered in