Forwarded for Members of the Museum-L mailing list
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An Open Letter To: Parents Of Young Children
Regarding: The Disney Film Pocahontas
From: Members of the NatChat Internet-based Mailing List
(An electronic community of Native and non-Native people interested in
issues pertaining to the world's aboriginal peoples.)
Many people, including some members of this electronic community, are deeply
offended by Disney's new movie, "Pocahontas". Children who view this movie
may obtain a distorted image of a living people and their culture. The
film contains historical inaccuracies and prejudicial lyrics.
The historical truth is that Pocahontas was no more than ten years old and
John Smith was at least 22 when they met. (Some accounts state he was 42,
others that he was in his sixties.) An entry in Smith's later memoirs
suggests he may have forced himself upon her. If there was any "romance"
between John Smith and Pocahontas, he would be considered a child molester
today. Also, the movie doesn't mention the fact that Pocahontas was later
taken prisoner by the English and held for ransom.
The movie contains scenes and lyrics that promote racist and sexist
stereotypes. The most disturbing of these are the following lyrics, from
the song, "Savages":
"What can you expect from filthy little heathens?
Their whole disgusting race is like a curse.
Their skin's a hellish red.
They're only good when they are dead!"
Regardless of the context of these lyrics, they are just as offensive to
members of this community as "nigger" is to African-Americans and Nazi
propaganda is to the Jewish community. Worst of all, no child and few
adults
can easily "undo" a catchy, Disney song once it's in their head.
If your child was of Native descent, imagine how you would feel if your
son came home in tears to tell you that his schoolmates sang "Savages" to
him? Or if your daughter told you she wanted to be like the Disney
Pocahontas, a non-Indian featured Barbie doll wearing barely any clothes,
instead of a member of the culture that you, your parents and
grandparents, worked so hard to preserve? Although some of us were excited
when we first heard that Disney was going to tell the story of Pocahontas,
we now feel betrayed. Unfortunately, Disney has let us down in a cruel,
irresponsible manner.
Like the real Pocahontas, there have been many people in the past 100 years,
both white and Native, who have worked hard to form a bridge of
communication
and understanding between the cultures. Please don't threaten their work
by supporting Disney's version of this story. Please read the following
suggestions instead, choose an alternative and discuss with your child your
reasons for doing so. (If your child has already viewed the film, please
take the time to discuss his/her reaction to it and consider these
alternatives
as a followup activity.)
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
1. Do NOT purchase any Disney Pocahontas tickets or merchandise.
2. Voice your opinion to Disney
at http://www.disney.com/BVPM/PressRoom/Pocahontas/Survey.html
3. Encourage your child to learn about other cultures, not as
cartoon figures, but as real, living people.
4. Inform your child that more than half of Native Americans live
off of reservations. There is a Native population in every state.
5. Encourage your child to recognize not all Native peoples are alike.
Their cultures, languages and beliefs vary more than European countries.
6. Encourage your child's school to invite Native speakers from the
local community.
7. Send copies of this letter to other parents that you know.
Feel free to distribute it at your child's softball games, at
church, at the beach club, playground, play groups, etc.
8. Consider donating to a non-profit organization that assists
Native children.
ALTERNATIVES TO PURCHASING DISNEY POCAHONTAS PRODUCTS:
INSTEAD OF PURCHASING DISNEY POCAHONTAS COLORING BOOKS - CONSIDER:
1. Dover Publications Coloring Books, including "Pocahontas Coloring Book",
"Indian Tribes of North America" and other titles.
2. "A Coloring Book of American Indians" and other titles,
Bellerophon Books, 36 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara CA 93101
INSTEAD OF PURCHASING DISNEY POCAHONTAS PICTURE/STORY BOOKS - CONSIDER:
1. "Eagle Drum" by Robert Crum. Four Winds Press.
2. "Powwow" by George Ancona. Harcourt Brace &Co.
3. "North American Native Author's Distribution Project", a catalog of
children's literature. 1-518-584-1728. Greenfield, N.Y.
4. "Finding One's Own Way". 1-518-584-1728. Greenfield, N.Y.
5. "Morning Girl" by Michael Dorris. Univ. of Oklahoma Press.
6. "Dancing Teepees" Selected by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneeve.Holiday House.
7. "Raven" by Gerald McDermott. Harcourt Brace.
8. "Dream Catcher" by Audrey Osopby. Orchard Books.
9. "Mama Do You Love Me", by Barbara M. Joosse, Illustrated by Barbara
Lavallee.
10. "King Island Christmas", "Runaway Mittens", by Jean Rogers.
11. "A Coyote Columbus Story" by Thomas King.
12. "Spirit of the White Bison" by Beatrice Culleton, illustrated by Robert
Kakaygeesick, Jr.
13. "The Princess and the Sea-Bear and Other Tsimishian Stories" by Joan
Skogan, illustrated by Claudia Stewart.
14. "Crow and Weasel" by Bary Lopez.
15. "Seya's Song" by Ron Hirschi, illustrated by Constance R. Bergum.
Sasquatch Books.
16. "Ten Little Rabbits" by Virginia Grossman & Sylvia Long. Chronicle
Books.
17. "Did you Hear Wind Sing Your Name? (An Oneida Song of Spring)" by
Sandra De Coreau Orie; illustrations by Christopher Canyon. Walker and
Co.
INSTEAD OF PURCHASING DISNEY POCAHONTAS MOVIE TICKETS - CONSIDER:
1. Attending a local POW-WOW.
Most states have several Pow-Wows during the summer months.
Share with your child the beat of the drum, the taste of fry bread and
honey and the sight of dancers and friendly faces.
2. Donating the purchase price of Pocahontas tickets to one of
the following non-profit organizations.
a) Wounded Knee District School, Box 350, Manderson, South Dakota 57756
b) American Indian College Fund, 21 W. 68th St., Suite 1F, NY,NY 10023
c) Lost Bird Society, Stockmen's National Bank, Rushville, Nebraska
d) The Dine Bi Mission, c/o Claudell Potter, PO Box 1330, Shiprock,
NM 87416
For More Information on the NatChat Community, send email to
[log in to unmask] with "get nn-intro intro native-l" in the body.
For More Information on Native organizations in your area, contact Kwenitewk
Native Resource, Network of Ndakinna, P.O. Box 382, Meriden, NH 037700.
For More Information on Pocahontas, see the video "Biography of Pocahontas",
A&E Biography Series, 1-800-423-1212.
For More Information on the true history of America, start with
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown.
Thank You For Showing Your Support To Pocahontas and All Her Relations,
By Not Purchasing Disney Pocahontas Merchandise!
*********
Please note that, for all of the persons listed below, professional and
other affiliations are included only to provide information about those
people. This information is for identification purposes only, and does
not imply any support from the organizations mentioned. However, such
information also will give readers an idea of the wide range of experiences
that we bring to this issue, as well as illustrating that people from all
walks of life are concerned about it.
*********
Eric Anderson <[log in to unmask]>, Visiting Lecturer, Native
American History and Literature, Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ
Jordan Bacon <[log in to unmask]>, Division of Continuing Studies,
University of Victoria, British Columbia
Martin Baxter <[log in to unmask]>, AISES member, Univ. of
Hawaii, Honolulu
Colette Becker (U st awi agi na) <[log in to unmask]>, National Network
of Libraries of Medicine, Health Sciences Library, UMAB
Danny Bell <[log in to unmask]>, Lumbee-Cheraw of Carolina; Student Aid
Office, Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
M. Jean Black <[log in to unmask]>, Department of Anthropology,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Benay Blend <[log in to unmask]>, Instructor, Louisiana School for Math,
Science, and the Arts, Natchitoches, LA; teaches Native American
Studies and Minority Literature
Thomas Bohuski <[log in to unmask]>, Systems programmer, Western
Kentucky
Univ., Bowling Green; research astronomer, and teaches astronomy
Elizabeth Bonnett <[log in to unmask]>, Winnipeg, Manitoba
P. Bonvillain <[log in to unmask]>, Paralegal
Jeane Breinig <[log in to unmask]>, Haida, Univ. of Washington
Paul W. Bristol <[log in to unmask]> Social activist, bilingual advocate,
consultant, writer, teacher, actor, musician, entertainer, father
Jackie Brown <[log in to unmask]>, Lenape (Eastern Oklahoma
Delaware) registered through Cherokee tribe of Oklahoma; Cataloguer,
University of Florida Libraries; mother of two daughters, and
married for 28 years
Jay Brummett / Cecala Ptehincalaska - Calf <[log in to unmask]>,
Moderation Staff, NativeNet
Neilly A. Buckalew <[log in to unmask]>, Kwanitewk
NATIVE Resource/Network, a coalition of Native Peoples/Groups and an
intertribal network in New England for outreach, education, activism,
and rights advocacy
Elizabeth Burns <[log in to unmask]>, Secretary, Arizona State Univ.
Lin Collette <[log in to unmask]>, Grad student, Race and Religious
Studies, Union Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio
Elaine Cubbins <[log in to unmask]>, Doctoral student and instruc
tor, Library Science, Univ. of Arizona; regular volunteer at the Venito
Garcia Library, Sells, AZ, on the Tohono O'odham reservation
Thaddeus Cunejo <[log in to unmask]>, Dine/Ashiwi; Media specialist,
Literacy Programs, El Paso, Texas
Alx V. Dark <[log in to unmask]>, Dept. of Anthropology, New York Univer
sity
James Derringer <[log in to unmask]>, Potawatomi/Cherokee, Prairie
Band/Thunder Clan; Circulation Supervisor, Math/Science Library, Purdue
Univ., with graduate work in political science and anthropology
Lucy E. Doyle <[log in to unmask]>, Senior statistician, Child and
Family Studies, Florida Mental Health Institute, Univ. of South Flo
rida, Tampa
Mark Fettes <[log in to unmask]>, Writer-researcher in the field of
language policy, particularly Aboriginal languages and Esperanto; has
worked with the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Centre for
Linguistic Rights, and the Universal Esperanto Association; Ottawa,
Ontario, originally from New Zealand
Richard Fisher <[log in to unmask]>, American Cultural Studies,
Lund University, Lund, Sweden
David Friesenhahn <[log in to unmask]>, Student and humanist, Texas AM
Univ., College Station, Texas
Andrea L. Gadberry <[log in to unmask]>, Student in Anthropology,
University of Illinois, studying Native American folklore
Brian K. Gill <[log in to unmask]>, Cherokee ancestry; Student, Humboldt
State University, Humboldt, California
Judith M. Gobert <[log in to unmask]>, Blackfeet, Nakota, and Salish,
with Shoshone, Nez Perce, German and Scottish ancestors; Mother of
three, daughter, sister, and granddaughter to many; Graduate student,
Microbiology/Biochemistry; AIDS researcher; Division of Biological
Sciences, Univ. of Montana, Missoula
Joanna Claire Grey <[log in to unmask]>, Metis (Cherokee, Kiowa, Irish,
with affiliations to Hupa/Yuork as well); teaches Sociology and
Native American Classes, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Thomas D. Hall <[log in to unmask]>, Professor, Dept. of Sociology, DePauw
Univ., Greencastle, IN
Lisa Harrison <[log in to unmask]>, Administrative specialist, Procter and
Gamble; history and marketing major, Univ. of Cincinnati
Steve Hinton <[log in to unmask]>, Biologist and owner of RS Hinton &
Associates, Portland, Oregon. All of his projects include consulting
and working with native nations of the northwest; the company is dedi
cated to conservation and preservation of biodiversity, as well as
respect, understanding, and honor for the diversity of cultures in the
region
Dee Horne <[log in to unmask]>, English Dept., Univ. of Northern British Columbia,
teaching Postcolonial Theory and First Nations Literatures in English
Ken E.Kala Hunt <[log in to unmask]>, Laguna Pueblo; graduate
student, School of Public Health, Univ. of Hawai'i-Manoa, residing in
Waimanalo, Hawai'i
Emily Hutton <[log in to unmask]>, Head of Collection Development,
Colgate Univ. Library, Hamilton, NY
Barbara Inyan <[log in to unmask]>, Geography Department, Univ. of
Colorado, Boulder
Walter T. Kawamoto <[log in to unmask]>, Student/New Prof. Rep to the
Ethnic Minorities Section of the National Council on Family Relations;
PhD student in Family Studies at Oregon State University
Larry Kibby <[log in to unmask]>, and the Western Shoshone Historic
Preservation Society
Steven J. Kirk <[log in to unmask]>, Free-lance editor; graduate
student, Creative Writing, Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Victor Lares <[log in to unmask]>, Chicano; Counseling Consultation
Service, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; work emphasizes Chicano/a politics
(social, educational, etc.), as well as those of other ethnic minori
ties; interested in Chicano/a recruitment and retention in higher edu
cation; great grandparents assassinated by whites
Joy Lintelman <[log in to unmask]>, History Dept., Concordia College,
Moorhead, Minnesota; teaches Native American and U.S. History
Allan Liska <[log in to unmask]>, Department of Sociology, University of
Maryland, College Park
Colette Little Fawn Becker <[log in to unmask]>, Cherokee, Baltimore, MD;
Administrative aide, University of Maryland, Baltimore; works with
Piscataway Nation, Maryland
Carol F. L. Liu <[log in to unmask]>, Librarian, library administrator, New
York City; President, Library Administration and Management
Association, of the American Library Association; volunteer, American
Indian Community House, New York City
Scott Lyons <[log in to unmask]>, Anishinabe/Dakota; Dept. of English,
Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
Mary N. MacDonald <[log in to unmask]>, History of Religions, Le
Moyne College, Syracuse, NY
Tamara Manners <[log in to unmask]>, Metis from British Columbia, now
living in England
David Grant Mccrady <[log in to unmask]>
Mary Healy Mihalyi <[log in to unmask]>, grandmother and mother
Mary Jane Miller <[log in to unmask]>, Dept. of Film Studies,
Dramatic and Visual Arts, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario
Gabrielle Mittelbach <[log in to unmask]>
David L. Moore <[log in to unmask]>, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, New York
Patricia L. Morse <[log in to unmask]>, Department of American Thought and
Language, Michigan State University, East Lansing
Julia Murphy <[log in to unmask]>, Toronto
Kathy Partridge <[log in to unmask]>, Saami/Lapplander and
American; Program officer of a private foundation, Longmont, Colorado
Michael Patterson <[log in to unmask]>, Metis (Irish and Iroquois);
Writer and musician, working on M.A. thesis on Native music in Canada;
host of Spirit Voice Radio; Music Editor, "Aboriginal Voices" magazine
(formerly "The Runner"); Ottawa, Ontario
Vince Petronio <[log in to unmask]>, Communication Studies/Computer
Support, College of Continuing Education, Univ. of Rhode Island
Andrew J. Petto <[log in to unmask]>, Associate Director, Center for
Biology Education, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
Frederic Plewniak <[log in to unmask]>, Strasbourg, France
Caroline Pomeroy <[log in to unmask]>, Fisheries social
scientist, Indiana Univ., Bloomington
James Postema <[log in to unmask]>, English Dept., Concordia College,
Moorhead, Minnesota; teaches Native American and United States liter
atures
Gary W. Priester and Mary E. Carter <[log in to unmask]>, "white, mid
dle-aged, middle-class supporters of Native American rights"
Mary Carol Randall <[log in to unmask]>, Poet; Publications
Coordinator, School of Education, UC Berkeley
Sarah Read <[log in to unmask]>, Librarian, Univ. of Oregon
H. Henning Riebe <[log in to unmask]>, Canadian, Deutsche,
Gitksan; Systems Programmer, Hagen, Germany
Mary Ritchie <[log in to unmask]>, Bode'Wad Mi, grandmother, feminist,
beadworker, visual anthropologist, co-founder of the Kenosha-Racine
Native American Council
Ruth Ritchie <[log in to unmask]>, Honours student in History and Native
Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario
James J. Roper <[log in to unmask]>, Ecologist, Dept. of Biology,
Leidy Labs, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Maria-Helena von Rosen <[log in to unmask]>, Graduate student,
Sweden
Sylvia Rowe <[log in to unmask]>, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot,
English, Irish, French, Welsh, and Scottish, with children of
Cherokee, Italian and German ancestry as well
Elizabeth J. Sacca' <[log in to unmask]>, Concordia University,
Montreal, PQ Canada
B Frederique Samuel <[log in to unmask]>, Health, Kinesiology &
Leisure Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; British
citizen, associated with the Colorado River Indian Tribes
Jennifer Sergi <[log in to unmask]>, English Department, Rhode Island
College
Waya Gola--J.T. Shupe <[log in to unmask]> Associate Program
mer, IBM, Rochester, Minnesota; professional AISES member
Gary Smith (Night Owl) <[log in to unmask]>, Mixed-blood Blackfeet; Distribu
tor of Wotanging Ikche (Native American News)
Steve Smith <[log in to unmask]>, Oneida and Menominee; statistician at
the Smithsonian Institution, and president of their American Indian
Council
Pat Talley <[log in to unmask]>, of Cherokee ancestry; special librarian for
a financial institution
Iva Wolf Trottier <[log in to unmask]>, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Chip
pewa; Psychology Dept., Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota
Anneliese Truame <[log in to unmask]>, Anglo, Pima, Mexican; Graduate
student, English literature, Univ. of Washington
Renn Tumlison <[log in to unmask]>, Dept. of Biology, Henderson State
University, Arkadelphia, AR
Joseph F. Uher, <[log in to unmask]>, member of an intertribal
community (Lakota, Apache, Chumash, Nanticoke and Lenilenape,
Abenaki and Cherokee) in Eastern Shore, Maryland
Shelley Urbizagastegui <[log in to unmask]>, Governent Documents
Librarian, Whittier College, Whittier, California; son Waira is Quechua
Denis Viri, <[log in to unmask]>, Director of Tribal Relations and
Outreach, Pima County Community College District, Tucson, Arizona
Andy Wainwright <[log in to unmask]>, Poet and professor of Canadian
literature, including Native fiction, poetry, and film, Dalhousie
Univ., Halifax, Nova Scotia
Glenn Welker <[log in to unmask]>, Computer Consultant/Music Specialist
Janet Lee Wright <[log in to unmask]>, Citizens' Band Potawatomi of
Oklahoma,
living in Oxon Hill, Maryland
Kari Ylitalo <[log in to unmask]>, BM, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of
Oulu, Finland
Lora Czarnowsky, <[log in to unmask]>, Reisterstown, Maryland
Anneliese Truame. <[log in to unmask]>, Seattle, WA. Mixed race
(Anglo, Mexican Indian, Native Pima). English Ph.D. student.
Carl Wingo Martin, <[log in to unmask]>, Tennessee, Scots-Irish/German-American,
Librarian
Sondra Flynn, <[log in to unmask]>, Bloomington, Indiana, Shawnee descent,
Administrative Secretary, Indiana University
Audrey Bell, <[log in to unmask]>, Arlington Texas, Library Assistant
Tracie Mitton, <[log in to unmask]>, Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario, Canada.
Cayuga/Mohawk Nation from Six Nations of the Grand River. Social worker
and student.
Laura Jane Turney, <[log in to unmask]>, Manchester University, UK,
graduate student
R.M. Czwarno, <[log in to unmask]>, London, UK, CMus, BA, MA, PhD, FRAI, FCPS
Becky Lundberg, <[log in to unmask]>, Gaithersburg, MD, Grapic Artist
Mary Lu Wason, <[log in to unmask]>, Belle Mead, NJ, Lenape heritage/ Irish
/Danish, software engineer
Janet F. Smith, <[log in to unmask]>, Marietta, GA - Cherokee-Creek
Alan D. Czarnowsky,<[log in to unmask]>, Reisterstown, Maryland
Cynthia K Rosi, <[log in to unmask]>, Kirkland, Washington; mixed Euro;
writer
Tina Holder, <[log in to unmask]>, Mesa, Az. Cherokee/Choctaw/white, law student
Wanbli Sapa, < [log in to unmask]>, Burnsville, MN, Lakota, Geologist,
Psychospiritual healer
David G. Silsby, <[log in to unmask]>, Brookwood, Surrey, England,
Engineering Consultant
Loriette Nellie Morris, <[log in to unmask]>, Lincoln, Canterbury,
Aotearoa/New Zealand, Maori (Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti), Phd. Student.
Rick Raymond, <[log in to unmask]>, New York, NY. Environmental
professional.
Anastasia Cruz, <[log in to unmask]>, Cleveland, Ohio. tsa la gi
(Cherokee), profession - raising my three-year old.
David Rayson, <[log in to unmask]>, Minneapolis, Minnesota, European
American, Instructor Native American History, University of Minnesota.
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