Smiling Indians and Edward S. Curtis

Everyone knows the photographs of Edward S. Curtis--they are the "iconic" Indian pictures you see in coffee table books, on postcards, even on wall hangings at Ikea. They're the images people most often associate with Natives: Indians on horses, Indians in headdresses, Indians riding off into the sunset never to be seen again...

At the time he was working, Curtis was convinced that the Native population was about to disappear forever, so he took it upon himself to photograph as much of this "vanishing race" as he could. He amassed an amazing body of work, but he definitely had an idea of what he thought "real" Indians looked like.

Full Blood, Verifiable Native American: A Weird Experience at Trivia Night

(Jacoby Ellsbury via Boston.com)

Every Wednesday (well, almost every Wednesday) for the past year and a half, a group of my cohort-mates and I have played trivia at an Irish pub in Harvard Square. It's our weekly tradition, and we're pretty good. Like we place first, a lot. But that's just an aside. ;)

Anyway, in the course of our trivia history, there have officially been two questions about Natives, and we have officially gotten both of them wrong. Quite embarrassing, considering we have not one, but two Natives on our six-person team. (The first one was asking which state has the highest number of Natives, and they said the answer was New Mexico, but I still assert it's Alaska. or Oklahoma.)

The question this week was:  

Name two of the three Native Americans currently playing professional baseball.  

But the announcer added this clarification, "We're talking full blood, folks. Real, verifiable, Native Americans." He then repeated the question, adding "full blood" to the description.

Miley Cyrus Enjoys Dream Catchers, Apparently.

(via StyleBistro)

 

Miss Miley Cyrus was recently inked with her fifth tattoo, a dream catcher along her ribcage. It's supposedly to protect her four siblings, or something like that. Honestly, dream catchers are probably one of the most appropriated and exploited Native images--you see them everywhere. So I'm not supremely bothered by the tattoo, but it is annoying. However, everyone's favorite Disney starlet recently turned 18, and her 18th birthday was a "bohemian theme." Apparently, "bohemian"=dream catchers and feathers. Have a look:

Lee Bogle and "Native American Love"

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Last year I posted a bunch of vintage valentines with Native imagery, and the Vintage Valentine Museum has a bunch more that are worth a click. This year I thought I would share the "art" of Lee Bogle, whose images have become synonymous with "Native American Love" (just google it, you'll see).

My friends apparently find it entertaining to send me postcards with these paintings on them, I've definitely opened up my mailbox more than once to find a Lee Bogle original staring back at me.

Let's Talk About Pendleton

(look from Pendleton's new "Portland Collection" for Fall 2011. Source here.)

Last night I was cold. So cold, in fact, that I had to pull out not one, but two, of my Pendleton blankets to add some extra warmth to my bed. As I shook them out and laid them on my bed, I thought about how special these blankets are to me--one was a graduation gift, the other a thank you gift for serving on a panel about the "Future of Indian Education." In many Native communities, Pendleton blankets are associated with important events, and have been for hundreds of years. They are given as gifts at graduations, at powwow give-aways, as thank you gifts, in commemoration of births and deaths, you name it. In addition, I've always associated the patterns with Native pride--a way for Natives to showcase their heritage in their home decor, coats, purses, etc. There's something just distinctly Native about Pendleton to me.

(Stanford Native Graduation from a couple years ago)

But recently, Pendleton prints and fabrics have started popping up everywhere. It started with Opening Ceremony's Pendleton line in 2010, and now Urban Outfitters has started carrying a Pendelton line, celebrities are wearing Pendleton coats, and Native-themed home decor is apparently all the rage. Now Pendleton has announced their newest collaboration, The Portland Collection, which fashion blogs are proclaiming will be the big thing for 2011.

The Ubiquitous "Eskimo"

 (Hipster band One EskimO...they'll get a whole post on their own soon. So many problems.)

Hi Friends! Yes, I'm back. I have a litany of excuses, but you don't care! So back to the Native Appropriations!

Since Boston is on a record-breaking snow streak (already over 60 inches this season), I thought I would pull together a post about the ever-present "Eskimo" in advertising and pop culture. Because everyone knows, snow, ice, cold="Eskimos"! (/sarcasm)