1968: I was surprised to see Indians in traditional costumes eating hot dogs and hamburgers and people playing the age-old stick game with curlers in their hair.. because I had built an untrue picture of the Indian in my mind.
Honest Picture of Today's Indians Needed
1968 July 26 Great Falls Tribune
To the Editor:
I am unhappy to see Blackfeet people offended by what we've said,especially since they were so hospitable to us. I think there is a lesson to be learned from what has occurred.
I was surprised to see Indians in traditional costumes eating hot dogs and hamburgers and people playing the age-old stick game with curlers in their hair, smoking cigarettes, wearing nylon jackets because I had built an untrue picture of the Indian in my mind. I had never been given ample information about the reservation and Indians of today.
Shami Waldman, from Israel, expected to see a primitive people because this is what he had been led to believe through movies and books.
When we saw a few hundred people crowding around the Indian dancer with cameras and tape recorders, heard an announcer continuously welcome us over a loud speaker and saw handicrafts being sold everywhere we were given an impression of tourism which may have only been a feeling of pride and joyfulness. One reason for this mistake may have been that we were expecting to see serious religious ceremonies when, instead, we saw happy celebrations. What we saw made us sad and depressed because it appeared to us that the Indian culture was quickly become overcome by our 20th Century society.
If we really had misconceptions and misinterpretations of the celebration, then I'm sure there are many other people who had the same misconceptions. I believe the false impression of what we saw would point out the need for better education of the public about ways, customs and ideas of Indians.In schools and through mass media we should be given a clear and honest picture of the Indian so that stereotypes and mistaken ideas about them may be prevented. Too much trouble has been caused in this country through misunderstandings of people to allow us to go on without educating each other about other people's ways.
-- Jim Oppenheimer, Encampment for Citizenship, NY
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| 1968 July 26 Great Falls Tribune |
