1969: National Congress of American Indians kick off campaign to improve the image of the American Indians.
Seeks to Improve Image of Indian
By James E. Walters
1969 March 16 The Kokomo Tribune
Los Angeles – A gentle uprising against the stereotype picture of the American Indian as 1) a bloodthirsty savage or 2) a slovenly, lazy drunk is being launched nationwide by the Indians themselves.
“We feel the Indian is intelligent enough to compete at all levels,” says Earl Old Person head chief of the Blackfeet.
Old Person and a dozen other chiefs came here.. for the kickoff of a campaign-sponsored by the National Congress of American Indians – to improve the image of the American.
When the group finds something it considers derogatory – in a TV commercial, say, or a newspaper story, or a motion picture – it plans to send an official written complaint.
“Nothing violent, nothing pressure-group, just a polite mention of what we regard as offensive,” explained John Belindo, a Kiowa who is executive director of the Indian congress.
In keeping with this nonviolent approach, there wasn’t a ceremonial headdress in sign, nor a war whoop to be heard, at the news conference.
The campaign and its slogan, “The American Indian – a New Awareness and Readiness,” will feature TV spot announcements and billboards in such major centers of nonreservation Indians as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Washington DC, San Francisco, Oakland and Oklahoma City.
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| 1969 March 16 The Kokomo Tribune |
1969 March 29 The Post Crescent
American Indians are making themselves heard, with a concern spanning several centuries being presented in a soft-sell, modern approach. The new activity features official written complaints as weapons against those whose portrayal of the American Indian does not agree with that of the National Congress of American Indians.
... We may be tempted to smile at such a campaign. But before we discard the attempts of these original Americans to correct the false image many of their fellow citizens have of them, we should check our own attitude to see if that smile covers a feeling of prejudice toward Indians in Wisconsin. Such a patronizing or looking-down-the-nose attitude is a problem which may not often be discussed, because in some cases it is just the accepted belief. But it does exist. Even if we are not impressed by the campaign of their stolen dignity, we still should pause to ponder honestly our feelings toward the Indians of this area.
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| 1969 March 29 The Post Crescent |
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| 1969 March 17 Fairbanks Daily News Miner |
