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Show Examines Native American Imagery in US Culture

An 1830 law forced thousands of American Indians from their lands in the southern United States to areas west of the Mississippi River.

Expressions of support for the law are part of advertising¹ for a new exhibit about Native Americans.

The exhibit, called “Americans,” opened last month at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. It explores the use of American Indian imagery over the years.

Two centuries ago, some people imagined a country free of American Indians. Others thought the removal of the Indians would lead to expanded wealth from cotton fields, where millions of blacks worked as slaves.

Cecile Ganteaume, a co-curator of the exhibit, admits the show is provocative².

Critics have praised the exhibit. They say it pushes the national debate over American Indian imagery and sports teams named the Chiefs, Braves and Blackhawks.

Washington is home to the National Football League’s Washington Redskins. The team’s colorful logo on one wall is meant to make visitors think about why it has been described as a unifying³ force in D.C. and offensive.

Yet some people say the exhibit, and its website, fail to capture the violence and horror of the Indian Removal Act.

The advertising is a strange way to explain an effort that lasted many years, said Ben Barnes, second chief of the Shawnee Tribe. He noted⁴ that at one time, one-fifth of all federal money went to the act’s enforcement.

The law led to the deaths of thousands of people who were marched from their homes without full payment for the value of their land. And it affected⁵ far more tribes than the five described on the museum’s website, Barnes said.

“It made it seem like it was a trivial matter that turned out best for everyone,” he said. “I cannot imagine an exhibit at the newly established African-American museum that talked about how economically wonderful slavery was for the South.”

Ganteaume said the website doesn’t cover the subject in detail and neither it nor the exhibit is meant to dismiss the experiences of American Indians. Instead, she said, it asks people to recognize and explore their relationship with American Indians.

The exhibit has hundreds of images of American Indians on alcohol bottles, a bag of sugar, motor oil, and other forms of product advertising.

Several videos show how the imagery is a large part of American television and film.

But when historic or cartoonish images are the only pictures people have of what it means to be Native (American), they can’t imagine American Indians in the modern world, said Julie Reed. Reed is a history professor at the University of Tennessee and a member of the Cherokee tribe.

“Even when I’m standing⁶ in front of students, identified as a Cherokee professor, making the point from Day 1 that I’m still here and other Cherokee people are still here, I still get midterm exams that talk about the…annihilation of Indian peoples,” she said.

Ganteaume said that while Native people have strong histories in other countries, the United States is more likely to focus on images of them.

The exhibit expands on what is well-known to most Americans: the Trail of Tears, Pocahontas and the Battle of Little Bighorn. A film on the American celebration of Thanksgiving starts with a once widely used television screen test showing an Indian head. It goes on to question the importance of Thanksgiving when the country already had Independence Day.

Eden Slone, a graduate student in museum studies, said she liked the exhibit’s design and interactive⁷ touch tables.

“I think the exhibition was carried out well and it definitely makes you think of Native American imagery,” she said. “When I see images like that, I’ll think more about where it came from.”

Reed, the University of Tennessee professor and Cherokee woman, fears people will get the wrong idea about the Indian Removal Act from the website.

Yet she plans to visit the museum.

Reed said she will go because it is important to be fair and look at it before it is criticized. She added the exhibit may be better than the website.

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

provocative – adj. causing discussion, thought or argument

co-curator – n. someone who helps to set up or organize an exhibit

logo – n. an image or picture that is used to identify a company and appears on its products

trivial – adj. not important

cartoon – n. a picture or image meant as a humorous comment on something or a series of images in an animated⁸ film

annihilation – n. to destroy (something or someone) completely

focus – v. to direct one’s attention on something or someone

interactive – adj. designed to react to the actions or commands of a user

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

3 unifying   

使联合( unify的现在分词 )； 使相同； 使一致； 统一

参考例句：

• In addition, there were certain religious bonds of a unifying kind. 此外，他们还有某种具有一种统一性质的宗教上的结合。
• There is a unifying theme, and that is the theme of information flow within biological systems. 我们可以用一个总的命题，把生物学系统内的信息流来作为这一研究主题。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

8 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。