Media & Society: Native American Deculturalization: Propaganda

By Jordan Clanton

From Colonization to Deculturalization

Prior to the early 1600s, Native Americans were the sole proprietors of the North American region. Once Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement, the colonization of the entire continent was inevitable. Since then, the threat towards Native American land and cultural values has been extreme and crippling. From the Trail of Tears to full blown genocide, the history of colonial America has been nothing short of mortifying. So, how did this happen? How can a society get away with destroying an entire culture and lifestyle over the course of hundreds of years? Part of the answer is correlated to the propaganda that was used to spread the message of intolerance towards Native American people.

The Indian Experiment

A man by the name Thomas McKenny interacted with several southern tribes, who were thought to have been among the more "civilized". McKenny was delightfully surprised with how capable the Natives were to adapting to English ideologies. He decided he would experiment with this idea by inviting two sons from the Creek tribe to join him in Washington DC so that they could attend white schools. McKenny played a vital role in introducing an Indian education system to the United States through the Civilization Fund Act, which provided government legislation for the building of Native American boarding schools. By the end of the 19th century, there were numerous schools up and running specifically for the transformation of young Native American tribe members.

White Washed Schooling:

McKenny and other white leaders believed that through schooling - especially starting at a young age - Native Americans would be able to conform to western ideologies and lifestyles. From the hair, to the clothes, jewelry and even the language they spoke, students were expected to transform themselves both physically and mentally. Schools established by the Civilization Fund Act used portraits of before and after photos of their students to prove that Native Americans could conform to white society after all.

Taken just one year after their school opened, these portraits demonstrate how clothing and hairstyle played a major role in the transformation process.

The deculturized picture (right) takes place only a few years after the original (left).

Here is an example of an older student who has enrolled in Indian education system.

All of these photos were taken at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. This school focused particularly on the rapid assimilation of its students; meaning they prided themselves on a quick "turnover rate". Carlisle was founded in 1879 by Captain Henry Pratt and the US Federal Government. It is at this very school where the famous phrase "Kill the Indian: Save the Man" was coined by Pratt himself. The school was eventually shut down in 1918, but enrolled approximately 10,000 Native American children during its four decade run.

Entertainment Turned Propaganda

At the beginning of the 20th century, Native American struggles took to the screen; but not in the most fairly represented way. Western cowboy films showcased white cowboys as the heroic adventurers, while the Indian savages served as a villain to overcome. One of the most famous of these adventurers was Buffalo Bill. His fictional and ahistorical sequence of events paints a picture of rogue Indians trying to stir up trouble for westerns every chance they get. Each episode involves a fight between Buffalo Bill and the Native Americans, and not surprisingly, Buffalo Bill always comes out on top. People who viewed these films and pictures were given fictional depictions of Native American culture, that caused a negative light to be forever shined upon them. Because we all know, if it is on a screen or on paper, it must be real.

World War II Association

While the Native Americans continued their struggle against white oppression, the rest of America discovered a more distant threat: Nazis. New propaganda posters were being created that combined two societal issues in a creative way. This advertisement shows Native Americans leaving their horses to go buy war bonds. After everything they have been through, somehow a world war is supposed to bring all of America together to prevent a foreign genocide. Quite hypocritical of a country to do if they are performing cultural genocide on their own land.

Time to Fight Back:

After all they have suffered and faced as a society, it is only expected that the Native Americans across the US fight back with their own propaganda. Especially in modern society, powerful images and statements are the ones that get the most retweets and likes. Though the issue of deculturalization may be over 400 years old, the damage it inflicts continues to affect the Native American generations of today. The truth is, unfortunately, that the fight is not over for them. Reservations continue to get destroyed or taken over by big corporations, healthcare options are limited to residents of reservations and career opportunities are lesser than with a reservation education. The oldest relationship in our nation's history is weaker than it was in 1607, and the constant banter back and forth with the use of digital propaganda is not helping either side win.