First Nations Stereotypes

There are a variety of ways and factors that influence how people are represented in nonfiction and fiction texts. Indigenous Australians are usually represented in harmful disrespectful ways, but they are also represented in positive ways. There are many factors that contribute to these representations. In the year 8 fiction and nonfiction text studied in the last three terms, we have seen different representations of indigenous Australian people. The main factors contributing to these are, stereotypes, historical events, real life experiences and racism.

Native Americans as a whole have been typecast as drunks ever since the coming of the white man’s “fire water.” TS Naimi, MD et al. reports that alcohol is responsible for 11.7% of all American Indian and Alaska Native deaths, compared to 3.3% for the U.S. general population (939). This disturbing discrepancy reinforces the age old notion of the “drunk Indian.” Generalizations aside, is there some truth to this stereotype? Are Indians more likely than other races to be drunks? Of all the races, “Native Americans have the highest prevalence (12.1%) of heavy drinking…A larger percentage of Native Americans (29.6%) also are binge drinkers” (Chartier and Caetano 153). Although some research has been done on genetic causes, little is

Others state that “race should be no barrier to finding a child a loving family and adoptive family”. One in five children waiting to be adopted are from an ethnic minority. Last year around 2,300 children were approved for adoption. Of those children 500 of them were either black or asian. Some adopted children state that growing up in a family you weren’t born into was more difficult than they thought. You never knew your ethnic background. It also always raises questions for a child about where they fit in or who they are. It becomes very pointed out if you are visually different from your

The representation of Indigenous Australians in fiction and nonfiction texts are influenced by a range of factors. In the contemporary world of multicultural Australia, there has been a variety of ways groups of people are represented in texts. The Indigenous population is often portrayed in ways that strengthen harmful stereotypes. However, there are also a variety of positive outlooks and portrayals expressing their strength and achievements. In texts studied in year 8 English, the representation of Indigenous Australians in Crow country are characterized as outcasts and reflect cultural distinction. Newspaper articles regarding “Adam Goodes” demonstrates how preconceived thoughts from many Australians destroys sporting stars outlook upon

Many races are unjustly victimized, but Native American cultures are more misunderstood and degraded than any other race. College and high school mascots sometimes depict images of Native Americans and have names loosely based on Native American descent, but these are often not based on actual Native American history, so instead of honoring Native Americans, they are being ridiculed. According to the article Warriors Survive Attack, by Cathy Murillo (2009) some “members of the Carpentaria community defended Native American mascot icons as honoring Chumash tradition and the spirit of American Indian Warriors in U.S. history and others claimed that the images were racist stereotypes” (Murillo, 2009). If people do not attempt to understand

the false stereotypical views towards Australian Indigenous people. It is evident that this topic is one to have a vast majority of individuals have strong opinions and valid concerns about, but please have a positive outlook throughout the following words. Be aware that personal opinions and views on this topic are logical and valid but reassess where you stand at the end of the following letter. Since the European colonisation of Australia in the year of 1788, Indigenous people have been tormented in a world that is seen as unnatural to their existence prior to these changes occurring. Although it is believed that Aboriginal people have lived throughout Australia for up to 60,000 years (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2017) it is still

However, for some Aboriginal women the challenges of employment relates to their own feeling of self worth and esteem. One woman in the TARP report describes how self esteem issues stop Aboriginal women from going and applying for jobs. They believe that they will be judged because they are Aboriginal. Aboriginal men, on the other hand, have this stigma of being violent, abusive and drunks, so this makes it extremely difficult for them to find a job. Society may be more willing to help Aboriginal women more than Aboriginal men, because of this negative stereotype.

First Nations people are often of a lower socioeconomic status that then average Canadian citizen. Poverty increases the risk of developing chronic disease and premature death. Increased risk of chronic disease is a result of material deprivation, inadequate housing, poor nutrition, physical and emotional stress, and poor access to health care services (HCC, 2012; Reading, 2009). The HCC (2012) reported that First Nations individuals are more likely than other Canadian citizens to live with a

Some of the stereotype of The Native Americans in the film were, Pawnee people being savages and Lakota people being the more calm and family people. I understand why the filmmakers showed both sides of the Native Americans, the good and the bad. Which they also did the same with the white people. The Pawnee people acted like savages in the film, they killed with no remorse and took what they wanted from the white people and Lakota people. The most positive Native American character in the film was Kicking Bird.

The word red man is defined by the Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary as an American Indian. This term to describe Native Americans is how Hollywood producers have depicted them for centuries. The producers would cover both white and native actors in deep red paint to make their complexions darker and more dramatic. After the painting process met the producer’s expectations the actors became dressed in native jewelry, headdresses, and warrior paint. These are just some of the unrealistic depictions that movies use to create negative stereotypes of Native

Sadly, I have often been on the receiving end of negative stereotyping due to my American Indian ethnicity. For example, there have been instances of overt racism masked in the form of a joke, “oh, you’re American Indian? Do you like to drink and gamble”? As well as implicit bias and ignorance, “All American Indians get money from the government”. Given these examples of completely inaccurate beliefs about our community, I feel a personal duty to be a champion for all Indigenous people and correct these assumptions. Although I have never lived on my tribe’s reservation as I was born and raised in California, it is still my duty to honorably represent the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, as well as all American Indians. Whenever I find myself

This picture is a native American tying a white guy up to a tree, and cutting his hair off. I think this picture stereotyped native Americans because the were not used to the modern world. They tied anyone that did belong to belong to society. They weren't fulmar with the products that modern people like a hair grower. I think we do because some people do not know better in terms of culture. We also maybe inflicted on what other people about someone's culture. Since that's what we hear we take to heart and maybe not research someone's culture. I think we can make people look inferior by bullying them. The Native American man tied the white men up, and cut his hair off. That was a form of bullying and people can break emotional if they are

According to “Psychological Issues Faced By Adopted Children And Adults” by Allan Schwartz, there are many challenges a child will face when not exposed to their culture.

In a 1987 study, conducted by Simon and Alstein, an Indian adopted child stated, “It bothers me that I’m Indian. People don’t look up to Indians. The whites always fought the Indians and the Indians got beat. We aren’t looked up to. There is nothing special about being Indian” (Sindelar, 2004). This clearly indicates that the native adoptee feels inferior to his White adoptive parents; therefore, the child was obviously unable to fully integrate into the White culture without feeling inferior. In the case of Baby Girl v. Adoptive Couple, she may have been at risk to feeling the same inferiority due to the extreme exposure of the White culture and the lack of exposure and pride towards her own ethnicity; therefore, causing possibilities of distress and discomfort in her own skin.

With children being adopted by parents of a different race I tend to think that this can cause some issues with their behavior. Not saying that all children adopted by the opposite race have these issues, but some do and this may be a disconnected felling the child is having about the family. A disconnect with the family can be anything the child feels uncomfortable about. Such as things like do they really care how I feel or what I’ve been through? These are all things that should be taken into consideration when adopting a child of a different race.