"Sioux Chief" Drain: Honoring Natives in a Bathroom Near You!

(image source)

It's definitely an honor to have the place where dirty, disgusting water drains in rest stop bathrooms to be named after the most revered position in your tribe, right? According to the Sioux Chief Manufacturing Company, that's exactly what they were going for.

Tipster Ann spotted this tribute to the "proud and resolute people" of the Sioux Nation in a skeezy rest stop bathroom somewhere in Indiana. She did a little research and found the website of the company, where they describe the origin of their company's name and logo:

Sioux Chief’s founder, Martin E. “Ed” Ismert Jr., was greatly interested in Western Americana. Ed’s father, Martin Sr., was a collector and Midwest authority of Western and Native American artifacts in the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s. When the time came to name his new company, it did not take Ed long, as he had learned from his father all about the Sioux Indian Nation. The Sioux Nation were a very proud and resolute people that, while being fierce and competitive, held in highest regard the family, the Earth, and especially Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit. Ed commissioned his brother Bud, an artist who studied under Thomas Hart Benton, to draw the “Young Determined Sioux Chief” in full ceremonial dress as the logo for his young determined company. Sioux Chief Manufacturing, being named and patterned after such a distinctive people would put forth an image not easily forgotten.

Let's examine this language a bit, shall we? So Ed learned from his father (a white collector and "authority" on Indian stuff) "all about the Sioux Indian Nation". Another great example of how many non-Natives can have extremely limited encounters with Native peoples but then call themselves "experts" and sell themselves as foremost authorities on all things Native. I'm sure he knows all about the Lakota/Dakota. All about them.

Then there's the ubiquitous past tense--The Sioux "were a very proud and resolute people", "held in highest regard", etc. He also manages to throw in a whole bunch 'o stereotypes in there too--The "Spiritual Warrior" syndrome. Competitive and fierce, yet deeply tied to the earth and "The Great Spirit". And hey, Mr. Ismert, the Lakota didn't go anywhere. They're still here.

So then we asks his non-Native brother, with presumably the same limited knowledge as himself, to draw a "Young, Determined, Sioux Chief" for their logo, in ceremonial dress, of course (with no regard to how that might be, you know, special or sacred):

...and we get the stereotypical Plains Indian Warrior. At least they got the regalia semi-right? considering how often this dress is attributed to other tribes for advertising and marketing. Not that it makes it any better.

I also keep coming back to the fact that it's the Sioux Chief company. Chiefs and leaders of tribes are deeply revered positions of power, and to me it just seems so absolutely degrading to have that position of wisdom, trust, and authority placed on a bathroom drain. People are literally (excuse the language) pissing on our culture.

If any Lakota or Dakota tribal members want to weigh in, definitely let me know.

 Sioux Chief Manufacturing Company: http://www.siouxchief.com/Company

(Thanks Ann!)

North American Indians: a step by step guide to "playing Indian"

My friend Katie is currently in her first year of teaching 4th grade on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota (go Katie!), and she sent me a scanned copy of this ridiculous book that was in her classroom library. I'll let her give the context:

"I finally started going through my classroom's library and was pretty appalled to find this book (along with the typical Indian the Cupboard and Little House on the Prairie-esque books).  I teach 4th grade on the Rosebud Reservation; 100% of my students are Lakota.  The book purports to give a history of Native Americans and a guide to Native crafts, but what it ends up being is a veritable handbook for white kids to "play Indian."  All the photos are of white kids dressed up as Indians!  I can't find one picture (other than the historical ones, of course) of a Native American child.  Even more disturbingly, the descriptions make it sound as if these white kids are authentic representations of Indian clothing, etc. The worst thing is that this book is (now was, ugh) in the library of a classroom full of Lakota children.  It's like hey kids, these pictures of white kids can teach you how to be Indian better than your own people!"

After the jump, scanned selections of the book. Prepare yourself, it's pretty bad. (All images can be clicked for a bigger version)

First thing of note: the title page says "Consultant: Anne Armitage, BA--The American Museum in Britain. So, there weren't any qualified "consultants" who were actually Native? or I don't know, maybe in AMERICA? Also, this is published by Scholastic--usually a well known and trusted name in children's books. 

This page talks about "Indian clothing". Everything is in past tense (as is the whole book), and it has instructions on how to make a "war bonnet" along with a historic photograph. 

"Hairstyles were important ways to look different but still fit in with tribal traditions. Some groups smeared their hair with mud and sculpted it into different shapes." Um, really? 

The descriptions of the tribes (not to mention the accompanying images) make me so upset. The past tense and historic descriptions would leave any child thinking there was no way a Nez Perce, Chumash, Tlingit, or Navajo person still lived today. 

Katie pointed out that the caption with the boy reads: "Plains warriors carried spears and hide shield and wore elaborate headdresses for ceremonial occasions", implying that he IS a "plains warrior".

More tribal descriptions--the description of the seminole is especially interesting. It's mostly about North American settlers and influence rather than the tribe. 

look at the boy's stance. Sitting "Indian style".

A couple of things: I like the fact the "Plains Warrior" and the "Seminole" are playing stickball--complete disregard for regionality of the game. Also, the one reference to traditions continuing today mentions that a form of this game is still played today "called lacrosse." Not that tribes still play the traditional form, which they do. 

"Early European Explorers and settlers tried to write down the sounds of Indian words, but some could not accurately be conveyed using our alphabet."

The caption reads "a sioux boy and a nez perce girl would have been able to speak to each other using sign language". 

So, overall, I'm a bit at a loss for words. I can't believe scholastic decided this was a great book to promote "hands on learning," and that someone decided this was a good book to put in a 4th grade reservation classroom. I mean, this is straight up, by definition cultural appropriation. 

I also just googled the book, and found it on a few "recommended book" lists for teachers (gross), and found that there is an entire series of books that teach kids how to "play history": Egypt, Rome, Stone Age...and American Indians (completely the same, right?). It appears to be still in print. 

Another example of placing Natives in the historic past, of melding of hundreds of distinct tribal traditions, of playing Indian, of not allowing Indians to be "experts" on ourselves, the "otherization" of American Indians...and about every other issue I've dealt with on this blog. So frustrating. 

Major kudos to Katie for cleaning out her classroom library, her students are lucky to have her. 

(Thanks Katie!)