This is a collaborative effort of the Minority Rights Coalition, the Inter-Fraternity Council, and the American Indian Student Union, with special thanks to Jessica McCauley:
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, a Letter to the Editor from Neal Fox, Co-Chair of the Minority Rights Coalition, was published in The Cavalier Daily regarding a "Cowboy and Indian" themed party at an IFC fraternity. The intended purpose of this letter was to start a positive conversation about how American Indians are misrepresented around the Univeristy, and - more widely - in American culture. Unfortunately, Fox's word choice in two or three places distracted from that intended purpose. Words like "racist" and "hatred" can be alienating. This was the opposite of the intent of the letter, which was meant to open the door for communication, education and understanding about an issue that concerns the entire University Community. In this column, the MRC and the IFC, with the American Indian Student Union, hopes to bring to light some of the nuances of this issue.
The Inter-Fraternity Council, which governs 29 fraternities, cannot control the actions of all its members, but it can engage the community in examining the underlying causes of regrettable events. It is unfortunate that this incident has just now sparked broader attention to this issue, but it is important to use it as an opportunity for reflection and positive action rather than blame.
Still today, many people just don't think about the fact that not everyone is heterosexual. Not everyone can afford to go to a movie with friends every weekend, or drink on their 21st birthday without violating the commandments of the Qur'an. The theme party from this past weekend is just another example of assuming others come from the same background.
Stereotypical representations of American Indians are neither specific to nor the result of the actions of any one IFC fraternity. It is pervasive and often unchallenged in American society. This is an issue that is often exacerbated by pop culture. Logos and mascots of professional sports teams such as the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Blackhawks, and the commercial sale of "Indian" costumes further demonstrate the prevalence of common stereotypes about American Indians that remain acceptable to the majority of Americans. Closer to home, 60,000 fans in Scott Stadium at the William & Mary football game saw "CavMan" defeat a stereotypical American Indian.
Costumes are inherently stereotypical; however, when attached to a religion, cultural heritage, or other traditions, they carry the potential to mock essential elements of an individual's identity. Donning Blackface or impersonating an exaggerated stereotype of a Jew or an Asian would be immediately recognized as unacceptable. It rarely crosses the mind of mainstream America that the stereotypical things used to portray American Indians are indeed crossing the line into offensive and sacrilegious territory. It is highly unlikely that anyone buying an "Indian Princess" costume at Wal-Mart is aware that items such as feathers, beads, "war-paint" and indeed the "costume" itself is for many Native American tribes, sacred, and an important part of their religion. This gives the common image of an eagle-feathered headdress a new meaning. After all, who would feel comfortable dressing up in one if they knew that such a headdress is only reserved for those members of a tribe that have earned each feather through a sacred rite or ceremony? These objects can be as sacred as a cross or a Bible is to some Christians.
Leaving even religion aside, it becomes frustrating for members of the American Indian community to see their culture, heritage, and ancestry reduced to sweeping generalizations and only a few material objects. Tomahawks, buffaloes, peace pipes, etc. are not indicative of some all-inclusive American Indian culture and indeed are only even present within a small portion of Native history. Rather, a large amount of diversity exists among the 500+ federally-recognized tribes (there are countless more which are state-recognized including all eight of the Virginia tribes), and it is truly disheartening to be portrayed in such a generic way. How often do we acknowledge the 15,000 years of history in Virginia predating the arrival of white settlers? Who knew that our own University was built on Monacan land? When will we learn about and give honor to historical Native American figures beyond those whom Disney cares to make into a movie? The ugly truth is that American Indians fell victim to many years of deliberate and forced assimilation, loss of culture, language, and identity, which is precisely why we cannot allow these generalizations to consume our perceptions of an entire subsection of the American population.
How the media and popular culture portrays any population is not always a fair representation of their identity. This creates a need for other sources of exposure to and education about a more nuanced understanding of cultures different from one's own. For some, taking a course designed to enhance multicultural understanding achieves this end. For others, a group like Sustained Dialogue or Students Educating and Empowering for Diversity provides an opportunity to broaden their perspective. But for many students at the University and in America, popular culture dominates their perception of people from different backgrounds.
The vast majority of today's readers and those that attended the party probably were not cognizant of the meaning behind these American Indian symbols. While this doesn't excuse the hurt that is caused for some, what matters most now is how our community responds. Let's take this as an imperative to be aware of the hurt that it can cause in the future. Let's actively educate ourselves and have conversations that we otherwise may not have had.
The Inter-Fraternity Council and the Minority Rights Coalition, with the American Indian Student Union and other student groups, have the ability and the obligation to work collaboratively in leading the Community in these efforts.
Neal Fox is co-Chair of the Minority Rights Coalition. Charles Gamper is president of the Inter-Fraternity Council.
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