The Portrayal of Native Americans on Social Media | A Marriage of This and That

16.9.15

The Portrayal of Native Americans on Social Media | A Marriage of This and That: Based on the history of the United States alone, it is clear why Native Americans feel stifled in contemporary terms. In discussions regarding race, “the white man” is usually dominant and exploitative and Native Americans particularly experienced this treatment with both broken treaties and cultural genocide imposed by the government. Earlier this year, the Twitter account for the American Indian Museum expressed disdain for this enduring exploitation. The tweet, reads, “My Indian heritage feels owned by others. We will represent you because we own you” (@SmithsonianNMAI). These cold, candid words illuminate a perpetual pain and lack of power. In 1996, Fergus M. Bordewich’s Killing the White Man’s Indian: Reinventing Native Americans at the End of the Twentieth Century was published, which argued that for the first time in generations, Native Americans were beginning to reinvent themselves, determining their own identities. Here it is, over a decade later, and the way Native Americans are being classified is still a controversial issue.