Indian Comics Irregular #137

On the March 15 episode of "Veronica Mars," an Indian named Leonard Lobo (Gil
Birmingham) supposedly owns several casinos. Like any stereotypical casino
owner, he's a semi-shady character: the kind who smiles like a shark and then
has someone break your legs. The show reinforces this negative image by noting
that Lobo was accused of fixing a basketball game as a youth.

In reality, Indian casinos are owned by tribes, not by individuals. They're
government-run enterprises similar to state lotteries. No Indian owns even one
casino, much less several.

As for Lobo's character ... sure, an employee at a casino could do something
suspect. That could happen at Disneyland, Wal-Mart, or McDonald's too. But
tribes want to maintain their record of scandal-free operations. Casino
managers must go through background checks, and someone with a history of
gambling trouble is unlikely to pass.

Like many shows about Indian gaming, "Veronica Mars" has subtly painted Indians
as shifty and greedy--i.e., less moral than they really are. It’s the same
stereotyping Italians endure when they’re portrayed as mobsters--but Indians
have endured it for centuries. Five hundred years of hatred and opposition stem
from depictions such as this one.

For another gaming example, consider "Walking Tall," the 2004 movie starring the
Rock. In it, a white guy supposedly opens a casino by claiming he’s 1/16th
Blackfoot on an application. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way--not even close.
But the implication is that the process is corrupt and Indians are somehow to
blame.

To see more “greedy” stereotypes, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/greedy.htm . For the facts about Indian gaming,
head to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/gaming.htm .

Lobbyist Plays Both Sides

On March 19, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" presented a takeoff on the recent
Republican lobbying scandal. NBC summarizes the plot:

The brutal beating murder of a female Secret Service agent in her
home has Detectives Logan (Christopher Noth) and Barek (Annabella
Sciorra) sniffing around the many clients of her husband Jay (guest
star David Alan Bashche), a well-connected lobbyist who is working
both for and against an unpopular tribal Indian gaming casino on
Long Island.

Indians are secondary in this story, which focuses on the actions of the Jack
Abramoff-like lobbyist. The few scenes featuring Native people or issues are
well done. Logan and Barek feel like minorities when they eat out on the rez.
At the local historical society, they briefly discuss the pros and cons of
gaming. A tribal leader plays politics to secure a casino for his people, then
realizes the lobbyist has duped him.

A bonus point for the absence of chiefs, medicine men, tipis, and totem poles.
But a demerit for the title "Wasichu." What does the Lakota word for "white
man" have to do with a tribe on Long Island, half a continent away?

LAX Portrayal

The canceled TV series "LAX" had a Native subplot in its second episode, which
aired Sept. 20, 2004. In it, Heather Locklear brings in "Hawk Man" (Steve
Reevis) to deal with the airport's bird problem. His hawk will get rid of the
pesky pigeons blocking the runways.

Hawk Man is a mystical, one-with-nature type. He says things like "I'm from the
tribe of nobody and everybody" and "The hawk, he is my brother." To which a
maintenance man responds, "So does your tribe have a casino yet?"

Hawk Man sings and prays to spur his hawk into action. Eventually it scares the
other birds away. He breaks out of the stereotypical shaman mold only once, at
the end, when he asks about getting paid.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics