Indian Comics Irregular #68

A correspondent who works at a television studio sent me the
following note:

Here's an excerpt from our latest "clearance memo" (as they're
called):

Indian Tribe Name: Scene 33: DUWAMISH -

Please rename. - NAME CANNOT BE A REAL TRIBE NAME, MUST BE
FICTITIOUS - and submit to legal for clearance.

So there's your answer, Schmidty. Native American tribe names
will ALWAYS be fictional becuz entertainers are afraid of being
sued by actual Native American tribes.

My response: Tribal names may have to be fictional at this one
studio, but that doesn't tell us much about other studios--much less
the universe of movie, TV, video game, music, cartoon, and comic book
producers. As noted last issue, the new "Wolf Lake" show and TALES
OF THE CHEROKEE comic mentioned real tribes. So have many
Native-themed movies in the last few years: "Dances with Wolves,"
"Geronimo," "Smoke Signals," etc.

While the facts prove this poor fellow wrong, his claim raises a
larger issue. "The West Wing" uses real countries all the time, so
what's the story with my colleague's studio? Why do it and so many
creative types set their stories in fictional lands?

The problem is especially acute in comics. In AVENGERS, the
murderous Ultron devastated the eastern European country of
Slorenia. Superman battles the Islamic nation of Qurac (an Iraq
take-off with a Saddam Hussein clone as ruler). Marvel's Keewazi
tribe exists alongside its Cheyenne and Apache counterparts.

I conclude that many studios and publishers are shortsighted,
cowardly, or creatively bankrupt. They don't want to deal with the
complex reality of foreign countries (including Indian nations).
It's much easier to create or destroy a fictional place than to learn
about a real place.

This attitude is typically American. We recognize Canada, Mexico,
and a few European and Asian countries, but beyond that it's all a
hazy blur. Before he was appointed president, Bush didn't know the
world's leaders; afterward, he declared America comes first. If the
global climate is warming or weird-looking people are dying
somewhere, well, so what? Out of sight, out of mind.

When you render people imaginary, you render their troubles
invisible. Real Indian tribes suffer poverty, crime, and substance
abuse. The fictional Keewazi have only an occasional villain or
monster to thwart. In Iraq, US bombs and sanctions have killed
500,000 children. In Qurac, only the leader is insane--not America's
foreign policy or Superman's tolerance of oppression.

The link between pop culture and cultural values seems clear. The
media can enlighten us with truth or delude us with fantasy. Truth
begins with naming people like the Duwamish whenever possible, not
pretending they don't exist.

Dennis the Menace to Reality

A recent "Dennis the Menace" cartoon shows Dennis and Joey watching
an "Eskimo" youth on TV. The boy has slanted eyes and yellowish skin
and wears a fur-lined parka. Behind him are an igloo and a sled dog.

It's like one of those children's games: How many stereotypes can
you spot in this picture? To view the cartoon, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/stertype.htm.

PEACE PARTY Strikes Back

It had to happen. Sooner or later the superheroes dedicated to
peace, not war, had to take a stand on terrorism. Find out what
PEACE PARTY has to say about this year's death and destruction at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/toons01.htm.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics