Consuming Indians is a chronic condition in the United States that contributes to the oppression and erasure of contemporary Indigenous peoples and nations. Native identities, cultures, and nations are consumed and then bastardized by non-Natives in a myriad of ways; from the wearing of headdresses to the selling of “Indigenous” knowledge. In this manner, consuming Indians can be viewed as one of the ultimate acts of whiteness. Non-Natives embody the privilege to select what components of “Indianness” they want to adorn themselves with, or profit from, without having to deal with any of the real, and frequently devastating problems Indigenous nations and peoples are contending with. Not only does this type of consumption erase the multivalent Indigenous Nations and replace them with one amorphous “Indian,” it also contributes to the ongoing process of settler colonialism in the United States. Furthermore, consuming Indians is a commercial endeavor in that these perpetrators, more often than not, profit from the commercialization of race. The Indian becomes a commodity to be bought and sold. Celebrities, politicians, and everyday Americans participate in this cultural appropriation. This paper examines the locations of consumption (beyond the obvious location of mascots) in an effort to identify and expose them for what they are – a form of violence against Indigenous peoples and nations.
About the presenterStephanie A.L. Mowles
Stephanie A.L. Mowles is an Associate Professor of History and the Coordinator for both the History and the Native American Studies programs at the Community Colleges of Baltimore Country, Catonsville. She earned her Ph.D. in American Indian History from Arizona State University. Professor Mowles’ current research focuses on representations of Native Americans in advertising.