Tags
Christianity, Cultural Appropriation, diversity, empowerment, First Nations, Indians, indigenous, inequality, native, racism, Whitewashing
“Indians”, referring to the original inhabitants of North America was accepted terminology in the 1940s and ’50s. The word Indian originated with Christopher Columbus, who, in his search for India, thought that he had arrived in the East Indies. In Canada, the term “Aboriginal” or “Indigenous” is preferred to “Native.”
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As a kid, I loved reading Western comic books and watching Western television programs. One of my favorite duos was The Lone Ranger and Tonto.
Jay Silverheels (birth name Harold Jay Smith) played the role of Tonto. Concerning the image of Tonto, Silverheels remarks, “He’s stupid. The Lone Ranger treats him like some kind of servant, and this seems to suit Tonto fine.” Since Indigenous actors were often relegated to subordinate roles it gave the impression that they were not capable of anything more.
The role of Tonto may have been subservient, but the actor was not. Jay was a member of the Mohawk Aboriginal people in Canada. He adopted the nickname ‘Silverheels” during a very brief boxing career, which saw him compete as a middleweight in a Golden Gloves bout in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Silverheels was inducted into the “Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame” as a veteran player in 1997. He became an outspoken activist for Indigenous rights and a respected teacher within the acting community.
Gordon Tootoosis, portrayed Albert Golo in 52 episodes of North of 60 in the 1990s. I watched every episode. In 1963 when we were both in grade eleven Gordon sat at the desk behind me. He was five feet eleven inches tall. When horsing around in the classroom he held my head in the palm of his hand and I swung punches at him. I couldn’t come close. We also attended art classes together. I was very impressed with his ink and watercolor landscapes.
Gordon was born October 25, 1941, on the Poundmaker Cree Nation Reserve in Cut Knife, Saskatchewan. He was placed in a Catholic residential school, where he was treated harshly and forbidden to speak his own language. This is a dark period in Canadian history about which I have begun researching. As a residential school survivor, Gordon used this experience to help youth and young offenders as a social worker. He also served as chief of his community.
He was awarded membership in the Order of Canada on October 29, 2004. The investiture ceremony took place on September 9, 2005. His citation recognizes him as an inspirational role model for Aboriginal youth. From 1974 to 2012 he portrayed memorable characters in sixty movie and television productions in Canada and the United States.
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Another of my childhood favorites was Red Ryder and his sidekick Little Beaver. At the time I didn’t know that Little Beaver was played by actor, Robert Blake, an Italian American. This is now labeled “whitewashing” and it is very prevalent in Hollywood. A recent example is the role of Tonto played by Johnny Depp in the Disney film “The Lone Ranger”. In the podcast “Ryan McMahon Gets Angry” the Anishinaabe/Metis comedian states, “We are strong, proud people, and we need to be represented, by ourselves, as such.”
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