I Hated Tonto (Still Do): an article by Sherman Alexie

Kudos to Alex from Pop Culture Bonner who posted about the upcoming Lone Ranger movie and brought this article to my attention. Give it a read: Sherman Alexie talks about his hatred for Tonto, the indian sidekick to the Lone Ranger. The conclusion is interesting.

Is it a coincidence is Tonto’s name means “silly” or “stupid” in Spanish?

One has to ponder about the representations of indigenous peoples in mainstream society and through popular culture (movies, video games, science-fiction, and so on). Some stereotypes keep coming around: the primitive warrior, the close-to-nature native, the silly native who’s English is broken, are a few examples. These endure through time and have consequences for viewers. They might further enforce opinions and ignorance or reach into one’s sense of self. They need to be addressed, questioned and deconstructed, much like the representations of women and various ethnic groups.

I have previously written about representations of indigenous peoples in science-fiction. Have a look at this and this.