Gendered Construction of the American Indian in Popular Media

Contemporary popular culture is permeated with images of Native Americans, who have become symbols of wisdom, beauty, peace, and nostalgia. In this paper, I trace the changes in this imagery over time, with particular emphasis on the role of gender, and how Native American men and women have become sexualized in relation to the White gaze, which is an important component of colonial domination. Many other Americans never encounter a Native American, and media fill a knowledge vacuum with outmoded and limited stereotypes. The 1990s lovely princess and Native American stud may be more benign images than the earlier squaw or crazed savage, but they are equally unreal and dehumanizing.