Disney comes under fire for its portrayal of Native Americans
Disney has been criticised for its representations of Native Americans on screen and is facing calls to pay reparations to advocacy groups.
Amid a renewed focus on issues of race and representation in Hollywood following the global Black Lives Matter protests, the entertainment giant’s depiction of minority groups is coming under fresh scrutiny.
Disney recently announced its Splash Mountain theme park ride would be “completely reimagined,” following an outcry over its links to the 1946 film Song Of The South, which is widely considered racist. The studio’s Peter Pan, the 1953 animated film, has long courted controversy for its portrayal of Native Americans. The characters are called the offensive term “Indians” while a song from the movie, What Made the Red Man Red?, has also been criticised.
Peter Pan, which is based on the character created by Scottish writer JM Barrie, already carries a disclaimer on the Disney+ streaming service, stating the film “may contain outdated cultural depictions”.
Pocahontas, the 1995 film loosely based on the life of the Native American woman, has been accused by some of whitewashing a brutal past.
Shannon O’loughlin is the executive director of the Washington Dc-based Association on American Indian Affairs and said Disney’s portrayal of native people “leaves a lot to be desired”.
She told the PA news agency: “It is indicative of how invisible Native Americans are and how no-one really understands who Native Americans are, except for caricatures of them. It is hard for many Americans, let alone people around the world, to understand there are 574 federally recognised tribes in the United States.
She added: “Those histories are not well understood and are not well portrayed, especially from people like Disney, who like the romantic or warrior-type images of Native Americans.”
Disney was contacted for comment.