At the beginning of the program, our group realized that we would be in Venice for the Fourth of July. We decided, half-jokingly but half-seriously, that although we were in Italy, it was only right that we do something to mark the day. After some discussion, it was determined that the the appropriate course of action would be to visit the American pavilion and attend the Old Wild West Café for dinner. A themed restaurant, the establishment was located near the Rialto Bridge and was designed to look like a fake old-timey saloon. To be more specific, this institution would have fit in perfectly at the Mall of American between the Rainforest Café and Bubba Gumps. Needless to say, we were all very enthused. We needed a break from Italian food and were excited to see how Italians would interpret “American cuisine.”
Upon arrival, however, we could not believe what we found. Although we had anticipated a parody of the so-called “old west”, think Back to the Future III, we did not expect the immensely inappropriate and offensive portrayal of Native Americans. The menu boasted entrees such as the Cherokee Steak, Sioux Beef and Navajo and Dakota burgers. The Squaw Steak was apparently “the steak chosen for tribe leaders” and the Dakota burger, according to the menu, was so good that “Indians and Cowboys agree: this is the all time favorite burger!” We were in complete shock. This kind of speech was incredibly offensive and out right racist. We could not understand how the restaurant could justify putting this type of language on the menu.
Since arriving in Germany, similar imagery and representation has continued to pop up. Countless thrift stores have used images of “Native Americans” with feathers, red-ish skin, and weapons of all sorts as their logos. We have additionally seen numerous t-shirts either showing stereotypes of Native Americans or displaying quotes such as “I’m the Indian of the group” with a picture of what appears to be a “chief.”
As Americans coming to Europe, we were at first completely shocked by these images. They were incredibly offensive, outdated, and we could not understand how both Italian and German society could see them as appropriate. I began to ask myself, where do these images come from. In many ways the portrayal of Native Americans at the Old Wild West and at the second hand shops is simply a reflection of how the world sees the treatment of Native Americans in the United States. Although restaurants in the States would never display fake tepees or label burgers as catered to the so-called “chief of the tribe”, racist and offensive imagery of Native Americans is still incredibly prevalent within American society. It is not uncommon for smoke or tobacco shops to have the same types of images of Native Americans on their store fronts. Additionally, countless sports teams, the Redskins, Blackhawks, Braves, and Chiefs, to name a few, boast derogatory imagery and names as their team names and mascots. And, to make matters worse, Columbus Day is still celebrated as a public holiday by many government institutions and public and private schools.
Looking back on the restaurant, shops, and t-shirts I’ve seen in Europe, I wonder if this representation should have actually been a complete shock. In many ways, these images are simply reflecting the treatment and portrayal of Native Americans by the United States. I don’t want to say that the restaurant or shops or companies who made the t-shirts should be off the hook or that they are not in any way responsible. The images are incredibly problematic and inappropriate. But these organizations are simply copying what they see in the United States.
Before this program, I was concerned about being American in Europe, given the current political climate. I did not want to be associated with the recent rise of hatred, bigotry, and racism that is connected with the United States. However, after seeing these images, I’ve realized that as an American, it is not only the present day America that I have to contend with. Europeans have seen the ways that Americans have portrayed and treated Native Americans and this has infiltrated their popular culture. Through these images, the problems and injustices the United States has committed and continues to commit against Native Americans are magnified. Yet when I say that I’m from the United States, no one asks about the treatment of Native Americans or their portrayal in mass media.
Hi Julia,
Thanks for the blog post! I remember the shock of first seeing that restaurant and their portrayal of Native Americans, but I really appreciate your questioning whether or not we should be that surprised. The idea that the United States passed along our racial stereotypes to Europeans is a powerful concept and one that should remind us of the widespread and linger effects of centuries of intra-continental colonialism.
I am curious how this observation is in conversation with representations of Sámi culture in northern Europe. For decades the Sámi people were called Lapp and their land, Sápmi, was referred to as Lapland. These names are considered derogatory much in the same say Eskimo is for First Nation peoples in North America (and, for that matter, Indian in reference to Native Americans in the lower half of the continent). Recent scholarship has identified the relationship between the Sámi people and European monarchies as colonial in nature, and the Norwegian government recently state that it should take responsibility in assisting the Sámi culture and languages to sustain itself.
Including an ethnically European group in discourse about colonialism adds a new wrinkle to the conversation, to say the least. The similarities and differences between the reception of Native American and Sámi cultures in Europe would be a fascinating field of study.