Responses To Narratives In Native American Statues

Summary

A feminist intersectionality theoretical approach reveals that Native Americans have a diversity of responses to statues representing them. Since at least 1970 some have protested all statues of Native Americans, while others have protested the intersecting racism and sexism in colonialist statues and sports mascots. Recent protests, sometimes with Black Lives Matter, have led to vandalism or removal of several statues of Columbus, and a few other statues of English colonists, Spanish conquistadors, and friars, sometimes including Native Americans in subordinate positions, which offend everyone. “Assimilationists” favor statues positively portraying Native Americans. A feminist analysis revealed more statues of men than women, and only Native American men attack colonists or are represented as Noble Savages, while only women are feminist symbols. More recent statues eschew generic colonialist stereotypes for narratives restoring empowering pasts of Native Americans as strong independent individuals, such as Tecumseh, Sacagawea, Sarah Winnemucca, Pocahontas, and Black Hawk.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

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Contact(s): Nicole Haddow