Engaging in another person’s culture can be a touchy subject – learning about other cultures is valuable and even fun! In some cases, however, it’s clear that some people overstep in their engagement of a culture that they’re not originally a part of. Such is the case of “non-Indians” mentioned in “The Oglala War Cry”, a newspaper published in the 1970s written by and for residents of the South Dakota Pine Ridge Reservation. This newspaper centered events or happenings relevant to the Pine Ridge residents, which may have included job postings, advertisements, or achievements of students in the local school. The newspaper also included many warnings and informative articles to residents questioning practices and problematic behavior within the community, as well as articles targeting the exploitation of land and culture that took place in Pine Ridge.
In a newspaper article addressed to the Editor of The Oglala War Cry, Debbie Rook writes a letter questioning the actions allowing Casey Tibbs, a cowboy and actor at the time, to record and possibly use film of a sacred dance, the Sun Dance, in a film he was producing, “The Wild Breed.” Rook points out that the community “lose[s] money each year on the Sundance,” pointing out that this would’ve been an opportunity for the community to be compensated. Rook parallels this exploitation with the sale of the Manhattan Island, which was sold from the Algonquin Indians to Peter Minuit for what today would be $24 in 1626. By comparing these events, Rook emphasizes the importance of the Sun Dance and the history that the community has between non-Indigenous people (and in this case, white people) and their culture. This brings to question – how should you collaborate and approach the culture of a people who have historically been exploited, deceived, or oppressed?
Hnukusha, this is a really fascinating piece of history. Rarely do we get such a direct look at the minutiae of cultural exploitation and the negotiations (or lack thereof) that happen around events like this one. The complexities around depictions of Native Americans onscreen are numerous, and this is an excellent example of how some communities resist the commodification of their culture.
However, I think you are missing some crucial information here that would allow a reader to really engage with this material. For one, we definitely need a proper citation of the source with a URL. Show the reader where you found the resource so that they can find it too. Second, some images or video would be great. You may decide that showing the Sun Dance would be perpetuating a process of exploitation, but you could definitely show a photo of the production, the movie poster if it was ever released, or images about/from the ‘Oglala War Cry’ (make sure you italicize newspaper titles where possible). Finally, you pose a rhetorical question at the very end of your post. I think you should offer some reflection on the question of your own, in addition to prompting your reader.