Lowell High School
When "Pocahontas" opened in theaters June 23, Disney not only released its 33rd animated movie, but a powerful uproar of controversy from the Native American community as well.
At the movie's San Francisco Bay Area premiere, organizations including the American Indian Movement (AIM) marched up and down the crowd of eager movie-goers, handing them protest flyers and chanting picket sign slogans.
Many upset citizens voiced their disgust with Disney's racial slurs, stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans and historical inaccuracies. Those upset by the film said it would negatively affect kids. Throughout the movie, the white men continuously referred to the Indians as `savages' and restated their goal to `shoot Injuns.'
"It hurt me a lot how they called us savages and how they're teaching kids that and making the white guys look good," said Oglala Lakota tribe member Theodora Chief, 14, after seeing the movie. Chief is the granddaughter of Russel Means, the voice of Chief Powhatan in "Pocahontas".
Monoque Sonoquie, Chumash Nation tribe and AIM member, agreed that the movie's diction would have a bad influence on kids.
"I don't think they should be teaching children to be using words such as `savage' and `filthy heathen,'" Sonoquie, 29, said. "I would consider it harassment if my children are called `heathen' at school."
No one can resist singing a catchy tune, especially when it's from a favorite movie. Sonoquie said another negative result of the movie was that kids would pick up the lyrics of "Pocahontas" songs, which referred to Native Americans as `filthy little savages,' `barely even human,' `only good when they are dead' and `dirty redskin devils.'
However, Native American Joel Chaske, 25, said although the remarks made him uncomfortable, it was important that Disney didn't sugar-coat them because they were true to the era depicted.
Audience members found Disney's language to be offensive to Native Americans.
"They're perpetrating useless expressions which make them (Native Americans) be less important," said Bernardo Lopez, member of AIM. "The worst part is they keep reviving them."
Nevertheless, Native American Apeanahkwat, an actor in the "Pocahontas" play in Disneyland, said it was necessary to show the white men calling the Native Americans those derogatory names and ruining the land because that's what really happened.
"It reminds us of what they (the white men) did and humanity should never permit it to happen again," Apeanahkwat said.
"Pocahontas" greatly disappointed Native Americans, including Lakota Harden, 38, of the Oglala Lakota tribe. Harden said she grew up surrounded by horrible images of Indians in the media. After seeing the movie, Harden said Disney simply continued to promote these stereotypical images of Indians as savages instead of working to terminate them.
One portrayal causing a large controversy was the movie animators' portrayal of Pocahontas as a voluptuous young woman clad in a skimpy dress.
To some, including Apeanahkwat, Pocahontas is a role model for Native American girls. "She didn't connotate sex at all," Apeanahkwat said. "She's very lovable and represents all the wonderful things that young girls should be."
However, others said Disney used sexuality to earn a large profit.
"It creates negative images of how Indian women should look," Sonoquie said.
"I hated it," Chief said. "There was no point in it being made because it was fake; the truth should be made ... No Indian woman is shaped like that -- our bodies are sacred; it's sad how they're flaunting it everywhere."
Native American Marquel Spencer, 15, said in addition to exploiting Pocahontas' body, Disney made the white men seem better.
"It didn't show everything," Spencer said. "The whites probably killed more people than that one Indian."
Michael Smith, director of the American Indian Film Festival, which hosted opening night at UA Emery Bay Theater, introduced "Pocahontas" by saying, "Let's remember this is not a documentary film. It is an animated film about Pocahontas."
Although there's a strong wind of opposition, not everyone who watched "Pocahontas" thought the movie would negatively affect the Native American community.
Fernando Acosta, 45, said it's "a positive way to inform them (people) a little bit more that not everything's the way it's portrayed. If you read between the lines, it gives you the message that we all have to get along even though we come from different worlds."