"Indian" Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak Out

"Indian" Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak Out
By Sierra S. Adare

At its core, this book is a social study whose purpose is to explore the responses of First Nations peoples to representative "Indian" stereotypes portrayed within the TV science fiction genre. Participants in Adare's study viewed episodes from My Favorite Martian, Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager, Quantum Leap, The Adventures of Superman, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Reactions by viewers range from optimism to a deep-rooted sadness. The strongest responses came after viewing a Superman episode's depiction of an "evil medicine man" who uses a ceremonial pipe to kill a warrior.

Sierra S. Adare, of Laramie, Wyoming, is an independent scholar, a documentary filmmaker for Educational Fundamentals, and a member of the Word Craft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. She has been a Visiting Fellow at Cornell University’s American Indian Program and an instructor at Haskell Indian Nations University.