APS, American Philosophical Society

Native American Images Project

Hi fellows bloggers! Today I am writing about a webpage of Native Americans Images, in order to clarify the erroneous illustrations that made a wrong idea and stereotypes, in the mind of the rest of the world, of the indigenous people.

This webpage is created and managed by the American Philosophical Society, (APS), whom work publishing pictures and images of Native Americans to demonstrate the incorrect stereotype that conquerors and Europeans made believe in past time, in form of an excuse to steal, to massacre, to deceive and to expel the indigenous people from their land, to take it and grab the natural resources.

“Stereotypes of Native Americans have a problematic history. Images have played a large role in spreading incorrect or exaggerated ideas about Native peoples. Although these pictures are sometimes difficult to examine closely, it is important to understand such stereotypes as part of the historical record. A small selection of such images from the APS collections is reproduced here, to make the pictures available for study and critical analysis.”

Also this site shows the fact that by the 1800s the scientists tried to prove the inferiority of the indigenous race by comparing and measuring against the white race. Some others images tried, (and succeed), to make seem the Native American people as vicious savages in seek of blood and revenge; another way more to make excuses and keep abusing the Natives Americans.

 “Some illustrations of conquest from the 1600s and 1700s falsely portrayed indigenous people as superstitious and uncivilized. During the 1800s, a century of intense conflict between Natives and whites, many images presented a distorted view of Indian warriors, showing them not as men fighting to preserve their lands and rights, but rather as bloodthirsty savages.”

“Soon thereafter, the controversial American eugenics movement misused evolutionary theory. Eugenicists argued that some people—including ethnic minorities such as Native Americans—had “inferior” genes and thus should be discouraged from reproducing. Such ideas caused significant damage before they were finally discredited.”

The APS also shows various options to explore in their webpage like; Cultural Sensitivity, Families & Communities, Stereotypes, Then & Now and more; this makes the visit valuable and rewarding. I encourage you to visit this site and explore it, you will found it interesting, and for sure you will like it, guaranteed! So go on and visit the American Philosophical Society, (APS), Native Americans Image Project, in http://www.amphilsoc.org/exhibit/natamimages/stereotypes