An upcoming documentary written and directed by Red Haircrow and Timo Kiesel, on unlearning, decolonizing and going beyond native stereotypes in Germany, where author Karl May's popular "American Indian" character "Winnetou" is the ultimate symbol influencing generations. "Just because its fiction, doesn't mean its harmless".
Background
Most films about Native Americans focus exclusively on Native experience in North America, however stereotypes of the original peoples of Turtle Island have spread around the world. And Germany has one of the most notorious and beloved, and often fiercely defended despite its inherent racism and colonial nature: “Winnetou”, a stereotypical American Indian created by German author Karl May in the late 19th century. Decades later, the heavily Eurocentrized and stereotyped fictional natives are still reprinted and films made spreading misinformation to new generations, continuing colonialism not only by culturally abusive practices but by the deliberate ignoring of Native and others objection and dismissal of multiple research studies on the harm of such behaviors to everyone in society.
Rampant cultural appropriation, “Cowboy and Indian” clubs, New Age mixing of pseudo-native beliefs and practices, and even secret societies where plagiarism of native cultures is often fiercely defended are just some of the effects of such misrepresentation of native peoples and cultures. Due to particularities in German society for many reasons we will explore in our film, the “noble savages” of the past, portrayed as battling against encroachers from abroad are venerated by the alt-right and neo-Nazis who view themselves as defenders of their homeland against foreign residents, especially any people of color. Deeply troubling realities indeed.
Yet May’s works also introduced millions of Germans and other Europeans to Natives very differently written or realized in film, as compared to the USA. When in the USA, Hollywood especially portrayed and reinforced stereotypes of the “lazy Indian”, “the Indian drunk” or alternatively the “cruel warrior or mystic shaman”, in the German literature, the Indians were the heroes. Comparatively, Native Americans are positively received and appreciated, but again primarily only as or if representative of the stereotypes learned and reinforced by the US generated misinformation and “alternative fact” history. Some are open to change and “reeducation”, while others are more concerned with preservation of what they feel has come to be a part of German culture: the using of others for self-gratification, regardless of effect. This is where our documentary comes in, and it is the only one of its kind.
Using a mixture of interviews, news clips, live action scenes and animations, we will be presenting experiences and stories from Native Americans who live in or have visited Germany about the harmful effects of stereotypes. We will be correcting some of the most egregious misinformation about Natives, past and present, correcting whitewashed history written to justify genocide and land theft, and allowing Natives voices to present themselves and their cultures. Most especially, we focus on what they are doing now to keep their traditions alive in the face of so much disregard, appropriation and objectification. On the German side, scholars and experts will analyze and detail behaviors, cause and effects and the delusions regarding the role stereotyping plays in continuing white supremacy, colonialism and racism. Finally, we will explore what decolonization should look like in life, whether for colonizer or the colonized, in art, media, fashion, literature, and especially in film.
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