racist?

Huh? don't understand the comment about racist...

Be Brave with a bow and arrow...Hummmm

Brave -- as in Native American, with a feather headdress and a bow and arrow.

I don't think it's racist -- but I also admit that I didn't get the joke consciously until it was pointed out.

I agree with nisiepie

Ok, can someone please explain why this is racist? I have sat here for five minutes looking at it and I don't get that vibe at all. Yes, I see the Native American reference, but It's a sweet picture with a positive message... what is offensive about it? Am I missing something?

I thought it was cute too. Doesn't racism involve negativity?

I'm not 100% sure about it, either, but I would venture to guess it's got something to do with the fact that even if a stereotype is positive, it's still racist.

Friends of mine who analyze Native American literature were very upset with Urban Outfitters taking Native American imagery out of context and without permission. Similarly, perhaps using a phrase like "brave" as a pun suggests that Native American culture is somehow also a joke.

And finally, it could be racist because it presents an "Indian Brave" as an owl--literally an animal. It could be compared to comparing Africans or African-Americans as monkeys, which we would certainly identify as racist.

I've not got a dog in the fight, but those are just some ideas.

Wow. It really is all about perspective!!

its racist. think if it was any other ethic or minority group we wouldn't be having this conversation because there would be no doubt. there should be no doubt about this either.

"Get a life" is not a commensurate response to, "This can be seen as racist."

Uncomfortable feelings should be discussed, whether "valid" or a "verdict" is possible. This combines a cute image with signifiers of a people whose representations are still fraught with contention past and present (i.e. "brave" is the pat association fed to kids, who aren't given the entire context of how it became "us VS them" - so it's a nice innocent veil hiding the ugly bits that continue to have present day consequences.)

Some may ask, Does it promote us positively? (A can of worms here too: who gets to depict Native American warrior's masculinity, does this emasculate him, does promoting him suppress the female counterpart, etc.) Is it insensitive to our voice (who owns it or gives the permission?) Any (non-overtly negative) visual presence is better than none (at least the other you-know-what)? Etc.

Until the in-group voice gains enough self-made legitimacy or gains mainstream crossover, this (who speaks what for whom) will always raise some eyebrows.

Nice try, adelee (and hey, at least you gave it a go, unlike others who have just made bald assertions), but let's skip the psuedo-intellectual speak.

Racism is the belief that some races are intrinsically inferior. Referring to Native American warriors as 'braves' is not derogatory in any way.

How ridiculous.

Asians are smart, Jews are wealthy, and Black people are great dancers. See, even stereotypes that portray positive images are still racist stereotypes because you are making assumptions about or characterizing an entire group of people. Uncool.

Interesting question: do we know that the artist is non-Native American? If she is Native American, then is it still racist?

I dismissed it, but initial message seems to be 'get up the nerve and kill something'. Upon closer inspection; the tiny high heels, meaning a chick and the message; go out and find your own love instead of waiting for it to come to you. Of course, it wouldn't be hard to think 'little owl' as a native American name. Racist? I doubt it intentionally.

I'm actually quite unhappy that a poster telling you to be brave seems to imply you need weaponry to do so.

Yes, it's racist (which is not as simple as dictionary definitions, but all about social institutions). It's called cultural appropriation and you find a LOT of examples of it when it comes to Native American dress/spirituality/etc (as in the Urban Outfitters example above and so many sports mascots). No one is saying that the artist "obviously hates Native Americans and thinks they're inferior", but that they are exercising their privilege to appropriate this imagery in a stereotypical and negative way.

And no one is saying that you have to 'hate' a group of people to think they're inferior. But words mean something, and 'racism' doesn't just mean 'referencing another race in a cliched way'.

The image may be stereotypical, but that doesn't make it negative or racist. And there's no 'prvilege' being exercised by drawing a cute cartoon picture and making a play on the (positive) adjective 'brave'.

"Cultural appropriation" probably is a better explanation for the phenomenon here.

For an example of what this means, go see http://www.nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2012/09/paul-frank-offends-every-native-person.html

I am 100% sure that the artist didn't mean to do anything racist. But at the same time, just because something was done with good intentions doesn't mean it's unavailable for critique. Not mentioning that this is appropriation would allow mainstream American culture to *continue* profiting from Native Americans without at least just thinking about what's going on.

I'm not perceiving this debate as squabbling. It's not a trivial matter, and I think this conversation hasn't gone off the deep end as regards politeness.

@Dobry (1) There is a thing called "hyperbole". Not everything is literal. Also, rhetorical devices. (2) If an Native person says "that's demeaning and offensive"/"it's a culture, not a trend" how is that ridiculous?

As for the poster, I agree, I doubt the artist was doing anything intentionally harmful. However, I think the appropriation and unfortunate pun negate the cute-factor. Sure it's cute, but at whose expense? "Its just a poster!" isn't much of an argument. There are a myriad of historical posters, advertisements, and children's books that were trivial at the time of production, but now we see them as racist and sexist disasters. The smallness of the gesture or item does not proof it against criticism. This is a little too problematic for my taste, thanks.

Thank you, CleveGal, for being so clear and helpful. I agree that the website was being hyperbolic in order to continue being funny while making a strong point. The reason why I chose that post was because it was a recent one, not because it's the "best" articulation of this concept that I could find.

Dobry, with people like CleveGal trying to explain this viewpoint in a polite and patient matter, it's not totally fair to answer with what is essentially stopping up your ears and saying "nyah nyah nyah I can't hear you!" Sarcasm and rejection aren't helpful attitudes.

I do wish some of the commenters who were assertive about the claim that it was racist without explaining why, would come forward and explain a little more. I'm only trying to guess at this point because the problematic nature of the poster also eluded me; I didn't see it, either, Dobry, so we agree on that. However, I reiterate that finding specific terms like "cultural appropriation" is a positive step because it allows us to think differently and more subtly than the word "racist," which is a difficult word to use because it conjures up so many other battles, debates, and contexts. Ridiculing this attempt makes you appear insensitive and intellectually uncurious, and I am sure you are neither of these things in real life.

As someone who is Native American, here's an analogy. It would be a bit like having a picture of a black person with the saying "Don't be niggardly". What this painting is doing is using a racist name for a Native American male, "brave". (The racist female word is "squaw".) Those of you who were fortunate not to grow up in an era or community where these terms were commonly used might wonder why this makes people mad, but just know that these terms were not always used in the positive sense when referring to Native Americans.

The second offensive part of this image is that it goes straight to the stereotypical of bows and arrows and feathers. A headress isn't just pretty there is symbolism behind it.

The third part, dude owls are extremely bad for many Native American cultures. In mine they mean something serious but in others they are thought to be a symbol of death.

One thing that I need to make clear is that at least in the States, people have been taught wrong, wrong things about American Indians, and many times these stereotypes go unchallenged and are perpetuated to the point where people think they are true. We really need to understand this in order to move forward. Racism can be unintended. Racism is not always negative.

To the person who says "Get a life." We have a life, and it's a life that constantly and consistently has to deal with racial papercuts against our person. We would like it to stop, and we've been saying this for a while. When are you going to listen?

Dobry, you have spent just as much time as I have in this conversation. So you also have the time.

As a very much employed professor of English, I am quite happy to spend my leisure time trying to help others understand the cultural meanings that lurk beyond the surfaces of visual and verbal rhetoric. I am sorry that you try to minimize such efforts by seeing them as entertainment.

Actually, Tamarind, the word "niggardly" has nothing to do with black people. I appreciate the spirit of your analogy, but it's not accurate.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1725/is-niggardly-a-racist-word

I agree with you Tamarind. Thank you.