Disney Appropriation--"Injun Donald"

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn't belong...let's see: Minnie Mouse, Tom Sawyer's Island, Fantasmic Logo...In'jun Donald?!

Reader Audra sent over this image, taken at Disneyland, of the side of the penny-stretching machine (remember those? you stick a penny and like 50 cents in, and get a smooshed penny with a souvenir design in it?). Here's the penny itself (the middle one):

It's a little hard to see, but the image is of Donald Duck, looking angry, and wearing a headdress. Here's another image of Donald in a headdress I found on an antiques website, it's a puzzle from 1955:

(source)

He looks remarkably more happy in that one, though is still brandishing a tomahawk and surrounded by stereotypical "Indian" gear.

Audra actually went to City Hall at Disney to inquire more (you go!) and said the cast member was shocked they still used that term on the penny machine.

Of course, Disney is on my worst offenders list for Native cultural appropriation and straight-up racism. They're no strangers to blatantly offensive, ignorant, and insensitive portrayals of Indigenous peoples in their movies, marketing, and parks. Some of my first posts on this blog were inspired by a trip to Disney World. The posts can be found here:

Disneyworld Part I: Magic Kingdom

Disneyworld Part II: Epcot and Animal Kingdom

Disneyworld Part III: Disney Wilderness Lodge (this one's crazy--an entire hotel based on appropriations of Native culture)

If you'd like to submit a complaint to Disney (I'm not promising they'll listen, but feel free to link to the blog), Audra pointed me to this site: https://secure-disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/help/contactUs?name=ContactUsPage&bhcp=1

Enjoy?

(Thanks Audra!)

Look what I found in the bottom of my purse...

 

I had forgotten I'd grabbed a stir stick from the bar at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. It had been skewering an orange in my beer in a previous life.  

Previous post: 

Appropriations at Disney World Part 3: Disney's Wilderness Lodge:

http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2010/01/appropriations-at-disney-world-part-3.html

Appropriations at Disney World Part 3: Disney Wilderness Lodge

yeah, that's a Navajo rug coke machine. Welcome to Disney's Wilderness Lodge! The pictures that follow are all from the lobby of the hotel, which describes its decor as:

Taking inspiration from the early 1900s—a time when the spirit of the American pioneer soared—and cues from Native American cultures, the theme of being in harmony with nature winds through Disney's Wilderness Lodge—inside and out. Authentic decor and genuine artifacts pay homage to ancient Native American cultures and the pioneering spirit of early American explorers

note the use of the words "authentic" and "genuine". After the jump, a million pictures of "authenticity" at its best. I also recommend a look at their website here.

some gorgeous moccasins in a display case, but with no description or anything to note if they're Native made, or where or when they're from.

from farther away--Plains style, eastern woodlands style...all together.

The first of a couple "Native" headdresses, the description on it read "inspired by a 19th century crow headdress." More like inspired by an ostrich.

This gem sits behind the check-in desk. If you can't tell from the picture it's a "peace pipe" with mickey mouse ears.

a line of cradle boards behind the reception desk (again with no descriptions or anything)

I found this juxtaposition nice...the Indian landscape with lincoln logs for the kids to practice being "pioneers"

Lamp at the restaurant

another "inspired by" headdress, this one "19th century Sioux"

apologies for the dark picture, but this is the totem pole that runs from the floor to the ceiling in the lobby

rug on the wall in the gift shop

Buckskin "dress" in the gift shop (it's actually just one layer, made to look like a dress)

lighting in the gift shop

Tipi lighting in the lobby

drum lighting outside the bathrooms

Disney totem pole outside the gift shop

"inspired by a 19th century crow headdress" I believe the exact words out of my mouth were: "omygod it looks like an effing muppet"

back of the muppet headdress, sorry my camera is bad at low light photos

see? totally the same.
(gotta love the labyrinth)

northwest coast designs on the pool bar

random artifacts thrown in a display case. Monica pointed out that most people would assume the horse hair on the right was a scalp (it's not).

Wall decoration: "inspired by 19th century sioux winter count"

Fireplace screen...they're making smoke signals.

Finally, for comparison's sake, the display case next to the fireplace. Rocks, Natives--same thing, right?

Wilderness Lodge webpage: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/wilderness-lodge-resort/

Appropriations at Disney World Part 2: Epcot and Animal Kingdom

Most of my pictures from Epcot come from the "World Showcase" which could be a dissertation in itself--it was fascinating to see which aspects and icons from countries they chose to feature, which were omitted, and how little explanation was given with the structures and images.

The picture above (and most that follow) comes from the Canadian village, which was almost exclusively Native themed--while interestingly the American Village looked like a stereotypical new England town:
Anyway, after the jump, lots of photos of Canadian First Nations Appropriations, a few Mayan/Aztec appropriations, followed by some disturbing representations of Indigenous Africans at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

behind the totem pole you can see the rest of the Canadian Village--pretty nondescript

More Canadian Village

They had "traditional" masks to take pictures with outside the village


Behind the cash register inside the "trading post"

Trading Post

Souvenir coin machine inside trading post

Dream catchers for sale

Apparently the dream catchers are from a "100% Native Owned" company. hmm.

Now we go to Mexico!

Indigenous imagery on the front of the pyramid structure

Pyramid in the Mexican Village

Moving on to Animal Kingdom, which is partially set in a fictitious, purposely aged and run-down "African Outpost" called "Harambe" which (thanks google) means "coming together as one" in Swahili. Sorry for all those quotation marks. I only snapped a couple photos of things that just stopped me in my tracks:

Get your picture taken with a Real African! I was just struck how these men were put in the same role as Mickey or Donald Duck--characters on display.

Look kids, you can get your face painted like a tiger, or a butterfly, or...

an African Ceremony?!

Still to come, photos from the Disney Wilderness Lodge, a luxury resort that is completely Native themed. Think totem poles, winter counts, peace pipes, and lincoln logs all rolled into one decor.

Miley Cyrus Has Fake Breasts!

Miley Cyrus recently got a lot of exposure, literally, because of a picture snapped by a paparazzo while she was shopping. The teen pop star was wearing one of those shirts that female celebrities see m to adore so much lately with loose sides and an open back.



They can't wear bras with them, so a gust of wind, lifting an arm, or leaning over can expose the whole side of their breast, creating what Peter Griffin affectionately refers to as "side boob".



Miley Cyrus' side boob shot was, fortunately for the pap who took the picture, nipple-free. With the way the girl dresses, I'm sure there is a photographer out there somewhere with photos that would be considered child porn; they just could never come forward with them.



But if giving Disney another headache wasn't enough, Miley Cyrus herself has ventured into the place than many pop princess before her have been: the place on celebrity blogs and gossip rags that tell the world that you have gotten breast implants