Dioramas 'demeaning' to Native Americans

[The Straight Story]

Dioramas 'demeaning' to Native Americans
Monday, February 19, 2007
BY DAVE GERSHMAN
News Staff Reporter

...

A group of six art students, as part of a class project, placed translucent screens over the collection of dioramas that are prominently displayed on the fourth floor of the U-M Exhibit Museum of Natural History.

They handed out fliers asking why the museum won't remove what they called "racist and demeaning dioramas.'' Among the students' complaints: The dioramas show romanticized depictions of Native American life and don't tell how those lives were changed with the introduction of Europeans to North America.


The dioramas, created in the 1950s, have been a popular stop for the legions of Michigan schoolchildren who have toured the museum over the years.

In the dioramas, 4-inch tall Native American figurines, representing people in Michigan and elsewhere in North America, cluster around dwellings, cook fish, make sap and perform other tasks.
....

She said the displays are well-researched and accurate for their time. Harris said she has heard from native people who like the dioramas and others who are disturbed by them. The museum worked with local Native Americans several years ago to add new labels to the dioramas to provide a greater understanding of the scenes, she said.



http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1171899635177190.xml&coll=2

[SayWhatYo]

1. I don't understand this at all...

Isn't this about the Native Americans and their culture, lifestyles and whatnots?

[The Straight Story]

2. I am not sure I fully get it either

I remember seeing similar things when I was a kid, not just of indians either (pilgrims, civil war, cavemen, and so on).

Back in the 50's there wasn't a lot of ways to capture the imagination of kids like we have today, and these sort of things put it all into 3d.

Can they be updated for the times? Sure, but I am not sure the label racist fits here.

[Bronyraurus]

3. Y'all on this thread are clearly RACIST

Clearly.

Red drippy sarcasm graphic.

[leftofthedial]

4. anyone who has ever gone to a natural history museum

is a latent bigot

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Hmm.

Not much information on who is actually protesting.

Is this a phony protest by people upset over the removal of that racist college mascot?

A college republican bake sale type thing?

[The Straight Story]

6. Well they had these legitimate complaints:

"The students also question the accuracy of the displays. One of the scenes, depicting life in the early 1600s, shows Native Americans outside during a winter thaw. Although the ground is white with snow, male figures have bare chests and women have bare arms."

Of course, it is raining here now and the snow is melting,cold out too, and I was outside in a short sleeve shirt and my neighbor was in shorts (as he was when it was raining ice a week ago). I hope to hell they never show me in a Diorama :rofl:

[GreenEyedLefty]

7. A little patronizing, no?

It seems as though native folks could speak for themselves just fine.