Stereotypes and misconceptions about Native Americans have been around for hundreds of years. Most of these common misconceptions come from some cultures who have only been taught or told one thing about a subject or group of individuals. In my experience I have met many Native Americans who destroy the stereotypes placed among them, thus constantly surprising me to the incorrect knowledge I have been taught about their culture. Several myths surround the Native American culture which mostly derive from, again, the lack of knowledge on this culture, as well as tales and mixed stories passed down through history. I will be describing the worldwide myths about Native Americans such as Native Americans get a free ride from US government, All Native Americans are rich from casinos, Mascots honor Native Americans, Thanksgiving proves Native Americans welcomed the pilgrims, and All the real Indians died off.

 

Myth #1: Native Americans get a free ride from US government.

 

        This myth comes from the states that host one or more Native American reservations. In an article by Kevin Gover in The Washington Post, he says that most people in states that host Native American reservations believe that Native Americans are not “subject” (Pg. 1) to the laws and regulations set by the American government (Pg. 1). This myth, however, is incorrect in the way that Native Americans are indeed subject to American laws and regulations and even pay taxes set by the government (Gover) (Pg. 1). Native American reservations are mostly the result of treaties made years before, not the “gift” (Grover) (Pg. 1) from the American government as many believe. The myth that they are different in any way economically, socially, or financially is incorrect. Native Americans also must pay not only their own reservation taxes, but also American government taxes, which weighs heavily on the Native culture.   

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Myth #2: All Native Americans are Rich from Casinos. 

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        Native Americans just steal our land and get rich from casinos. This myth derives from the thought that every recognized Indian tribe has a casino thus providing jobs, which leads to riches. Wrong. In an article by Dwanna Robertson in The Indian Country Today, she states that the common misconception is that people think every single Indian tribe has a casino. (Grover) (Pg. 1) This is indeed incorrect according to a NIGC Fact Sheet, “out of 576 recognized tribes, only 238 operate 474 gaming facilities, thus leaving 58% of the reservations without any casino at all” (Robertson) (Pg. 2). With this information it is safe to conclude that the myth of Native Americans being rich because of casinos is false. The fact that 58% of the reservations do not have casinos means that 58% of the Natives are indeed poor (Grover) (Pg. 2). Without the casinos offering jobs to each Native, reservations struggle to pay reservation taxes as well as American taxes, leaving only 42% of the reservations to be rich from casinos.  

 

Myth #3: Mascots Honor Native Americans.

 

        Mascots have been the epitome of Sports teams for years. They represent a special kind of animal, object, or word for the team that encompasses the sport. In an article by Kevin Gover in The Washington Post, he states that “a certain number of tribes have permitted teams to using their likeness,” (Gover) (Pg. 1). He also says that most tribes have not let teams use their likeness because this represented “continued social and economic power” (Gover) (Pg. 1). This article shows that not only American culture, but others, use a common misconception of Native Americans for recreation when they do not know the heritage. Sports teams who use mascots sometimes represent the plains Indians which can cause misinterpretation about the original tribal heritage (Gover) (Pg. 1)

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Myth #4: Thanksgiving Proves Native Americans Welcomed the Pilgrims. 

 

        Most people think that when pilgrims first landed in North America, Native Americans and the pilgrims immediately were at peace. In an article by Derek Beres in Your Daily Microdose of Genius, he states “in the four years leading to the feast, somewhere between one-third to 90% of the Natives had been killed by an unknown epidemic, making the Plymouth grab much easier” (Beres) (Pg. 3). He is saying that the myth that the pilgrims immediately were friendly with the Indians is false. Pilgrims came to North America to look for more land and did not intend to make peace with the Indians, thus creating a four-year war between the two groups. 

 

Myth #5: All the Real Indians Died off. 

 

        Many people think that the Native American community today is not as true or real as the Indians from centuries past. This assumption, however, is untrue. In an article by Derek Beres in Your Daily Microdose of Genius, he explains that “admitting Indian-ness invites discrimination.” He is saying that without definite genealogical markers, Native Americans are open to unrelenting persecution (Beres) (Pg. 3). The myth that all the real Indians are gone is false in the way that even though Native Americans today do not wear all the traditional Indian outfits, does not make them any less connected to their heritage. When these false allegations are made about or to a Native American, it is considered offensive to the tribal traditions and community.  

 

        With all the myths surrounding Native Americans today, there are many ways in which we could help change the course of false misconceptions that surround not only Native American communities, but also other cultures that are misunderstood and misinterpreted. We could take more time to research the heritage of the cultures we are curious about, as well as waiting to judge before assuming the common label put on a community or group of people.