Another response to The Indian-Oz Connection:
Another response to The Indian-Oz Connection:
A correspondent submitted the following story to suggest L. Frank Baum's appreciation of Indians:
Rob's comment
This is a story about buffaloes, not Indians. It mentions Indians only in passing and doesn't characterize them one way or another.
If you're suggesting the buffalo tribe is a metaphor for an Indian tribe—which requires assumptions, of course—I'd say this "tribe" is stereotypical. Most of its culture consists of the brute-force battle over who gets to be king. Actually, most Indian leaders were chosen by popular opinion for their wisdom and vision. If battles to the death for the top spot occurred, I'd say they were rare.
If you're not suggesting the buffalo tribe is a metaphor for an Indian tribe, consider the possibility. Then consider what comparing a tribe of humans to a tribe of animals conveys. It conveys that humans (that is, Indians) weren't much above dumb beasts.
Do the buffalo represent a Indian tribe, or do they represent a separate, distinct ethnic culture? Either way, my conclusion is the same:
This tribe is devoid of any real culture, especially the religious rites that would accompany the selection of a "king." The story paints the buffalo as a primitive and savage people. As evidence that Baum appreciated Indians or other minorities, I'd say it fails. He appreciated them the way any "civilized" man might appreciate an exotic breed of animal.
Related links
Savage Indians
Uncivilized Indians
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