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Stereotype of the Month Entry
(7/28/05)


Another Stereotype of the Month entry:

Correspondent Susan Casey sent the following cartoon along with this note:

I have never heard of Navajo ruins. The ruins in that area are probably Anasazi.

Also, using "Navajo" and "ruins" in the same sentence might imply: 1) Navajos are a thing of the past and 2) Navajos are a ruin.

Another response to the cartoon:

Cartoon disrespectful of Native Americans

Shame on The Blade for running the appalling July 28 "Dennis The Menace" cartoon, which was incredibly insensitive to all Native Americans. The cartoon depicts the Mitchell family in the Southwest visiting a "Navajo Ruins."

Dennis is standing on a lower wall of the ruins while lassoing a higher portion. His mother states, "We should be thankful they were in ruins before he got here." Despite clearly being aware of their child's destructive intent, Dennis' parents totally disregard his outrageous (and illegal) behavior and the serious physical damage he can cause to ancient and irreplaceable Native American sites -- a legacy to be enjoyed by future generations.

This cartoon, so disrespectful of Native Americans and their rich heritage, has no rightful place in our multicultural society.

Jeffrey Gordon

Associate Professor of Geography
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green

Rob's reply
Of course, the proper response isn't to ban a cartoon like this one. Rather, it's to educate people about the cartoon: either with an attached note, a letter to the editor, or a posting like this one.

Related links
Native comic strips vs. comic books


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