A new exhibit exploring Native American stereotypes opened this week at The Museum at Warm Springs.
The Savages and Princesses: The Persistence of Native American Stereotypes visual art exhibition displays the work of 12 Native American artists, explaining how Indigenous stereotypes have persisted over the years.
Topics range from the sexualization of Native women, to the view of Native people as so-called ‘wild savages.’
“I think in the past we’ve been really careful about what we portray to our guests that come, and just be nice to them, but I think it’s time we open up and talk about some issues about stereotyping about Indians or Native Americans,” said the museum’s Associate Curator Angela Smith.
She said the exhibit is especially meaningful to the museum’s mostly female staff.
“I think that we also realize a lot of the images that are out there of women…their images are portrayed as sexualized images of Native Americans in tight buckskin clothing, and that really has caused larger issues of women becoming targets,” Smith said.
“More and more attention is being brought to missing and murdered Indigenous women, so anything that kind of helps the public become aware of the problems that we face, I think that brings awareness and that’s what we hope to share.”
The exhibit will be on display through May 25.
Folks can visit any time during museum hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
