Movie Boycott -Stereotyping Native People

[HJVsqzIMIS at aol.com]

Saludos List Members,

    Friends in the Native American Community shared this with me.

                                            Henry Vasquez

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January 18 - 2000
Mexika Eagle Society calls for boycott of "Road to El Dorado"
http://www.mexika.org

CONTACT INFO:
"Kurly" Tlapoyawa
Mexika Eagle Society
e-mail Godkillah at Hotmail.com

Michelle Melendez
Mexika Eagle Society
e-mail Loxicha at Hotmail.com
Phone (817) 390-7541

We the members of the Mexika Eagle Society call upon our indigenous brothers=
=20
and sisters to join us in openly protesting and boycotting the animated film=
=20
``The Road to El Dorado,=92=92 scheduled to be released March 31, 2000. This=
=20
film, produced by Dreamworks SKG, is a blatantly racist misrepresentation of=
=20
native culture and history, masquerading as an innocent children=92s movie.

It is extremely ignorant for the makers of ``El Dorado=92=92 to use the=20
slaughter and genocide of a people as the backdrop for a children=92s cartoo=
n.=20
The film exacerbates every stereotype associated with native people,=20
including the alleged (but never proven) practice of human sacrifice, the=20
even more ludicrous notion of native people worshipping white men as =93Gods=
=94=20
(even though the concept of =93God=94 did not exist in any native society),=20=
and=20
of course, the European fantasy of native women falling in love with the=20
first white man they lay their eyes on.

The story revolves around two white men (the heroes of course) who stumble=20
upon a map to El Dorado and journey to the ``New World=92=92 in search of go=
ld.=20
Once there, they encounter an ignorant group of savages who quickly=20
pronounce them ``Gods,=92=92 and an enticing, voluptuous native woman who=20
quickly takes on the role of faithful sidekick. Then, of course, there=92s t=
he=20
fanatical native ``priest=92=92 who lusts for personal power and calls for h=
uman=20
sacrifice. Portraying native people in this fashion is like passing off Al=20
Jolson and Amos & Andy as black culture.

Students learn very little about native people as it is. Making light of the=
=20
European invasion of our land, even in a cartoon setting, is like making a=20
movie about the Holocause in which Germans are the heroes. This=20
misrepresentation of history only serves to reinforce and validate the=20
American public=92s total disregard for true native history. To dismiss it i=
s=20
as a mere cartoon suggests that feeding racist lies to unwitting children is=
=20
perfectly fine. It would be better for children to learn absolutely nothing=20
about native history than to hear these lies and have to unlearn them later=20
if they have any sense at all. What kind of twisted sense of self is this=20
film going to engender in young white kids who will see over and over again=20
how white people are superior in every way?

We know how it would make our children feel - just as we were made to feel=20
by attending Eurocentric American schools and reading false history books.=20
The only history we were taught was the history of our conquest by white=20
people. That despite 99% of our history occuring before the arival of=20
Europeans, the only history that mattered was that of our being=20
``civilized=92=92 and coming to know the great western way.

Of course it should not surprise us that films like this exist. After all,=20
throughout the entire history of this nation, native people have been looked=
=20
upon as being less than human. ``The Road to Eldorado=92=92 is but a link in=
 a=20
continuous chain of dehumanizing propaganda unleashed upon our people by=20
American society as a whole.

Therefore, the Mexika Eagle Society urges everyone to boycott this film, as=20
well as any business=92 which do promotional tie-ins associated with the=20
movie. Please note: this is not some juvenile scheme about being respected=20
as a =93market=94 of consumers, or demanding respect for our =93buying power=
.=94=20
These things mean nothing to us. This is about human dignity and having=20
respect for the history and traditions of others. In addition to boycotting=20
this film, join us in public protest by expressing your concerns in writing=20
to the powers at be at Dreamworks SKG:

Call: (818) 733-7774

Patricia Gonzalez
100 Universal Plaza Bldg. 10
Universal City, CA 91608
(818) 733-7755
Fax (818) 733-7775
pgonzalez at dreamworks.com

please forward your mail to:
mefoote at hotmail.com
jfang at dreamworks.com
etabak at dreamworks.com
sbilic at dreamworks.com
celliott at dreamworks.com
hbernstein at dreamworks.com

When calling, let them know that you are part of a unified protest. If you=20
are a Mexika Eagle Society member, let them know it!
Tell them: We demand that Dreamworks SKG place a disclaimer at the opening=20
of this movie in which they APOLOGIZE for the racist, stereotypical=20
representations of Native people and for the defamation of our character,=20
heritage and history! Also, WE DEMAND that as a show of good faith,=20
Dreamworks SKG establish a SCHOLARSHIP FUND for Native people!