Dina Gilio-Whitaker: Questioning the Village People's 'Indian'

Why on earth, after American Indians have for decades been successfully waging war against the use of Indian stereotypes in popular culture, is Felipe Rose still parading around on stage in an Indian costume like a character in a Mel Blanc cartoon come to life? The humoristic use of costumes and play on stereotypes in Village People’s act is not offensive in and of itself, but Rose’s Halloween-style Indian is the only character to play on the identity of a living culture. What if there was a caricaturized Hasidic Jew, a Japanese Samurai, or, god forbid, a guy in blackface? It wouldn’t be tolerated by any of those groups for one second, not in this day and age.

I might be able to argue that back in the 1970s when the Village People first came out the social awareness was not quite there, which was why Rose could get away with it without much criticism. But that doesn’t explain why he continues to exploit the stereotype today, except to say that it no doubt is still a good living for him. It’s doubly perplexing assuming it’s true that he is, as he claims, of Lakota heritage. I’m not even questioning his identity claims. But I can’t help but wonder how he can continually justify perpetuating Indian stereotypes reminiscent of the ridiculous and now defunct Chiefs Illiniwek and Wahoo mascots? The only thing worse than a parody of an Indian by a non-Indian is a parody of an Indian by an Indian.