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NMAI director welcomes changes in Indian imagery in Peter Pan

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Alanna Saunders, who claims Cherokee ancestry, portrays Tiger Lily in NBC's Peter Pan Live! Photo from NBC

Kevin Gover, the director of the National Museum of the American Indian, is commending NBC for making changes to its production of Peter Pan.

NBC cast actress Alanna Saunders, who claims descent from members of the Cherokee Nation, in the role of Tiger Lily. In the book and the Disney film version, Lily is the daughter of a chief in the "Picaninny" tribe.

“The National Museum of the American Indian commends NBC for taking the initiative and reaching out to Native artists to consult on the production of Peter Pan to ultimately create a new version of Tiger Lily for this generation of Peter Pan fans," Director Kevin Gover said in a statement on Facebook. " Tiger Lily was an imaginary Indian - she was created decades ago for a storybook. Although a character, and a beloved one at that, she didn’t (and her song didn’t) represent the American Indians of the past nor today. This new interpretation of Tiger Lily is closer to our heritage, our culture and portrays a deeper sensitivity and helps diminish the many stereotypes surrounding Native Americans.”

NBC also hired Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, as a consultant for the project. Tate updated one of the songs in the original production that used nonsensical "Indian" words.

"So the song is supposed to sound nonsensical, but what we did was find authentic Indian language to put in there," Tate told Salon.Com.

The live production of Peter Pan airs tonight on NBC.

Get the Story:
Museum of American Indian director cheers updating of Peter Pan’s Tiger Lily (The Washington Post 12/3)
Local woman stars in NBC's 'Peter Pan Live!' (KING 5 News 12/3)