Native America Calling: Exploiting trauma for clicks

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Tuesday, October 8, 2024

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Exploiting trauma for clicks

A portrayal of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota by a YouTube personality with more than 2,000,000 subscribers is drawing criticism for focusing on stereotypes of poverty and substance abuse.

Tommy McGee, who goes by the name “Tommy G”, makes a name for himself producing what he calls “documentaries” that depict extremes of American life. His video from the reservation of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, called “The poorest place in America”, has more than 3,000,000 views.

The 42-minute video paints a picture primarily of meth and alcohol addiction, unemployment, squalor, and crime. But Pine Ridge residents, including one Native youth organization, say the video crosses the line into “poverty porn.”

Join Native America Calling to explore current approaches for responsible media representation of Native people.

The thumbnail for Tommy G’s video about the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota features a trailer with windows broken and an individual holding a bottle of alcohol in a place where liquor is outlawed. Source: youtu.be/TQhBZAx8DP4

Guests on Native America Calling

Melissa Greene-Blye (Miami Tribe of Oklahoma), professor of journalism at the University of Kansas

Kyle Mesteth (Oglala Lakota), CEO and founder of Ground Control in South Dakota

Clementine Bordeaux (Sicangu and Oglala Lakota), PhD in culture and performance from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a postdoctoral fellow with the University of California

Zaniyan Iron Eyes (Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota), intergovernmental ambassador for the Native American Youth Organization (NAYO)