An American Symbolism?

One of the main points of class discussion today was the legacy of "playing Indian" in America. When delving into the reasons for why a White person would desire to engage in such an act, some students referred to Philip J. Deloria's work. In his chapter, "Natural Indians and Identities of Modernity," he writes,

"Because those seeking authenticity have already defined their own state as inauthentic, they easily locate authenticity in the figure of an Other. This Other can be coded in terms of time (nostalgia or archaism), place (the small town), or culture (Indianness)." (101)

This statement affirms that White men didn't feel authentically tied to America upon "founding" this land where they could declare themselves independent from Britain. The insecurity that arose from this perceived lack of authenticity compelled them to seek what they didn't have in the very culture they otherized--"Indianness." To them, playing Indian was a way for them to try to claim the narrative of being native to America long before the 1600s. 

Furthermore, I was struck by the manner in which playing Indian has permeated places higher education, particularly Stanford. My group today read an article published by the Stanford Native American Cultural Center entitled, "The Removal of the Indian Mascot of Stanford." For about 40 years, Stanford athletic jerseys dawned the "Indian" as a symbol and mascot, dehumanizing an entire group of Americans. In the 1970s, President Lyman listened to the petition of Native American students and staff and had the mascot removed.

This history prompted me to think about Stanford today. Presently, we annually host the largest powwow ever put on by students, offer the Native American Cultural Center as a resource for students, and have the Native American themed house, Muwekma. All of these things are representative of efforts to perpetuate the fact that Native Americans are human beings rather than mascots. I'm interested in learning more deeply about how far Stanford has actually progressed from the understanding of "Indianness" that pervaded athletic paraphernalia until the 1970s.

Moreover, Deloria's reading made me recall a previous class session in which we discussed Becoming Mexican American. Professor Hobbs explained that people of Chinese descent who were discriminated against in America would sometimes play Mexican in order to have greater opportunities. Is playing the identity of a perceived Other a staple in American history?