Being an avid nature lover, I spent nearly 10
years of my summers growing up in various summer camps spread-out across the
East Coast. Whether sleep-away or day camp, though, I began to notice a common
symbol that all of these camps would sell themselves through – Native American
tradition. Depictions of dream catchers, eagle feathers and other (often
stereotypical or overly simplified) symbols of Native American culture were a
commonplace throughout camp pamphlets; they were intertwined with the camps’
company logos and flashed around the screen on official websites. While camp
was in session, Facebook pages flooded with images of 8-year old dancing with
counselors to Flo Rida during “pow wows” and sitting around camp fires while
(usually-white) camp directors donned their “traditional headdresses.”
Our class discussions concerning
Native American culture and its complex connection to some sort of undefined
“American identity” interested me as I began to reflect on the many examples of
often blatant cultural appropriation that I had witnessed as a child (and still
witness today). Undeniably, camps throughout America see an advantage to
associating and marketing themselves with these symbols, an idea that only
proves that America’s confusing fascinating with grabbing onto elements of
Native American culture has continued on to today. Perhaps this fascination is
a product of a longstanding myth that Native Americans have an unparalleled
connection with and care for the earth around them. The perpetuation of this
stereotype may therefore be in part to achieve an image of a down-to-earth,
authentic “American” camp. Regardless, there
is no denying that while such symbols may very well create a sense of tradition
among campers, there is an inherent problem with utilizing the culture of
others – particularly when it is used inauthentically to essentially sell a
contrived image. Rather than picking and choosing symbols of Native American
culture that fit their own desired agenda, camps around the country need to
focus on appreciating rather than utilizing the cultures of others; cultures
should never be selling points.