What is The Anti-Indigenous Iconography Project?
The main goal of the project is to create a comprehensive list of anti-Indigenous iconography, the time each icon was installed, and the inscriptions or symbols that are paired with it, wherever applicable. This database will include Native school mascots, sports mascots, and monuments throughout present-day New England. Each icon can be further explored in order to better understand the history of the icon.
This project displays the scope of the issue and will hopefully allow people to better understand it and advocate around it, wherever applicable.
Icons of Interest
Why is each “type” of imagery important, and why is it relevant to this discussion?
-
Native mascots in local schools are one of the most visible forms of anti-Indigenous iconography, given that they must be interacted with by the students and the local community members. This kind of iconography typically presents caricatures of Native peoples, or perpetuates harmful stereotypes.
To learn more, check out the “Background” tab.
-
Statues and monuments are sometimes less overtly harmful than mascots, but they are important to include in the conversation.
When we’re speaking about public representations of Native people, statues of Native people that perpetuate stereotypes or misunderstood narratives about Indigenous people are common. What is more common, though, are statues of historical figures who have committed atrocities against Native people. These statues seldom properly educate readers on the context of the history, and stand to honor the actions of those who have enacted violence.
To learn more, check out the “Background” tab.
-
Some other examples of public representations of Indigenous people or anti-Indigenous figures are kinds of other iconography that are “permanently” publicly available.
To learn more, check out the “Background” tab.