Breaking Native American and Alaska Native Stereotypes

More than four decades ago, a now-famous PSA featured a man called Iron Eyes Cody paddling up a polluted river and extolling respect for the environment. Cody, who claimed Native ancestry, was later revealed to be Italian-American. However, for many Americans, the commercial created a stereotype of Native Americans as the “first environmentalists.” Media informed by these tropes often mischaracterize Indigenous connections to land. This panel will discuss how we can tell more honest environmental stories featuring Native peoples.

This session is part of the 2021 Pulitzer Center Conference Environment (Re)Defined. A full list of the conference events can be found here. To sign up for this panel individually, click here.

Featuring:

• Edilma Prada Céspedes, founder and director, Agenda Propia
• Tristan Ahtone, editor-in-chief, Texas Observer
• Alice Qannik Glenn, host and producer, Coffee & Quaq
• Amanda Tachine, assistant professor in educational leadership and innovation, Arizona State University
• Leilani Rania Ganser (moderator), Pulitzer Center grants and impact coordinator