Thomas King makes many interesting points throughout his book called The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. One of the topics that King discusses at length is the representation of Indigenous People in literature, photographs, and other media. Many people have preconcieved notions about what Indigenous people should look like and what lifestyles they should live. At one point in the novel, King describes a conversation he had with a German man on a ship to New Zealand. The German man says, "You're not the Indian I had in mind" (King 48). This statement demonstrates that stereotypes about Indigenous people have flourished, and this has ultimately led them to be misrepresented in society. This idea is best summarized through a quote that says, "Somewhere along the way, we ceased being people and somehow became performers in an Aboriginal minstrel show for White North America" (King 68).

This sort of misrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples is evident in our community despite many wanting to believe that these stereotypes are not being perpetuated. One of the most notable cases was Medicine Hat High School's use of 'Mohawks' and 'Kwahommies' for their sports teams. An article published by Chat News on September 3rd, 2020 describes the decision the school had made to discontinue for these names and opt for something different. The principal of the school, Boris Grisonich, stated, " . . . We feel that what we tell our kids it means to be a Mohawk is through our eyes, not their eyes and so we didn't think think that was fair" (Roblin and Wagner). This sort of naming and logo combination was cultural appropriation because it was a disingenuous representation of these Indigenous peoples. Instead of letting these people self-represent their culture and identity, they were "immortalized" with a stereotypical image for the school's logo.

If you are interested in reading the full article, here is the link:
https://chatnewstoday.ca/2020/09/03/medicine-hat-high-school-to-discontinue-mohawks-kwahommies-names/

Works Cited:

King, Thomas. The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. House of Anansi Press, 2003.

Roblin, Scott, and Chantal Wagner. "Medicine Hat High School to Discontinue Mohawks, Kwahommies Names." Chat News Today, 3 Sept. 2020, https://chatnewstoday.ca/2020/09/03/medicine-hat-high-school-to-discontinue-mohawks-kwahommies-names/. Accessed 20 September, 2022.