Leslie Hannah seeks to educate Americans about native culture
Hannah, a Cherokee, is originally from Tahlequah, Okla., home of the headquarters of the Cherokee Nation. Addressing groups about his Cherokee heritage and dispelling many misunderstandings about American Indian culture have made Hannah into what he considers a "myth buster."
Leslie Hannah"I hate being stereotyped," Hannah, pictured at left, said, "and I think you would be shocked to know how many people know only stereotypes about Indians. America knows very little about its indigenous peoples, and generally what the nonnative world does know about Native Americans is wrong. What Americans know about American Indians generally comes from movies."
As I wrote in The Harm of Native Stereotyping: Facts and Evidence:
If anyone has an answer other than the media (i.e., stereotypes in the media), I haven't heard it.
For more on the subject, see The Influence of Movies.