If there’s one think Trek desperately needs to fix, it’s its abysmal track record in this area — from Miramanee’s planet to made-up Chakotay stuff. Maybe a future series — one which bothered to get its research right —could have a Native American protagonist captain (of a specific existing nation), plus a second crewmember somewhere in the mix who was also Native (and of a different specific existing nation). Not the focus of the show or anything, but just have that there.
Native American representation
- Thread starter FredH
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I'd welcome it. Absurdly stupid how ignored it is, and the ignorant any presentations have been in Trek.
It would require a lot of detailed historical research, and I doubt the current TPTB would be up to it.
Eh, shows like Echo managed to pull it off. And Reservation Dogs.
Here in the Southwest there are a lot of Native American reservations. I live near several, and know a lot of Native Americans. They're just people, you don't need to do extensive historical research to include, for example, a Navajo captain. In fact, it might be interesting to see how the cultural values of different Nations inform their thought process and decisions as captain.
Exactly. Here in the PNW I live close to three reservations, as well as know several Native people's. I could interview several in the span of a week and have a reasonable idea of cultural background, and values to build a character.
Star Trek can and definitely should do better in this area.
What’s worse in a way — and I hope this doesn’t get me in trouble — is that the earliest and arguably “worst” offender in this regard (“The Paradise Syndrome”) is, purely in dramatic terms, a lovely episode: used to be it would never fail to leave young me with tears in my eyes. (Yes, I know, White Savior Syndrome, but this was after all the 1960s.)
But yeah, it’s still probably the worst offender in the bunch, from misled ignorant non-tribally-specific Indians played by white actors, to the abovementioned WSS. Something like that could still have been produced as late as the 1990s (I can think of several shows that did).
But yeah, it’s still probably the worst offender in the bunch, from misled ignorant non-tribally-specific Indians played by white actors, to the abovementioned WSS. Something like that could still have been produced as late as the 1990s (I can think of several shows that did).
Seconded, OP. Star Trek has reasonably good Black and Asian representation (at times) but not Native American. That Jamake Hightower was exposed as a fraud about a decade before Voy came and they still used him is a travesty. Many indigenous nations exist in the USA alone yet are until recently remained outside of pop culture outside of mainly token or villain roles
like Neryk Mys said, Echo & Reservations Dogs managed it (and even then, Marvel has its own spotty track record when it comes to Native American characters, even in the MCU)
A large percentage of nations like Mexico and Colombia also have mixed ancestry (including NA) and tend not to represented in Star Trek either.
like Neryk Mys said, Echo & Reservations Dogs managed it (and even then, Marvel has its own spotty track record when it comes to Native American characters, even in the MCU)
A large percentage of nations like Mexico and Colombia also have mixed ancestry (including NA) and tend not to represented in Star Trek either.
And the thing is Trek actually made a perfectly good crack at it, all the way back in the 70s animated series with Ensign Walking Bear, who was mostly no huge deal but he was there (and specifically Comanche, thank you very much). Iirc, he got to basically give alien-Kukulkan the same speech Kirk gave alien-Apollo.
Some years ago, at a science fiction convention, I attended a panel about Native Americans and science fiction. As I recall, one of the panelists was Mapuche from Chile.
A reminder of how much diversity there is in the Americas.
A reminder of how much diversity there is in the Americas.
I don't know that it needs to be a "priority", but it certainly wouldn't hurt. It was somewhat baffling how badly Trek has approached this in the past... and this is coming from someone with next-to zero knowledge of Native Americans.
I disagree that this character should be a captain/main character, unless the story is specifically about Native Americans... and i'm sorry but i'm not particularly interested in a Star Trek show about Native Americans.. It's really just more of a pragmatic thing... the main character should probably have more mass appeal. Native Americans are a small minority group.
If we're talking about a group that really needs more immediate attention, it's probably South Asians/Indians.
I disagree that this character should be a captain/main character, unless the story is specifically about Native Americans... and i'm sorry but i'm not particularly interested in a Star Trek show about Native Americans.. It's really just more of a pragmatic thing... the main character should probably have more mass appeal. Native Americans are a small minority group.
If we're talking about a group that really needs more immediate attention, it's probably South Asians/Indians.
Well, not just Natives, just a general dearth of any other country other than USA, Were's the German, where's the Uzbekistan? NA isn't the only one being ignored or completly mis represented. Hope the Academy will do better.
It's been said Detmer is German...off screen...in a novel...yeah, that about it.
You aren't wrong.
The pessimist in my wants to reply with something like "not diverse enough, nobody cares".
I kind of miss when "diversity" meant like, Italians, Germans, Russians, Portuguese, Nigerians, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Colombian, Australian, Jamaican, Vietnamese, etc. Not just like, "No yt ppl"
With a universal translator, how do we know for certain we don't have a lot of these representations? Burnham can be from (name any single country) for all we know since it was never stated where on earth she was born.
Or are we only looking for accents?
Or are we only looking for accents?
I think just an acknowledgement works. I do think we should also look beyond though and consider Star Trek as a universe in and of itself. I don't want everyone to be from and identify with a modern Earth nation. Make note of people from like, Vega or something.
Should be a mix: Bryce is from Luna. Rhys is from Wales, Owo is from Nigeria, Nilsson is from Hong Kong, Christopher is from Phoenix, Detmer is from Germany, Gallo is from Deneva....
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By not acknowledging, anyone in theory can imprint what they want and feel representated. By naming a country of origin, you immediately exclude the rest and people complain.
