Was Chakotay a stereotype?

[The Overlord]

It seemed like there were a lot of times where Chakotay would act like a Native American stereotype.

Look at this quote from Basics Part 2:

""Trapped on a barren planet, and you're stuck with the only Indian in the universe who can't start a fire by rubbing two sticks together."

And that's hardly the only time he acts this way. It seems odd to me that Native America spirituality is seen in the 24th century, but you never see Christianity or Islam mentioned much, if at all. Janeway is white and has an America accent, but she doesn't talk about Jesus all the time, so why does Chakotay mention the Sky Spirits almost all the time. That just seems to be part of the stereotyping.

 

[Guy Gardener]

His spirituality is based on Aliens gently raping his culture.

Jesus is made up fairy tales.

There were actual Aliens pretending to be gods that created his religion and no matter their fall from grace after interbreeding with humans for ten centuries, a thousand years earlier they were probably as advanced and cunning as Janeway on the Basics planet dealing with those savages who tried to eat Kes.

 

[R. Star]

It would've actually been cool if they seriously made an effort to have Chakotay express his culture and spirituality in a believable way. Specifically name a tribe, don't just barrow cliche elements from the stereotype and put an effort into research.

It would be just as bad if they had a black man on there who practiced voodoo, played jazz, hunted lions and referenced working in the cotton fields.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Janeway is white and has an America accent, but she doesn't talk about Jesus all the time, so why does Chakotay mention the Sky Spirits almost all the time.

To sound cool and mystical.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Rob claimed off camera that Chakotay was a native South American Indian, which is not to be confused with all the Spaniards who claim that they're natives.

But then if he is a member of the "Rubber tree people" Tribe, which he is, that makes a lot of sense.

Where in North America do you find a quantity of Rubber trees?

No bloody where.

Rubber Trees are tropical.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I think there were some visuals which would point them to South America but I don't recall what (other then the definitely not North American foliage). Which makes the rubbing together with two sticks thing even more dumb as that is not a South American stereotype. I think it ended up a grab bag of cliches to which the word indian was attached.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I wish I had a religion that was proved to be aliens.

 

[Guy Gardener]

It's a question of necessity.

They needed fire.

Chakotay was useless.

Kathryn provided.

They need an Archer.

Chakotay was useless.

Tuvok provided.

 

[R. Star]

But at least he can tell you all kinds of native american culture stories.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I wish I had a religion that was proved to be aliens.

Jesus claimed that he was god because he brought Methuselah back to life.

Methuselah was an Immortal alien called Flint from TOS.

Did Jesus lie about, take unwarranted credit or fake all of his other miracles too?

Um...

Have you heard the good word about Scientology?

 

[Guy Gardener]

But at least he can tell you all kinds of native american culture stories.

Once you accept that he made up the Angry warrior story, you have to wonder if Chuckles made up all his stories and then couched them in ancient Indian mysticism for the hard sell?

His pants are on fire.

 

[Deckerd]

Since when did one's ethnicity mean you had to be expert at everything in that society? It's the 24th century for fuck's sake. How many of them, d'you think could fly fish, imitate barn owls or woodpeckers to fool the authentic bird, run a red light without causing a pile-up or get served at a 6 deep bar 2 minutes before the bell?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I wish I had a religion that was proved to be aliens.

Jesus claimed that he was god because he brought Methuselah back to life.

Methuselah was an Immortal alien called Flint from TOS.

Did Jesus lie about, take unwarranted credit or fake all of his other miracles too?

That was Lazarus. From the Alternative Factor. And he should have stayed dead.

 

[Deckerd]

That was Lazarus. From the Alternative Factor. And he should have stayed dead.

Nerd

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Since when did one's ethnicity mean you had to be expert at everything in that society? It's the 24th century for fuck's sake. How many of them, d'you think could fly fish, imitate barn owls or woodpeckers to fool the authentic bird, run a red light without causing a pile-up or get served at a 6 deep bar 2 minutes before the bell?

They are all pathetic and can't do anything thanks to replicators, holodecks, transporters and too much evolved humanity for their own good.

 

[Melakon]

It would've actually been cool if they seriously made an effort to have Chakotay express his culture and spirituality in a believable way. Specifically name a tribe, don't just barrow cliche elements from the stereotype and put an effort into research.

It would be just as bad if they had a black man on there who practiced voodoo, played jazz, hunted lions and referenced working in the cotton fields.

The producers did have input from author Jamake Highwater, who presented 7 pages of research. Highwater had presented himself as of American Indian ancestry, though this was disputed by other Native Americans. Seems he was actually an Armenian named Jay Marks, who had been adopted by a Greek family. Highwater's critics called his works inauthentic, stereotypical, and claimed he got federal grant money illegally. (source: Wikipedia)

 

[Guy Gardener]

From requiem for methuselah
SPOCK: Your collection of Leonardo da Vinci masterpieces, Mister Flint, they appear to have been recently painted on contemporary canvas with contemporary materials. And on your piano, a waltz by Johannes Brahms, an unknown work in manuscript, written in modern ink. Yet absolutely authentic, as are your paintings.
FLINT: I am Brahms.
SPOCK: And da Vinci?
FLINT: Yes.
SPOCK: How many other names shall we call you?
FLINT: Solomon, Alexander, Lazarus, Methuselah, Merlin, Abramson. A hundred other names you do not know.
SPOCK: You were born?
FLINT: In that region of earth later called Mesopotamia, in the year 3834 BC, as the millennia are reckoned. I was Akharin, a soldier, a bully and a fool. I fell in battle, pierced to the heart and did not die.

Alternative Factor my bell bottomed ass.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Okay you win a snowman shaped t-shirt with I AM A WINNER on it in red glitter.

 

[Deckerd]

You know when you read dialogues like that it drives it home to everyone that ST is not even close to our own universe, which makes these threads even dafter than they were before.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

You mean how Captain Jack is missing from the list of folk Flint is?