Johnson wrote,For My Indian Daughter?, which is a passage about the shame and humiliation that was brutally imposed upon him for being an Indian. Johnson described how he came to terms with who he is, a Native American. He also explains his hopes for his daughter to have a brighter future. Johnson's belief concerning Indians is they are stereotyped as dirty and are associated with horses and feathers. I believe these stereotypes will never be effectively eliminated because they continue to be taught to children and are profitable.
Johnson believes Indians are stereotyped as dirty. Johnson quotes the men in his barrack,We won't have any dirty Indians in our outfit?(336). In a humiliating experience while in the military, Johnson was subjected to this racist hatred first hand. He was thrown into a shower and scrubbed with rough brushes. Years of hateful, inaccurate, negative imagery has made the color of Johnson's skin dirty. He felt his attack was ironic since he was, in fact, cleaner than his barrack roommates. This demeaning image goes back to when the whites first encountered the Native American and their unusual redskin. Their redskin depicted as beingdirty? has been perpetuated through out the history of this country. Even the American President, Theodore Roosevelt, wrote that the Indian was indeed dirty. This stereotyping of Indians makes them a victim of racism. The effect of this cruelty has made the Native American feel sub-human and different. The roots of this unjust and hurtful bigotry are buried deep within our culture. Being called a dirty Indian still causes many tears of shame today. Another stereotype that is embedded in our culture is the picture of an Indian on a horse wearing feathers.
Indians are identified with horses and feathers. Johnson quotes his four-year-old neighbor,??You aren't a real Indian, are you?Then where's your horse and feathers?(337)? The first image that comes to mind when you picture a Native American is an Indian wearing a headdress full of feathers astride a horse.
