Breaking Stereotypes: How Media Shapes Indigenous Representation

Indigenous cultures which basically represents the rich traditions, languages, and worldviews of the original peoples from many regions. Americas, Australia, Africa, and Asia regions are of great historical and cultural significance. These cultures are portrayed in mainstream media has often been a matter of concern, irrespective of their importance and worth. Mainstream media may include films, television, and news. These media platforms play a powerful role in shaping public understanding. Besides this aspect it frequently presents these cultures through a disfigured lens. The representation of these indigenous cultures has long been debated. These cultures have either been idealized as ancient or depicted as outdated in history. Such illustrations raise critical questions. These question are about how traditional peoples are perceived as well as treated around the world. Mainstream media reaches a global audience, so it has the potential to either reinforce harmful stereotypes. The core issue is whether media portrayals reflect the true complexity and diversity of indigenous cultures or it will continue to rely on outdated stereotypes in future.

The indigenous cultures that has been discussed by the mainstream media becomes a main headline for many years. Many researchers has shown in their research works that  that indigenous media is continuously spreading inaccurate and erroneous content and that the misrepresentation and stereotyping of indigenous people are shown in media.(Browne,2017;Francis,2016).
This can badly effects the self esteem, identity and mental health of indigenous people.(Woods,2018).

Researches also spotlighted the lack of diversity and depiction in media industries with marginalization of indigenous people in key creative roles (Hunt,2017). Due to this we face lack of authentic depiction and continuously spreading stereotypes (Gripsrud,2017).

However, there are many other examples of veritable representation and respectful representation can be possible due to the indigenous and non-indigenous creators (Lewis,2018).

Overall, this literature focuses on the significance of authentic representation and the need for greater diversity and media industries representation. We can work towards a more vast  and respectful media landscape.

Here are some additional literature that are relevant to our article:

1. “The Impact of Media Representation on Indigenous Communities” by Dr. Jessica Metcalfe (2019)
2. “Representing Indigenous Peoples in the Media: A Guide for Journalists” by the Indigenous Media Arts Group (2018)
3. “Indigenous Peoples and the Media: A Literature Review” by Dr. Brendan Hokowhitu (2017)
4. “Decolonizing the Media: A Framework for Indigenous Media Production” by Dr. Sue Abel (2016)
5. “Indigenous Representation in the Media: A Critical Analysis” by Dr. Katherine McKenna (2015)
6. “The Role of Media in Shaping Indigenous Identity” by Dr. Lisa Fletcher (2014)
7. “Indigenous Peoples and the Media: A Global Perspective” by Dr. Priscilla Ovalle (2013)
8. “Representing Indigenous Cultures in the Media: A Guide for Media Makers” by the National Museum of the American Indian (2012)

These sources provide a range of perspectives and insights on the representation of Indigenous peoples in the media, and may be useful in supporting the arguments made in the article.

The article “The Representation of Indigenous Cultures in Mainstream Media: Authenticity Vs. Stereotyping” provides an intriguing examination of indigenous cultures in mainstream media. The article raises pivotal questions about the continuously spreading of stereotypes in mainstream media, the significance of authentic representation, and need for greater distinctiveness and representation in media industries.

• The article spotlight the perseverance of harmful stereotypes. It also provides a broad overview of historical context of indigenous representation in media.
• The article highlights the importance of genuine depiction, corporation with indigenous creators and indigenous outlook involvement. 

• Statements like “indigenous people are often treated unfairly  in media” could be supported with more examples.
  Overall, the article productively highlighted the importance of authentic representation. 

mainstream media often misrepresents indigenous cultures through stereotypes, limiting public understanding of their true diversity and modernity. By embracing authentic portrayals and including indigenous voices, media can help break these harmful patterns, fostering greater understanding and respect  for indigenous communities worldwide.

References

• • Browne, S. (2017). “Representations of Indigenous Peoples in Canadian Media”. Canadian Journal of Communication, 42(2), 231-246.
  • Francis, L. (2016). “Stereotypes and Indigenous Peoples in the Media”. Journal of Indigenous Studies, 5(1), 1-14.
  • Gripsrud, J. (2017). “Media, Representation, and Indigenous Peoples”. Nordicom Review, 38(2), 31-44.
  • Hunt, D. (2017). “Diversity and Representation in the Media Industries”. Media, Culture & Society, 39(6), 831-844.
  • Lewis, J. (2018). “Indigenous-Led Media Initiatives: Challenging Stereotypes and Promoting Authentic Representation”. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 47(2), 149-158.
  • Woods, R. (2018). “The Impact of Media Representation on Indigenous Peoples’ Self-Esteem and Identity”. Journal of Youth Studies, 21(3), 257-272.

This article is written and submitted by guest author Ayesha Resham Awan and Eman Arshad.