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After Söder frustration: Indigenous author on the Winnetou debate - "We would all be better off with that"

2022-09-15T17:16:21.751Z


After Söder frustration: Indigenous author on the Winnetou debate - "We would all be better off with that" Created: 09/15/2022, 18:59 By: Felix Herz Indigenous author David A. Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation and is considered a best-selling author in Canada. © ©Amber Green / Horst Rudel / IMAGO / Mercury collage For weeks, the Winnetou debate heated tempers. That and more


After Söder frustration: Indigenous author on the Winnetou debate - "We would all be better off with that"

Created: 09/15/2022, 18:59

By: Felix Herz

Indigenous author David A. Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation and is considered a best-selling author in Canada.

© ©Amber Green / Horst Rudel / IMAGO / Mercury collage

For weeks, the Winnetou debate heated tempers.

That and more was the subject of our interview with best-selling Indigenous author David A. Robertson.

Munich – A few weeks ago, after widespread criticism, Ravensburger Verlag decided to remove the latest Winnetou children's books from the range.

The accusation: The books contained racist stereotypes and cultural appropriation.

This triggered a heated debate, in which political celebrities also spoke out loudly.

Winnetou debate: Söder and Aiwanger with frustrated tweets

First, Markus Söder (CSU) made his opinion known, and only recently did Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters), Bavaria's Economics Minister, appear at the political morning shop in Gillamoos together with a Winnetou actor.

He later added a lot of words to Twitter.

There was a dig at it from comedian Micky Beisenherz.

Interview with David A. Robertson: The View of Indigenous Bestselling Author David A. Robertson

In an exclusive interview, we spoke to David A. Robertson, a Canada-based bestselling author of Indigenous descent.

Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation and has experienced racism himself.

The interview was conducted in English, you can find a verbatim translation here.

Good day Mr Robertson.

For several weeks there has been a heated debate in Germany about Ravensburger Verlag and Karl May's Winnetou saga. Do you know the author Karl May and/or his Winnetou saga?

If so, how and when did you come into contact with it?

No, I don't know the Winnetou saga.

I guess you could say it's hard to keep up with all the ways that indigenous cultures have been appropriated, misrepresented or stereotyped.

The debate surrounding the Winnetou books is very heated in Germany.

Have there been similar discussions in the US and Canada about stories set in the settler era?

Absolutely.

It's an ongoing problem in North America.

Be it in books, movies, or even on Halloween when people dress up as "Native Americans".

Indigenous people are often the target of taunts and romanticization.

This even goes as far as people trying to pass as indigenous, which I find ironic given past and ongoing attempts to assimilate or eliminate us.

Why do people want to be like us when at the same time we are not seen as equal?

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What do you think of Ravensburger Verlag's decision to withdraw the publication of the Winnetou children's books due to cultural appropriation?

I support any decision to refuse publication of literature for cultural appropriation.

Appropriation harms indigenous cultures because it creates a misconception of who we are.

It devalues ​​our unique and beautiful people, communities and languages.

We should not satisfy a demand fascinated by misrepresentation.

There are many good stories about indigenous people that are authentic and at least as well written and entertaining.

Ultimately, anyone can write about anyone, I think, but personally I would only support stories that are well told.

It's my decision what to read and it's a publisher's decision what to publish.

I respect the decision they made.

(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you about all the important stories from Bavaria. Register here.)

"Read better stories": Robertson on the connection between narratives and racism

Critics of Ravensburger's decision argue that Winnetou tells a story of breaking down cultural barriers and finding true friendship.

Being more of a children's fairy tale, it doesn't necessarily have to reflect historical accuracy.

How would you answer that?

Why do you have to do that in a fairy tale?

Are we mythical beings?

Are we fantasy creatures?

People throughout history have written about indigenous people as if we were just that. Or bloodthirsty savages.

Our stories have long been told by non-Indigenous people and often lack accuracy and respect.

This gives you savages, Indian princesses, and the "white savior tale."

And it shows how people, especially children, see us.

We are working hard to get back our languages, cultures, ways of life, ceremonies and autonomy.

And then we have to deal with the consumption of fairy tales that grossly misinterpret who we are.

You have to ask yourself: why do you want stories like this to be told?

Why do people across the ocean hold powwows

without even one indigenous person taking part?

What's the fascination?

Where does she come from?

Read better stories and learn reality - we'd all be better off with that.

I read that you have experienced racism yourself in your life.

How would you describe the connection between romanticized versions of settler times/Native American history and today's racial stereotypes and discrimination?

Does one thing lead to the other?

Of course it does - no question about it.

The attitude that people have towards indigenous people does not manifest out of thin air.

They are learned behaviors and attitudes based on misinterpretations, stereotypes and romanticizations.

Looking at the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) epidemic, one has to wonder where the roots of this genocide that is occurring in North America today lie.

It stems from historical and ongoing colonialism and oppressive systems, but also stems from how indigenous women have been sexualized in popular culture.

Example Pocahontas: Disney made a romance out of it.

The real story is horrific.

It's about the exploitation and abuse of a minor.

This creates a perception of indigenous women and girls that leads to violence.

When Helen Betty Osborne was murdered in The Pas, Manitoba, in 1971, it was because it was a regular practice for white boys to pick up Indigenous girls.

Why?

Because they were taken for something they weren't.

Where did this misconception come from?

Censor, leave alone or put in context: Which way is the right one?

Many people are very sensitive to the Winnetou debate, also because Winnetou and Old Shatterhand are childhood heroes.

That doesn't change the fact that the stories contain racial stereotypes and cultural appropriation, critics say.

In short: the fronts have hardened.

In which direction do you think the debate should go?

Is there a solution?

Yes, stop reading and watching these stories.

We either want to go one way or the other.

If we want our Indians romanticized, I think we should take a serious look in the mirror and ask ourselves why.

Why are these false narratives so important?

Why does it need a noble savage as a hero?

We have to do better.

Some say the Winnetou books should no longer be sold, and the films should no longer be shown.

Others are strictly against it.

And still others feel that the books need to be corrected, or that they should contain annotations that explain the historically real setting of the stories.

Where do you stand on this question?

I agree with the latter.

They should be put in the right context.

I am not a supporter of censorship.

I don't think that books and films should be banned from the public domain.

But when we let children read books and watch movies that contain these representations, we should also talk to them about why these are problematic.

That is our job as adults, as parents, as teachers.

To educate, not perpetuate stereotypes.

So yeah, I think the books and movies belong in a specific section that explains why they're problematic and shouldn't be presented as having any intrinsic value.

The only value they have is in showing us what not to do.

You are a successful author yourself.

From this perspective, how should we generally treat stories from the past that, from today's perspective, contain questionable ideas, beliefs and/or standards?

As I described above.

We have to put them in the right context.

We cannot and should not get rid of them.

But we must use them to form neatly.

And we need to make sure there are real stories that have real value.

Thank you Mr Robertson!

All news and stories from Bavaria can now also be found on our brand new Facebook page Merkur Bayern.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-09-15

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