The S-Word: Discourse, Stereotypes, and the American Indian Woman

Abstract

What's in a name? Plenty when it comes to the ability of words to establish identity. In 2005 in Oregon, for example, 142 land features carried the name “squaw”—Squaw Gulch, Squaw Butte, Squaw Meadows, and Squaw Flat Reservoir (U.S. Geological Survey, 2008). This article examines the term squaw, its presentation in popular culture, and how this framing constructs Native womanhood in the public imagination. Two primary representations are revealed in the discourse defining squaw: as sexual punching bag and as drudge. The opinions and attitudes of reporters, citizens (Indian and non-Indian), government officials, agencies, and tribal representatives are included as reflected in journalistic accounts of the land form debate about the use and meaning of the label squaw. The psychological impact of this racial and sexual slur has a significant negative impact on quality of life, perceptions, and opportunities for Native American women (ethnostress) due to the consistent use and reification of the squaw stereotype through more than 400 years of U.S. history. This article is written as part of a larger body of work that argues for an expansion of Schroeder and Borgerson's (2005, 2008) representational ethics of images to include words.

KEYTERMS:

• advertising
• American Indian
• discourse
• ethnostress
• Native American
• stereotypes
• women

Many thanks to the Center for Women and Society at the University of Oregon, which provided funding to support development of this research. I also want to thank Carolyn Stroman and the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions in refining this article.

Notes

The terms Indian, Native American, Indigenous North American, and Native are used interchangeably throughout this manuscript taking into consideration the variety of individual preferences.