NPR

Now Starring In Children's Cartoons: Authentic Indigenous Characters

An Alaska Native girl (Molly of Denali), an Andean boy (Pachamama), two half-brothers in Mesoamerica (Victor and Valentino): Three new animations feature Native people without bygone-era baggage.
In the PBS program <em>Molly of Denali</em>, Alaska Native Molly Mabray helps her mom run a trading post in an Alaskan village.

For decades, animated children's stories included negative stereotypes of Indigenous people.

There was Disney's Pocahontas, which presented the daughter of a Powhatan chief in a romantic love story with Captain John Smith. Crystal Echo Hawk, CEO of the media watchdog group IllumiNative, says it was a false narrative about a girl who in reality was "taken by force and sexually assaulted."

There was Tiger Lily in the classic film , the princess of the "Piccaninny" tribe who smoked a peace pipe and spoke in

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
The Jump In Measles Cases In 2023 Is 'Very Concerning' Says WHO Official
And the numbers in 2024 aren't looking any better. Why is this highly infectious disease on the rise? And how can it be tamed?
NPR6 min read
8 Tracks: Beyond The Grave, Johnny Cash Still Shows Us How To Make Music
A new Johnny Cash song got NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich thinking about music released after a beloved artist dies. Check out "Well Alright," plus new music by Arooj Aftab and Tems on 8 Tracks.
NPR5 min read
As National Poetry Month Comes To A Close, 2 New Retrospectives To Savor
April always brings some of the years' biggest poetry collections. So as it wraps up, we wanted to bring you two favorites — retrospective collections from Marie Howe and Jean Valentine.

Related Books & Audiobooks