When are American Indians invisible?

As a critic of mass media and Indian representations, I am mindful of the gross caricatures that persist.

Pocahontas. Chief Wahoo. The Land O’Lakes butter maiden.

These are memorable images of Indians.

But there are also instances when Indians are invisible, particularly when it comes to science.

Can you think of a scientist of American Indian heritage? Name one.

It’s not that we don’t exist: but we are silent. Hidden.

When my students and I looked at the news coverage surrounding salmon and sea lions at Bonneville Dam, we found that many scientists and politicians were invited to speak to the issue.

Knowing that half of the annual salmon catch is earmarked for Native Americans we figured that about 50% of the coverage would reflect Indian concerns.

We were wrong.

When we counted the sources that got to speak to the issue, about 75% were government scientists and workers.

Sources from fishing and animal rights groups were quoted much less frequently—about 17% of the time.

And American Indians?

Only about 8% of the stories included quotes from American Indians, who continue to be hidden. We just don’t fit the stereotype.

Here’s a slice of trivia to impress folks at the next cocktail party or coffee klatch: aeronautical engineer John Bennett Herrington was aboard the STS-113 Endeavour in 2002, the sixteenth Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station.

Herrington is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation.