Playing Indian

Playing Indian examines how white Americans have appropriated and performed stereotypical Native American identities throughout U.S. history. The book tracks this phenomenon from colonial-era revolutionaries through modern New Age practitioners, documenting the complex ways non-Natives have used Indian imagery and customs. Deloria presents detailed case studies of various groups and movements that engaged in Indian play, including the Boston Tea Party participants, fraternal organizations, Boy Scouts, and 1960s counterculture figures. The text analyzes primary sources, photographs, and historical documents to reveal how these acts of imitation served different social and political purposes across time. Americans' relationship with Native identity reflects deeper tensions in U.S. culture around authenticity, nationalism, and social transformation. By examining why white Americans repeatedly turn to playing Indian, the book illuminates fundamental questions about identity construction and cultural appropriation in American society.

Readers appreciate Deloria's examination of how white Americans have appropriated Native American identity and culture. Many point to his analysis of specific examples like the Boston Tea Party, Boy Scouts, and New Age movement as illuminating historical patterns. Readers highlight the book's documentation of how "playing Indian" reinforced white American identity while simultaneously suppressing actual Native Americans. Several note the relevance to current debates about cultural appropriation. Common criticisms include: - Dense academic writing style that can be difficult to follow - Some sections feel repetitive - Limited discussion of Native American perspectives - Focus on theory over concrete historical details Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (489 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) "Clear argument but the writing is pretty jargon-heavy" - Goodreads reviewer "Important ideas but takes work to get through" - Amazon reviewer "Made me rethink assumptions about American identity" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🔸 The Boston Tea Party protesters who dressed as Mohawk Indians weren't trying to blame Native Americans - they chose this disguise as a symbol of American liberty and resistance to British control. 🔸 Philip J. Deloria is the son of prominent Native American author and activist Vine Deloria Jr., who wrote the influential book "Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto." 🔸 The Order of the Arrow, a Boy Scout honor society founded in 1915, created elaborate "Indian-themed" ceremonies and costumes, despite having no authentic Native American input in their development. 🔸 The book highlights how the YMCA's "Indian Guide" programs, started in 1926, encouraged fathers and sons to adopt "Indian" names and customs as a way to strengthen family bonds. 🔸 The counterculture movement of the 1960s appropriated Native American imagery and practices in their environmental activism, leading to the stereotype of Native Americans as primitive environmentalists.