Ravensburg took a Winnetou children’s book off the market because of “trivializing clichés” and thus fueled a debate. Now the ZDF provides for a further discussion.
Ravensburg – The decision of the Ravensburger publishing house to withdraw a Winnetou children’s book caused heated discussions. A company spokesman confirmed on Monday that delivery of the book has already been halted due to “playing down stereotypes” about the treatment of indigenous people at the plant. In a Facebook-Discussion on the topic asked ZDF not to use the “I word” – and thus caused another debate. Why actually? And what does the actress Uschi Glas from the original Winnetou film say about this?
In a Facebook post, ZDF asks not to use the “I” word
“Hello everyone, we look forward to a discussion on the topic. Please remain factual and avoid generalizing statements,” ZDF asked in a Facebook post about the Winnetou book. “Please be careful to avoid the I-word in communications, as we do not want to give racist terms an additional platform.” This request seemed to add fuel to the fire, as numerous heated comments followed. Some users responded by posting previous ZDF posts in which the broadcaster itself still spelled out the “I word”.
Internally, there are no instructions for using certain terms, a ZDF spokesman said on Thursday Merkur.de-Request with. “We have since deleted the post in question,” the spokesman continued. This was replaced with the following wording: “Dear community, we have deleted one of our comments under this post. In it, we asked users to ‘avoid the I-word in communication’. We regret this unfortunate wording. Nevertheless, we ask you to pay attention to the sensitive use of language.”
“It’s great that another, earth-shattering problem is being taken care of here,” wrote one user ironically for the discussion. The issue looks different from the perspective of those affected. Around 476 million indigenous people live in 90 countries worldwide, which corresponds to around six percent of the world population. The American Kendall Old Elk is one of them. The Native American from Montana belongs to the Apsaalooke Nation and explains that many people have stereotypes about indigenous peoples. For example, if someone greets him with “Howgh”, Kendall always explains that “these things are not real, that they are from Winnetou, that they are from Hollywood,” as he told ZDF. Many people would think that Winnetou was a true Native American and “don’t understand that what they do or say is racist,” Apsaalooke continued.
Questioning knowledge about cultures: “Not all Germans wear Lederhosen”
Kendall Old Elk wishes that people would always question their knowledge of cultures, after all he also knows that not every German wears lederhosen. But the American also admits that the word “Indian” wouldn’t bother him that much in Germany. Native American costumes, on the other hand, could quickly make indigenous people look like mascots or toys.
The “I-word” is, just like the “N-word” or “Z-word” a foreign designation. The latter was used for centuries to devalue Sinti and Roma, explains activist Gianni Jovanovic in numerous articles on the subject. The activist recalls that during the National Socialist era, Sinti and Roma had a “Z” tattooed on their skin together with the prisoner number, and around 500,000 of them were killed – simply because of their origin. The “Z-Schnitzel” also recently triggered a debate, whereas most people in Germany today quite naturally do without the “N-word”.
Indigenous peoples vs. “I-word” – what is the difference?
Our thinking would not function without categorization and generalization. “However, the necessary and helpful instinct to generalize can also distort our worldview,” writes scholar Hans Rosling in his book factualness. This can lead us to believe that all or all within a category are similar. “When many people recognize a problematic generalization, we speak of a stereotype. This is often done on the basis of race and gender.
The “I-Word” is considered racist because indigenous peoples have never referred to themselves as such. The term “Indians” is a foreign name that was given to the indigenous people by European colonizers – by those very people who wanted to exterminate indigenous peoples. In most countries, indigenous peoples are largely excluded from political, economic and cultural life and, according to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, still feel historical discrimination today.
Half-Blood Apanatschi actress Uschi Glas braces herself against allegations
One criticism of the now-withdrawn book was reportedly that the story portrayed racial stereotypes. The Karl May expert Andreas Brenne considers the Winnetou book harmless and criticized the publisher’s decision. “I don’t think it’s right to take a book like this out of circulation just because of a shitstorm,” said the art education professor New Osnabrück newspaper.
Already in a preliminary remark it is made clear that the book is to be understood as a fictional story and not as an objective representation of the life of indigenous peoples. Brenne warned against generalizing the accusation of false cultural appropriation without thinking. “Even dressing up as an Indian is considered a racist act,” explained Brenne, who works on program issues in the Karl May Society.
Actress Uschi Glas, formerly seen as half-blood Apanatschi in the original Winnetou film from the 1960s, pointed to the picture-Newspaper also no understanding of the decision. “There is good and bad in the movies and in the novels. They have white or red skin. It depicts real life. One should stop trying to find a reason to complain about something here by hook or by crook.” (AFP/bme)
Note: After receiving a statement from ZDF on the subject, we subsequently added it to the text.
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