Since its debut in 1971, an anti-pollution commercial featuring a man in Native American attire shedding a single tear at the sight of chimneys and trash that invade a once-pristine landscape has become an indelible piece of TV pop culture.
It has been referenced in shows like The Simpsons and South Park, as well as internet memes over the decades since. But now a Native American advocacy group that obtained the rights to the long-parodied public service announcement is retracting it, saying it has always been inappropriate.
The so-called “Crying Indian,” with his buckskins and long braids, made the late actor Iron Eyes Cody a recognizable face in homes across the country. But for many Native Americans, the public service announcement was a painful reminder of the enduring stereotypes they face.
The nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, which originally commissioned the ad, had long debated how to pull the ad, and announced this week that it is doing so by giving ownership of the rights to the National Congress of American Indians transfers.
“Keep America Beautiful wanted to be careful and thoughtful in how we deliver this iconic advertisement/public announcement to the appropriate owners,” Noah Ullman, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, said via email. “We have spoken to several indigenous peoples organizations and were pleased to identify the National Congress of American Indians as a potential administrator.”
NCAI plans to phase out use of the ad and look out for unauthorized use.
“NCAI is proud to assume the role of overseeing the use of this advertisement and ensuring that it is used only for historical context; That advertising was inappropriate then and is inappropriate now,” said Larry Wright, Jr., Executive Director of the NCAI. “The NCAI looks forward to finally ending this advertisement.”
The spot caused a sensation when it premiered in the 1970s. It led to Iron Eyes Cody filming three follow-up PSAs. According to an Associated Press obituary, he spent more than 25 years making public appearances and visiting schools on behalf of the anti-litter campaign.
From then on, Cody, who was Italian-American but claimed to have Cherokee heritage through his father, was typecast as a standard Native American character, appearing in over 80 films. Most of the time, his character was simply “Indian,” “Indian Chief,” or “Indian Joe.”
His films from the 1950s to 1980s included Sitting Bull, The Great Sioux Massacre, Nevada Smith, A Man Called Horse, and Ernest Goes to Camp. His television appearances include Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Rawhide. He was also a technical advisor on Native American affairs on film sets.
dr Jennifer J. Folsom, a professor of journalism and media communications at Colorado State University and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, recalls seeing the public service announcement as a child.
“At that point, with every single person who showed up in pigtails and suede, on TV or anywhere in the movies, I got used to it because it was so seldom seen,” said Folsom, whose areas of study include Native American pop culture. “I’ve seen people throw out rubbish and I’ve seen streams and rivers get polluted.”
But growing up, Folsom noticed that the media gave little coverage to Native American environmental activists.
“There is no agency for this sad so-called Indian sitting in a canoe and crying,” Folsom said. “I think it has damaged public perception and support for actual indigenous people doing things to protect the land and the environment.”
She hailed Keep America Beautiful’s decision as a “appropriate step.” It means a trusted group can help control the narrative the ad has been promoting for over 50 years, she said.
The power of advertising has arguably already diminished as Native and Indigenous youth grow up with a greater awareness of stereotypes and cultural appropriation. TikTok has many examples of Native Americans parodying or removing the ads, Folsom said.
Robert “Tree” Cody, Iron Eyes Cody’s adopted son, said the ad had “good intentions and a good heart” at its core.
“It was one of the top 100 commercials,” said Robert Cody, an inductee member of Arizona’s Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community.
And it reminded him of the time he spent with his father, said Cody, who lives in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
“I remember a lot, even when he would go to a film set to finish his films and stuff,” Cody said. “I remember going to Universal (studios), Disney and places like that.”
His wife, Rachel Kee-Cody, can’t help but feel a little sad that an advert that means so much to her family is being shelved. But she is resigned to the decision.
“You know, times change too. You keep going no matter how much it changes,” she said. “Disappointment. … It will pass.”
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Tang is a member of The Associated Press’s Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at @ttangAP.