Hollywood's Native American was actually ITALIAN

[@nytn]

Thank you for being here! I appreciate you so much 👕🌳Grab your NYTN Merch here: www.nytonashville.com

[@ArmenianBishop]

I remember seeing that "Crying Indian" advertisement, way back in the early 1970s. Oscar did that wonderfully, and convincingly. It got us thinking about environmental preservation. But, how Italian phenotypes became synonymous with Native American phenotypes is a question in itself.

[@hilohahoma4107]

Good one, I knew him, he would come sit at our pow wow drum sometimes at pow wows. He raised awareness about our issues with the environment and U.S. government transgressions against our people. I'm Panshi Falaya Chahta, my family is from the southeast on mom's side mainly Louisiana around Alexandria.

[@radianman]

This fellow reminds me of Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, an Englishman who moved to Canada in 1906 at the age of 18, where he recreated himself as the indigenous ‘Grey Owl’. He became a famous champion of indigenous culture and the Grandfather of ecology who inspired the young David Attenborough.

[@lyndaclough3462]

This reminds me of our "American Indian" heritage that was actually "sub Saharan". You are only knowledgeable about what you are told. Until your daughter does a DNA test.

[@Triska3]

Research Buffy Sainte Marie too… received many awards over the years (including an Oscar) for being the First Native this and that, but last year was discovered to actually be of Italian heritage some 50 years after her rise to fame. Very tragic story that came out last year and the hurt it caused in the Indigenous communities who looked up to her…

[@gazoontight]

Attributed to an Italian man who immigrated to Canada: "The streets were not paved with gold. The streets were not paved at all. I was expected to pave them."

[@daisy4750]

So true

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

So he had to work! So do most of us.

[@nemomarcus5784]

It was common for Mediterranean and Jewish actors to portray Native Americans. I think that was part of the satire in Blazing Saddles when Mel Brooks portrayed a Native American speaking Yiddish as a faux Native American language

[@ConcettaLynch]

I AM UN ITALO AUSTRALIA. I WAS WORKING AS A CARER FOR MANY YEARS. THE OTHER CARES USE TO REFER ME AS THE LITTLE WOG, BECAUSE I AM ONLY 100 AND 50 CTM. TOLL. HA! HA! HA! HOW STUPID CAN ANY ONE CAN BE? OH, WELL, IT TAKES ALL KIND TO MAKE THE WORLD.😊😊😊

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Well, what else could they do if they had foreign looks? They couldn't play Thor or Odin. As an Australian I don't know how people like Frank Sinatra could play Anglo Americans or Jews like Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis play Vikings.

[@Leonard-td5rn]

Tony Curtis played a slave not a Viking

[@esmeraldapooner751]

When I was a little girl in the 70's I saw this commercial. I personally didn't feel offended because the message was to help people to become aware of pollution and littering.

[@godschild4988]

Yes, I'm a baby boomer and I would see this commercial all the time.

[@homerwiggins3965]

The same happened with Buffy Sainte Marie who is Italian but posed as Native American until she was outed a year ago! I was so shocked and disappointed!

[@yp2324]

Disappointed but not shocked. Her whole story was sus anyways and I’m not sure how she didn’t get called out sooner. Having multiple origin stories and blatant lies is a red flag 🚩

[@UncagedSavage]

I don't think Buffy has been verified as not indigenous

[@UncagedSavage]

She ain't " outed " by red people..maybe " outed by you flash gordons and kangs but not red people 👍

[@iastorgaphotos]

Her adopted indigenous family have asked Buffy to take a DNA test. She’s not done so.

[@leatherchopper]

Name somebody else that raised awareness of the aboriginal plight as much as or more than she did. Indians don’t care why should you?

[@azborderlands]

When I was little, I still saw many San Carlos reservation ladies dressed in traditional ways. Growing up in the “wild west” and seeing the commercial with Iron-eyes crying, I TOTALLY believed he was authentic. 😮

[@rettawhinnery]

In 1970, I was a graduate student in linguistics at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, Kansas. I was enrolled in a class of Korean, where the pronunciation teacher was from Korea. Lawrence is also the home of Haskell Indian Nations University (then-called Haskell Indian Junior College). Every September, Haskell has an art fair and pow-wow. My Korean instructor wanted to go to the event to see what Indians look like. They let her in for free because they thought she was also an Indian.

[@bigczech7]

This channel is very interesting to me. I remember my grandfather telling us that a lot of Native Americans in Texas would tell employers that they were Mexican otherwise they wouldn’t get hired. The funny part is we come from Mexican background and when my Mom had her DNA done it said she was 65% Native American and 30% Mexican.

[@rdhawke]

Not all Mexican people have European DNA. There are indigenous populations south of the border thru Central America to South America.

[@sandraatkins2539]

Do you realize that the native people in Mexico were Indians? The colonizers were White men fro Spain kmown as Spainiards. They mated with the Indian women, often by force. Unless all of your family members are the descendants of Spaniards, it's likely that you are mostly Indian.

[@bigczech7]

@@sandraatkins2539 yes

[@bigczech7]

@@sandraatkins2539 I have no Spanish blood in me, thanks for trying to inform me but I’m not ignorant on this subject

[@jimcrawford3221]

Wow. Never knew this. I grew up in the Florida Parishes, north of New Orleans. For three years I lived and taught in Independence, La, a community where Italian and Sicilian descendants made up a sizeable portion of the population. No one ever mentioned this. Thanks for the info.

[@Visionary0001]

I'm 59 years old, and clearly remember this commercial on television, when I was a young child. He fooled most of us when I was a child, but by the time I was in my 20's and a lot wiser, it was clear to me that he looked like an older Italian guy with a tan. By then, I knew what to look for.

[@amechealle5918]

He was an actor doing a job for the commercial and television and movies, so what if he was Italian. Quite clearly was very good at what he did, so if you have a problem with it get over it…

[@hummushero9428]

@@amechealle5918 Sicilians commonly have ad mixture of Greek and North African, saying it’s a guy with a tan is kind of silly. He’s obviously not fair skinned regardless of sun exposure.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

I am from a nearby country to Sicily. The man doesn't look Sicilian to me, I have been to Sicily a few times, it's a beautiful place, I speak rather bad Italian, standard not Sicilian. He looks like that cigar store Indian out the front of some shops in the old days.

[@culturalobserver8721]

I’m in my early 60’s and I remember that sobering TV ad in the ‘70’s. But in the mid 1980’s, I remember seeing an interview on TV. The one being interviewed was a young Native American actress who was expressing her frustrations that Hollywood has used actors who had southern Italian ethnic background to act as native Americans in movies, instead of actual Native Americans.

[@carlburch4450]

Racist revisionism non-stop! Dual messages

[@64north20west]

Thank you for preserving this man's story in this episode. You always do outstanding work!

[@StarDreamMemories]

This story kinda hits home for me. My Sicilian grandfather used a psuedo name "Bill" and his Hungarian wife used "Peggy". He did not want to be associated with his Sicilian roots bc of gang violence and bootlegging in the late 1930's when he was a young man! He even went as far as naming his first son "Bill" not William. It's Bill on my uncle's birth Cirtifcate. I can't state the last name, I prefer privacy, but his real first name was Vito. Also our last name is very Greek sounding and a lot of Greek ppl would ask myself and my siblings if we were Greek. We also are asked of several mid-eastern ethnicities. We'd definitely fit in any of those areas just by our facial features and hair.

[@mfl000]

When i saw the thumbnail I kind of thoutht, alright I already knew about this, but you found some really interesting angles about this. You are doing great unique work, it stinks that KZbin is censoring you.

[@nytn]

That’s so nice of you!

[@GhostSal]

The thing to remember is he wasn’t a “white” guy pretending to be an “Indian” (Native Tribe person). He wasn’t considered whìte to begin with, Southern Italians (especially Sicilians) weren’t at that time. I mention this because many people today misunderstood this and think he was “whíte”. His full name was Espera Oscar de Corti.

[@nytn]

Yes, I agree, we can’t look at it through the lens of 2024

[@rexmundi7811]

I doubt many people in the 1970s would consider Italians not white.

[@princybella5386]

Yes he was White! He sure as hell wasn't Black or Oriental!

[@GhostSal]

@@princybella5386 Watch the Sicilian scene from True Romance, it does a good job showing what many people thought about us. Also, ever notice that a lot of Hispanics have played roles as Italians and vice versa? There is a good reason for that, because we both weren’t considered “white” and have more in common than we don’t.

[@SunTingWong]

White isn’t a race

[@sharibc3597]

I was 10 yrs old when that commercial came out. It had a huge impact! When I heard he wasn’t Native American at all I didn’t really believe it! His looks scream NA from pictures I’ve seen. I guess he had to keep a tan year round. I was completely fooled. Until now I had not heard all the details of his life tho. I understand why he did, probably many many reasons. I watched him in tons of movies. A fascinating man for sure.

[@dantesabatino5429]

Yep many Mediterraneans have these looks, my great Sicilian uncle was discriminated against for resembling the Native on the buffalo nickel.

[@hummushero9428]

Some People are pretty ignorant, Sicilians commonly have ad mixture from Greece and North Africa, they aren’t genetically the same as northern Italians typically

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

I am Mediterranean European and I thought he didn't look European, but partly European. I know Sicily and the people there didn't remind me of him.

[@ArcanusMagic]

I'm sicilian and in sicily most face are similar to greek type, arab type and you can find nordic face like White skin, blonde hair or ginger. It's a mix culture Island, there isn't a typical sicilian face. Me for example are White skin, Red beard and Brown hair, most ppl think i'm from estern Europe...

[@rogermoore27]

Holy crap!!! For real?? I live in the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago and even I remember the Crying Indian on TV when i was little.

[@stevewalker1021]

We're with you NYTN. I have usually had a harsh opinion of pretendians. In this situation, I have a little more grace, partly due to you increasing my awareness of Italians in Louisianna. Thank you!

[@richardwilliamswilliams]

IRON EYES CODY went Indian after learning the culture of the people he portrayed. Very interesting story of his life. GRAY OWL is another person that adapted the culture. 😊

[@bravecoldwater9061]

Adopted?? Lol More like Appropriated.

[@jonathanborchardt891]

Poeoe of the commu ity knew who he was. Marriged and supported his wifrs folks and culture. Full blood royalty. ​@@bravecoldwater9061

[@tula1433]

@@bravecoldwater9061cultural appropriation is a modern w0ke lie. People used to TRADE and share cultures. That’s the beauty of the melting pot of this country. It’s human nature to trade and share your gifts and belongings.

[@lindagale5584]

Thanks for your comment. Actors can take any role they are offered. And it's not appropriation. It's their job. Entertainment would be way crazy if actors had to stay within a narrow definition of their own ancestry. Besides, these 'meat suits' are temporary, and Cody may have been a Native American in past life.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Grey Owl knew very well he was some Englishman from Bristol, and was pretending. At least he lead the lifestyle of a Native Canadian, and had a lot to do with Indian communities.

[@jahmeekmorgan3235]

Finnaly🎉 somebody talked about this man's story

[@WAR_1933]

Native American Is not the same as American Indian for this reason.

[@pettypossum724]

An interesting case i heard of was of Sat-Okh, who was supposedly a half Polish/Shawnee man who fought for Poland in wwii and started an "Indianist" movement there. I heard about him and figured he was pretendian, yet he made such a good impression on people on the other side of the world. I dont know if other Americans have heard of his case...

[@Josephmalenab]

I remember that commercial in the 70s I love that commercial because of the message I like your videos they are informative and sometimes radical they raise eyebrows good true history the truth about our common history and no apologies they should apologize

[@Myopinionmattersthemost]

You can appreciate the culture without lying. But in Hollywood folks who were mixed race, brown black and yellow often passed as white and changed their names . Its sad so many folks had to hide their identity for a job.

[@kellyroyds5040]

Not just for employment, but for sheer survival.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Identity is what you want it to be.

[@shaffy856]

​@nytn The One Drop Rules reclassified alot of indigenous people and the DNA kits do not test for ancestry of North American Indigenous tribes, only Canadian and South/Central tribes. There is no way to determine indigenous ancestry of the "Indigenous" from the U.S. outside of genealogy. The South Eastern states had most of their tribes reclassified to Negro before the Trail of tears. What we consider NA today is more political/cultural and not based on genetics. So even if you have Indigenous ancestry, you are not considered NA unless your tribe is affiliated with the 5 civilized tribes or the Dawes which was established by the government way after racial reclassification and paper genocide. Descendants of the Eastern tribes are still fighting for recognition by the Government.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

The thing is friend, if you have Native American ancestry it will show up whether the references are South American or Canadian. North American Indians are not that different that their NA wouldn't show up in dna tests. The problem is there are a lot of Whites who have a Cherokee Princess in their families, usually a great grand mother. The five civilized tribes, the Cherokees are one of them, had negro slaves. Your info about North American Indians and dna tests is wrong. As I said, a lot of Whites have their story of Indian ancestry which is bogus.

[@AgingStudent]

I didn't know that about the DNA kits. They seem so flawed because they just seem to track migration patterns of users. Example, one part of my result showed a "percentage" of ethnicity in the UK in a specific area that Portuguese laborers went to and my mom's family is Azorean Portuguese so of course I would show commonalities from those areas

[@lazarushernandez5827]

@@AgingStudent Don't see them as flawed, see them as incomplete. They do exactly what you stated because they only have their own pool of DNA samples to compare with. As they library grows, the results get more and more refined.

[@margoreppert8241]

Very interesting video. I would be interested to see what you have to say about Buffy St. Marie, who is also considered a "Pretendian". Keep up the good work!!

[@ArmenianBishop]

The Lone Ranger (1949 -- 1957) did use Native Americans, as well as Italian Americans, for parts played as American Indians.

[@UncagedSavage]

Not with Jay..he's Mohawk abd Seneca

[@ArmenianBishop]

@@UncagedSavage Jay Silverheels (1912 -- 1980)

[@augustmosco]

Dani, this is so ironic. This person could celebrate Columbus Day and Indigenous People Day which are both on October 14th this year. My mind is blown!

[@nytn]

Hahha I didn’t think of that. 😳

[@davidboney9093]

It's coming out now by historians that Columbus was not Italian but was actually a Portuguese Jew.

[@hannahvenerella6056]

Columbus was from Genova which wasn’t a part of Italy at the time. He was also sent on behalf of Spain. Columbus Day was given to Italians bc of how badly they were being discriminated against in the US, so the govt threw them a bone. Columbus has nothing to do with Italians.

[@augustmosco]

@@hannahvenerella6056 Hannah, I'm sorry that the ironic humor of my statement escaped you. I do admire your fact checking skills. They will take you far....just not in a comedy😀 venue.

[@hannahvenerella6056]

@@augustmosco I wasn’t offended lol I’m j tired of ppl saying he was Italian and that the so-called historian of this channel went along with your “joke”

[@broseph535]

Hello Danielle, I hope that you’re doing very well! This video is incredibly interesting to me because, of course, I have Sicilian ancestors who lived in Louisiana. One thing about this video that really resonates with me personally was when my dad recounted to me that his mother, Maria, and her family had spent a couple of years working together to cultivate strawberries and other crops for farmlands across Tangipahoa Parish; this was where she was born before the family moved to New Orleans around the early 1920’s. Many thanks once again for sharing these very unique stories!

[@tomhalla426]

Conversely, my father’s grandmother denied being Indio. In Oaxaca, being of native ancestry was not an advantage at that time. Her youngest son, my grandfather, made mocking comments on just how much money one needed to be “Spanish”.

[@Egr-et6ar]

A lot of Criollo Spnish only have 💵 thnks to the others they live off of. That’s the irony.

[@joevaccaro6655]

I think he did the best he could with the hand he was dealt in life. I think we are the product of our surroundings, our experiences, and our familial/ethnic or race line. I don’t think it’s a forced avatar, it’s an adaptation to get through day to day and possibly thrive. It was tough for Italians to get movie roles. When Jack Nicholson was asked why he passed up the role of Michael Corleone in Godfather I he said “Back then I thought Indians should play Indians and Italians should play Italians.” I interpret that as a compliment recognizing Italians can act too.

[@batya7]

You are right: that commercial was eye-opening and pivotal in the nascent environmental movement. It's bonkers that Iron Eyes Cody wasn't a native American!

[@ZVJ1216]

Very Interesting video. I remember seeing that commercial when I was young. Hollywood never used real Native Americans back then. Everything was whitewashed! I am an Indigenous American with Carmel brown skin. People look at me and immediately consider me So called Black. No one is actually Black. People of Color are all different shades of Brown & 98 % of so called African Americans are actually Indigenous Americans. Our people have always been here. I know that you know about the paper genocide & the reclassification of our Indigenous peoples with more melanated skin. I have a very diverse heritage of Cherokee, Blackfoot, Delaware & Iroquois ancestry. Keep doing your work honey & push the truth!

[@UncagedSavage]

Nope. That's a falsity.. if you believe that beef jerky then that's on you like other colonial graduates of b.s. Do you really think you can accomplish what your teacher couldn't ? You go in that direction then you better hide like a sewer rat.you or your partner won't take my identity..or my relatives..we can go back to the old days. If you want

[@lindagale5584]

Not surprised by this video, it is destined to be classic gold. Thank you so much for your dedication to researching the real history. This is important work that needed to be done.

[@nytn]

Wow, thank you! I really loved this story, it was such a good look at the American story, all the good bad and ugly

[@diegomattia4806]

Lovely story. Thank you Danielle.

[@nytn]

You are so welcome! one of my favorites so far

[@diegomattia4806]

@@nytn Mine too:)

[@r.j.mayers529]

This presentation is fascinating from the perspective that Oscar’s life story is filled with rich and bold turns of events. It’s a convergence, if you will; of history, sociology, psychology and economic survival. Despite living most of his adult life as an imposter - similar to the Black experience of white passing - I think Iron Eyes Cody’s was a fitting “Tinseltown story”, and; from the looks of it - his adopted Hollywood persona certainly honored and propagated a positive image of Native American culture - despite living his life as an imposter! Thanks for your always edifying presentations - but this is one your best stories from my perspective.

[@Meli-d9e]

Had to LOL when I saw video screenshot! Italians have long love affair with American Indian culture (they still do!). I believe its how my family wound up the southwest when they immigrated from Calabria. We learned Spanish, changed names to blend in. We became and were accepted in the local Hispanio community, not because of blood but because of spirit. Eventually my American Indian family merged with my Calabrian one. To this day…the family rarely admits to being of either heritage because its painful and complicated. Very few people had a platform to represent/tell stories from an native perspective…especially back then in those times. He seemed to be a willing advocate and perhaps even a respectful one. While his get-up would never be OK today (nor needed!)…in the context of the era, who knows, maybe he helped people feel better about being an American Indian (especially during 1950s-1970s when it was very negative). His tear made me think of the Apache Teardrop legend. It added an extra layer of meaning.

[@phatphish7617]

America= Let's keep our history but forget about our past

[@br8kadawn]

I swear I'm being led to your videos today! My Sicilian family was also in the winery business. My mother told me that my grandparents often got letters in Italian from family in the old country who as of at least the 1960's/70's still maintained the business. I find it fascinating and ironic at the same time because I cannot drink wine because I'm allergic to the sulfites used to preserve most wine. I know you can buy it without the sulfites but I'm not really a big enough drinker to hunt it down. ✌️❤️🙏

[@lonnieclemens8028]

Thank you for sharing this video. I always find your content to be interesting.

[@nytn]

So nice of you

[@Nursebakr]

We know the truth. The message is what was important.

[@antonevelone1439]

Always appreciated what you share, you're more of a true historian than the indoctrinated historians manufactured out of Harvard and MIT...Understand no ill feelings toward Oscar, Italian immigrant. Again, thank you for your contribution...🐞💜

[@nrgpirate]

If there was any case of why it is important for people who are not native, to bond with this land, to respect and honor the land, this would be the case. I am totally for immigrants learning to be native, and not go with the western way. But that means a person would have to make a hard and important decision in their life. You can't be Christian and native at the same time, they are completely divergent paradigms that will always compete in ideals, and perspective of the world, the universe and reality. Once you make that decision, there will be people that won't accept you anymore. You will have to live with it. Iron Eyes Cody may have done it to distance himself from the reality he grew up from, but I have learned that sometimes a person carries an indigenous spirit, and that sometimes it calls you home. I look at the results, in 1995 Espera Oscar de Corti was honored by the Native American community for his portrayals. There have been a lot of actors that did red-face(as opposed to black-face). but none that I know of who was made an honorary native. He adopted two native kids and raised them. He left his life of being Espera and became Iron eyes, the red road chose him. That says a lot. Personally, I've have seen a lot of crap. There are a lot of SJW's that will knock a pretendian, and not know the culture themselves, and I have met some pretendians online that talk a lot of trash. I've dealt with those types. What is worse for me, is when I see a native brother or sister side a long with western folk, and forget their connection to the land and to themselves. In some respect, I can attribute this failure as to the reason why half of my family is dead to drugs and alcohol. I've never met an Italian I didn't like. So thank you for the post.

[@keittkatranch5167]

I met the late Russell Means several years ago when he ran for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. He liked to describe himself as a born again primitive.

[@nrgpirate]

@@keittkatranch5167 I met both him and Saginaw Grant. I think they would be proud to know I stood ready to fight in Cannonball 16, and would do it again.

[@Percept2024]

Back in the 1970`s , when I was a teenager , me and my brothers would see a middle-aged man walking in the neighborhood. We would say to one another " I wonder how this Indian guy wound up in Pennsylvania ? " Then we found out that he was all Italian , he just looked like a Native American . So then amongst ourselves we use to call him " the Italian-Indian. When we went to Oil City in the 1980`s we saw REAL Native Am. young women walking in the shopping district.

[@nemomarcus5784]

They used to say the same about my Yugoslav-American dad (also in Pittsburgh).

[@Stopwastingbraincells]

That "we've got jobs for you" advertising sounds like what's going on now with the massive migrant crisis

[@fairybliss7772]

Who else is working in fields picking vegetables ?

[@Stopwastingbraincells]

@@fairybliss7772 there are no fields of vegetables in Chicago, Aurora, NYC and Philadelphia

[@muddyhotdog4103]

I mean, it IS Hollywood 😂

[@annepoitrineau5650]

He used this identity for good. He married an Indian lady (which, by the way, guaranteed him a place in the tribe) and respected native American culture. I also belong to an ethnic minority (actually, to two ethnic minorities, but one of them is a majority in its own country) and I am aware that we need allies. Most native American tribes believe in souls coming back, old souls. I can imagine that maybe, there is room for thinking that his old soul was Indian before being Italian.

[@hilohahoma4107]

I knew him personally and his sons are still around, Iron Eyes brought a lot of attention to our tribes grievances with the U.S. My elders told me that we should appreciate the good changes that came because of that . His sons are Robert Tree Cody, and Brian Bright Cloud..❤

[@annepoitrineau5650]

@@hilohahoma4107 Thank you for this. It is very satisfying and a beautiful conclusion to a story of oppression. By choosing to be Iron Tree Cody, he sided with the oppressed and did his bit to fight against it. RIP, old soul.

[@hummushero9428]

@@hilohahoma4107Robert Tree Cody is his son!? I didn’t know that. His music is awesome.

[@UncagedSavage]

Iron Eyes married an American Indian.. he just loved the culture and the people

[@theghostofbabanovac7069]

based

[@UncagedSavage]

​@@theghostofbabanovac7069. What is it you're trying to say..spit it out

[@theghostofbabanovac7069]

@@UncagedSavage nothing important - is just that i appreciate his journey from a pretender to a believer, it's like a movie character redeeming arc

[@7KVexus]

A lot of people across the world have a sort of romanticized idea of Indegenous Americans. Idk what it is. I often wondered if it's because they are one of the last indegenous nations that wasn't completely assimilated or obliterated. From an old world perspectice, there was a lot of mystery about the west, especially the lost cultures people that resided here. It has a worldwide appeal.

[@nemomarcus5784]

Jay Silverheels, who honestly was Native American, married an Italian woman.

[@patricianorwood1075]

We still have problems with pretendians, but a lot of people get hit with that name that are of mixed blood and just too pale. I am one of those who is mixed. I have spent most of my adult life reconnecting with my indigenous heritage although I'm not seeking to be on the rolls,just to be as much a part of the culture as I am allowed. Half of my family is of Celtic origion and the other half is Choctaw, Cherokee,Mandan and Lakota. My Choctaw great grandmother was on the rolls and two great grandfathers were Cherokee. My mom's father was Lakota but adopted by his white stepmom. I pretty much identify as Choctaw and have done my best to learn about and participate in the culture. I did speak a little bit of Choctaw and Cherokee until my great grandparents died when I was eight.

[@deanvaillancourt2881]

Thank you so much for keeping history alive. Decades ago, I dove into Sicilian American history. The history of the US internment camps during the war and the Columbus statue would make for great stories for you to cover.

[@dwaynejones1146]

That Rachel Dolezal stuff has been going around for a very long time I guess.

[@jeffreymassey5541]

You are one great historian my dear. The "Iron Eyes Character" I would have bet was 💯 American Indian. Thank you for all your great historical research. 👍🏾✅

[@MarsalaforLA]

Great video on Oscar! ..... Like to catch up with you. A few years back I drove out to Kaplan and Gueydan to research Oscar. I also went to visit his grave in Hollywood. I was a Boy Scout in 1971 and earned the printing merit badge printing "Don't Be a Litterbug" posters. ... We have a film festival on Oct 5th in New Orleans and I am showing "Who Killa da Chief?" ..... Headed back to Monroe in about a month. ..... Currently in Menlo Park, CA.

[@donnadozier4683]

I know how you feel, when I went to Georgia, on the land were my ancestors were enslaved, I got chills to like my ancestors were taking to me!

[@asturiasceltic3183]

As a child of the 70s, I read in People magazine when Iron Eyes died that he was Italian and I was shocked as hell. My mom was too when I told her. It took me many many years to accept he wasn't Native American. He looked like the epitome of a Native American. I don't think no other person has shocked me with their ethnicity ever since I learned that Marlon Brando was not Italian.

[@bamboosho0t]

Post 1924/30 R.I. Act & Blood Quantum rules, America would only allow "Pretendians" if they were WT. WT+ "Indian" = Pure-blood "Indian." Blsck + Indian = Blsck. This reminds me of Elizabeth Warren, the first "Native American tendered professor" at Harvard (since removed). She didn't belong to a Tribe. Just family stories. And she rode those stories for decades, until she was outed by DNA. Bottom line, none of this surprises me. The Europeanization of Native Americans was critical to control the historical narrative, and their resources.

[@jameseast7966]

I was born in Gueydan La in 1946. My mom told me Oscar's younger brother would baby sit me and my brother while she helped my grand parents run their store. He tried hollywood as indian Joe Cody. 9:27

[@erinmac4750]

Thank you for covering his story. I know there are mixed feelings about what he did, but I think the context makes it clear that he did not choose his path out of greed, but survival. Then, he grew to embrace beliefs of his adopted culture. From what I understand, he walked his talk, so-to-speak, to the point that he received honorary membership, or something like that. There are very few people who could sincerely be considered for something like that. If those tribes accepted him, then I respect their decision. It's not for non-tribal people to say who should or shouldn't be a part of their sovereign nations. Just as I believe the federal government should give more credence/legitimacy to tribal nations both recognized and not, because of all the broken treaties and violence. We need to do everything we can to help support and restore indigenous cultures and practices to heal people and land. 💜🌎

[@brooklyn5755]

I never heard about him, so it is nice to hear his story❤❤❤

[@annatomasso5226]

Love this!, I recently rewatched some of his films

[@user-vg4cg4uw9c]

My dad's side is from Sicily. Several people have asked me if I had Native American ancestry. 😎

[@Thomas_Oklahoma]

The First Pretendians were the thousands of white $5 Indians who bought their way on the Federal controlled Dawes Rolls during the late 1800's to early 1900's. The founding father of modern Pretendian-ism, Iron Eyes Cody, become a Hollywood Indian and lived a fantasy becoming rich off of exploiting Native American identity and culture. Buffy Sainte Marie did the same, but in the music industry. Now pretendian-ism expanded to probably more than 20 million People in the USA and Canada, which is more than the actual 15 million Native American population. Today's Pretendians are desperate to find any way to actually infiltrate into Native circles and even Tribal enrollment, or steal Native American history claiming the Natives were actually white, black or other. Pretendian-sim is a threat to Native America, as they seek to destroy and replace the Natives. They always need to be exposed!

[@Mystiik_XVII]

I seen tons of blacks making money off of this too. Its funny to see them confuse their own people and the viewers are unaware they are being grifted, hustled and scammed and sold hard on a false reality thinking they don't have African DNA 🤣

[@loelclements1634]

Great lesson.

[@lavellemcfadden1753]

He had the look. He looked like the image on the nickel. He passed.

[@peakwire]

So this is where the Oscar awards in Hollywood is named after?

[@johnnyearp52]

😅

[@jayregal6478]

As a kid, I remember the crying INDIAN and I feel quite DECEIVED by the commercial but a lot can be said about an Italian passing as a Native North American Indian.

[@lindagale5584]

You felt deceived, even knowing that he was an actor? Only good actors can pull that off, the bad ones can be seen through quite easily.

[@jayregal6478]

@@lindagale5584 As a KID the awareness and mentality were/are different.

[@Cobbmtngirl]

I vividly remember that commercial. It really moved me. Idk if the ends justify the means but it sure was powerful. He only had 9 years to deny the truth once it came out. You tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth.

[@lightingthewayministriesin973]

American does this to those who are not of British decent. It forces you to do what you have to do to survive and it is sad and has effort the past, our present and future! My mom is one of those people as while, she would not share what she was if you did not ask. But it haunted her as well, But even the identity she thought she was was not! She was aboriginal to the Americas. My great grand mother was full blood Cherokee and my great grandfather was full blooded Cherokee, but but because they were darker, they were labeled as colored. My mom was milky white in skin tone.

[@nursemom101casteel7]

I love your hair like this. Like this is what you are supposed to look like. Makes me want to try it. I know my hair is wavy/curly, but I never take the time with it.

[@nytn]

aw thank you!! I just cut off the ends that were still damaged from relaxer. It feels a lot better. I have some older scheduled videos before the hair cut so that will be weird to see LOL. I started using mousse and it helped so much!☺️

[@Aaron-i6t]

Iron Eyes adopted 2 Native American children,my brother knew Robert Cody and Iron Eyes used to do benefit pow wows at eagle rock and give out presents for the children that were given to him by Hollywood celebrities he knew,he also was responsible for getting more Indian actors into Hollywood,Buffy sainte Marie and him have done more for native people and causes than most real native people.

[@yp2324]

Can you cover Buffy Saint Marie? I know it’s controversial but I really respect your perspective. As someone who is Native I actually lost some acquaintances because I accept that she is a fraud and they think she is a victim of a smear campaign.

[@yp2324]

And maybe even the history of “Red Face”

[@homerwiggins3965]

Did you see the documentary on Canadian tv called 5th estate that laid out the claims. If I hadn’t watched that I might have been hesitant to believe it! So disappointed in her and I was a big fan!😩

[@yp2324]

I did, that’s what left me absolutely convinced she’s a blatant and unapologetic fraud. I also watched where the chief of Piapot asked her to take a DNA test because she has cruelly led them on for years that she may be one of their own. But I want to hear Danielle’s perspective because I enjoy her videos.

[@Ice-c-o8q]

Did you really have to argue about this with your acquaintances? It's such a trivial thing. True or not it doesn't change anyone's life.

[@UncagedSavage]

​@homerwiggins3965 I don't think any proof of Buffy being this or that has been established..only her and family words. To me Buffy is good either or

[@annepoitrineau5650]

It is interesting, because it shows how people from different origins can have similar looks. the most extreme are Pacific/Indian oceans negritos, who have less in common, genetically, with Africans than with (say) Italians or germans, and yet look like Africans. It shows the full and stupid limits of relying on looks, or the wonderful fact that we are all really, truly, the same.

[@lindagale5584]

What a lovely comment. Thank you.

[@axjohn]

I can’t remember his name but there was an African American man who pretended to be Arab or Egyptian during Jim Crow and became a famous performer for years. He concocted his identity like Iron Eyes Cody did. Guy performed and was revered throughout the South, playing in white clubs etc. He did it for survival and fame, as he would have never been able to do what he did under his original name and race. I saw the story years ago in Jet Magazine after he’d been “outed”

[@MarkRay84]

Very bad comparison mixed with misinformation. Sun Rah was also black just like the real Egyptians. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra

[@tiredoftrolls2629]

That happened a lot during the days of segregation. People from the Middle East and India were victims of discrimination, but they were also seen as "exotic" and could bypass some of the discrimination that Black people suffered. I think that the person you are thinking of is Korla Pandit. He was a Black man from Coumbia, MO that became famous as an Indian immigrant in the 1950s-70s. There is a documentary on KZbin about him. He popularized the Exotica music and had a TV show. Concerning Ironeyes Cody, my father was on a listserv with him before they both died. Cody was bedridden so spent a lot of time online. My father even spoke on the phone with him.

[@judyredmond4379]

Please STOP USING AFRICAN American, use the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary definition for American, COPPER COLORED OF AMERICA. THANKS

[@judyredmond4379]

@@MarkRay84Thank you

[@brewcity2317]

Mind blowing! 😳

[@KingKatura]

Never heard of the guy, But then again I am actually a Amarukhan Indian so it doesn't surprise me that i don't know him. Most of the people who seem to speak for our peoples. Tend to actually be Europeons. Its why they try to make it seem like we have only one Phenotype & only look "mongloid" like they do. It is what it is. Most of what they claim is our ways though are actualy not but the story that has been created & taught to our people which typically don't tell strangers about it. Shallawam Shallam Ayo Hawwah Great Spirit Bless.

[@michaelchen8643]

Iron eyes, Cody born To Sicilian immigrant parents in Louisiana in 1904 as Espera Oscar de Corti. He followed the migration cycle to California Southern California, and enter the entertainment industry, which was quite lucrative He became bald character. Actor played the part so well that it became part of him. He and his wife adopted a couple Native American children as their own one of them grew up and maintain fortified his own role as a native American No genetically made out of indigenous to North America. He adopted a form of the culture that became part of his identity. Even part of identity, a native American family With his archaeologist and anthropologist wife Considering that a lot of the real genetic Native Americans have a little of no revenant culture that ties them to their forebears going back three generations or more I’d say he’s probably Native American culture I’m not going to shed a tear For the acting job that he took on his real life so many do this Even Elizabeth Warren the Senator incredibly identified her genetic line is being indigenous to North America

[@angelac.3217]

I have noticed that a lot of times in some movies that Mexicans are used to portray Native Americans I remember seeing a commercial at my grandmother's house when I was a little girl of a crying Indian picking up litter off the street and that taught me to never litter. That commercial had a very profound impact on me and I shall never forget it

[@marianlucas2947]

Italians also portrayed Indengenos in Westerns

[@pelenaka]

The actor Anthony Quinn also portrayed Native Americans in his early career.

[@jharekcarnelian]

There is an English gent who went by the name of Grey Owl and posed as half-Indian for many years. I imagine some people here might have heard of him. If you have not he is an interesting and odd figure.

[@nytn]

Yes I read a book on him! I think he was maybe from Canada?

[@jharekcarnelian]

@@nytn He lived in Canada but he was from an Upper Middle Class family in England originally. His real name was Archibald Stansfeld Belaney. I was particularly upset when Buffy Sainte-Marie was shown to be a pretendian as I enjoyed her music but I would feel odd listening to it now.

[@elitefitrea]

I'm watching a lot of videos about Jungian psychology and it seems like he became possessed by some kind of archetype of a native American, which ironically has kind of a shamanic auspice to it

[@JAMESPATTERSON-mk9sr]

In the early silent days of films often Indian roles were played by Native Americans . In the 1950s and 1960s Indian parts were played by many of Italians like Iron Eyes Cody or Frank De Kova or by disguised white folks even darker skinned Jewish actors like Jeff Chandler

[@gazoontight]

I remember him. I remember the commercial.

[@Leonard-td5rn]

Cody didn't act Indian to cheat people. He was not a Pretend Indian

[@azborderlands]

He was a pretendian. Kept up the cosplay on his own time for years.

[@theghostofbabanovac7069]

Cody did nothing wrong

[@johnnyearp52]

​@@theghostofbabanovac7069 While it might be understandable why h pretended to be Native, it is still wrong.

[@estherstephens1858]

Can you imagine if his children did an ancestry search and discovered they were Italian? Well, after a very quick Google search I read he didn’t have kids. He and his wife adopted 2 children.

[@rogermoore27]

That woman also did the same thing. I'm trying to rememher her name. She used to sing

[@astrobreaux]

he's from kaplan about 10 miles west of abbeville. they don't even acknowledge him on the sign with the other famous people from there.

[@davidboney9093]

Iron Eyes Cody is a lot like my childhood wrestling hero Chief Jay Strongbow. His real name is Luke Joseph Scarpa an Italian American. He was a tag team wrestler who often joined up as a wrestling partner with Chief Peter Maivia, Dwayne Johnson's (the Rock) grandfather.

[@SashaAmess]

Wow, I’m 52 years old now but when I was 7, I stopped littering because of his commercial…

[@LoriMcDuffie-m5o]

My mother was 1st generation Sicilian born in New Orleans, La. They were considered WOPS (Without papers) not white. She carried the stigma. Iron Eyes looks like her mother and brother Pos ( Pascuale).

[@jennifersmetanko6631]

Thank you for the video but I have heard about the crying native American guy being Italian / Sicilian in the past. And I bet he knows how to make real good authentic Italian foods 😉🤭😂. I'm just joking here and I do not mean to offend anyone by my comment. And I do enjoy occasionally watching your videos It is educational and I understand how important it is these things continue to be discussed regardless of who likes it or not the past matters just as much as the present times and it shouldn't be forgotten or suppress by the government or KZbin. It makes me feel kind of angry and mainly it makes me feel disappointed just because some people or some groups feel ashamed and they can't talk about these things or allow anyone else to talk about race. Family and culture is important it makes us who we are and no one should have to feel shame about it or hide it from other people. Some of my ancestors ran from Russia and came here to live in America in the early 1900s. And I'm not 100% sure why they came here because the stories were not passed down to me and I can't really ask anyone about it because my grandpa passed away over 10 years ago and a lot of family members that would know about it are dead now and including my mom. And I can only guess at the reason or reasons why the Russian part of my family came here to America. I don't know the name of the war that was going on in the 1900s in and around Russia at the time but I think my great-great-grandfather was running from being drafted just like Russian men now in these times with this war between Russia and Ukraine that's been going on for 2 years and a half now. The only thing I know about my great-great-grandfather is that he married an Italian woman before he came to America. And that checks out with the online research I've done in the past about that side of my family. And when it comes to the culturally diverse family I'm a part of and what remains of them and what they brought here is my family name my last name and the different kinds of cultural foods I grew up eating like my mom would cook foods that are traditionally Eastern European and foods that were traditionally German and Italian. I ate a lot of spaghetti growing up and stuffed cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers and bratwurst and sauerkraut.

[@spiderlily4386]

Jennifer - Your connection to Russians who immigrated to the west is so interesting. Around the turn of the century (1900), Russia was in a terrible state. Hunger, overpopulation in the big cities, no jobs. They had a leader (Czar Nicholas II) , who was completely inept, to put it politely. Got them into a war with Japan, which he lost. They were constantly fighting The Ukraine, primarily over The Crimea, which gives important access to the Black Sea. ( Yeah, apparently this Ukraine-Russia squabble has been going on for hundreds of years.) Anyway, i got most of that from Wiki. Your ancestors probably got out before the revolution. Lenin was gearing up to get control. Check it out, you may get some clues from old letters. A lot of documents are on the internet now, too. Censuses, birth, death, and marriage records etc. Or even old family bibles. I hope you find something.

[@jennifersmetanko6631]

@@spiderlily4386 thank you ♥️🙂

[@richardlahan7068]

I remember this commercial.

[@powahwave8915]

You should read book of Mormon from beginning, it explains why some Indians wear fringes

[@dagnolia6004]

a nuanced story

[@casper98204]

Let's not forget the famous Native American impersonator Sen. Elizabeth Warren aka 'Pocahontas'. 2:40

[@HN1066X]

The difference is that Elizabeth Warren is as obviously Anglo Saxon as Winston Churchill. Mediterraneans passing as Indians is not surprising in any way. Sal Mineo played Indians in old Westerns all the time.

[@UncagedSavage]

She could be a small percentage..some can be half and not look like it at all

[@Percept2024]

@HN1066x , Churchill`s mother was an American , and I read that she WAS part Native American.

[@jstevenj1]

The "Crying Indian" was Italian? O.M.G.! Great fake out, I never imagined such. Woiw wow wow...

[@davidwood351]

Shocking. Interesting.

[@lindajohnson6584]

This is so much about yourself on tv. You either like yourself so much you can't bother to let a photo stay longer than 1 sec.

[@kirkstewart-vf6hg]

Buck skin slim or commonly known as Arlington shader lived around Roseberg oregon he dressed in buckskins he made canoes he built on top of his old Ford. He lived the ways of the Indian his whole life he was more Indian than blood Indians.