The image of Chief 20 Bones has been removed from the Lineboro
Fire Department Web site after dozens of Native American activists
criticized the depiction.
Since last Friday, American Indian activists, from as far away as
Canada, have flooded the volunteer fire department's e-mail account
with messages condemning the advertisement featuring the tomahawk-wielding
chief, according to Bedlam in the Boro Haunted Hayride Chairman
John Krebs.
The Indian, who is the main character in Jesse Glass Jr.'s book "Ghosts
and Legends of Carroll County," is the featured item in an advertisement
for the department's yearly haunted hayride event and is
While the department has yet to formally issue an apology, American
Indian Movement member Ryan Warden, who vocally criticized the image
last Friday, says he is surprised as well as pleased that the picture
was removed from the Web site.
"
We didn't expect that the picture would be taken off of the Web page," Warden
said. "We are happy that it has been taken down though."
Warden added that he hopes that the picture's removal serves as an
educational purpose and enlightens people about the damage that stereotypes
can cause.
Krebs stresses that in no way was the image meant to be offensive
or stereotypical.
"
We're just a small volunteer fire department trying to make some
money," Krebs said.
For the past three years, Krebs said, that the image, which depicts
a Native American waving a tomahawk and having fangs on his teeth
and blood around his mouth, has been used as the focal point for
advertising the hayride. While complaints have been raised by at
least two dozen Native Americans this year, Krebs said, only one
person voiced a complaint in the past two years. Most of the time,
he said, the picture was a source of praise from hayride attendees.
"
We've used this for three years and for some reason it only caused
a stir now," Krebs said.
Krebs added that the fire department was very cautious in creating
the image and hired a Colorado design firm
to paint it in 2001. The, company, Brainstorms, hired a Native American
to pose for the picture
and has displayed the picture on their own Web site for several months
over the past few years, Krebs said.
"
We were very cautious about doing this in bad taste," Krebs
said. "A real Indian posed for the picture and they put the
paint on him and the fake teeth. We wanted it to look a little Halloweeny."
Krebs confirmed that the fire department will issue a press release
in the immediate future, which will state whether they will apologize
for the depiction of Chief 20 Bones.
According to Krebs, the fire department has received at least 25
e-mails from people criticizing the image and the fire department
for using it.
Krebs added that the picture will not be removed from billboards
advertising the hayride.
"
It is impossible to take the billboards down. By the time we get
new billboards the event will be done," Krebs said. "We
sure live in a PC world now."
The removal of the picture is appreciated, Warden said, but the image
was clearly distasteful and stereotypical.
"
We did not want to cause problems and hurt the hayride, but anyone
can see that the picture was discriminatory," Warden said.
Reach staff writer Benjamin Demers at 410-857-7898 or demersb@lcniofmd.com.
