On-screen Stereotypes or Symbols Ripe for Change? Exploring Summer Camp Names
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Millions of kids attend summer camp each year. The experience has become a rite of passage for generations of American children. Popular culture implies the country’s summer camps rely heavily on the appropriation of Native American icons and symbols. Many film and television renderings even purposefully reformulate subversive indigenous-sounding titles for their onscreen properties. However, it is unclear whether these repeated examples spoof contemporary trends or are simply antiquated, albeit potentially still insulting stereotypes. Given that place names imbue spaces with value and are inherently intertwined with people’s notions of associated areas, the popularity of camps, and the increasing social sensitivity to cultural appropriation, consideration of summer camp names is overdue. Thus a content analysis was conducted examining the names and official logos of traditional overnight American Camp Association (ACA) accredited summer camps. Data was collected from the ACA website and one random camp was selected from each of the 50 states. Data revealed that while a significant number of Native American words and icons are still incorporated into camp monikers and logos, a variety of name inspirations including natural landmarks, local heroes and founders, names common to the area, and religious texts were also prominent, though few of the camps studied provided any history of or explanation for the titles. While many of the indigenous monikers and icons appeared to reflect uplifting and positive concepts, their use by groups of various cultural and religious backgrounds is potentially problematic and possibility reflective of other, even unintentional cases of cultural appropriation.
