Native for a Day: Non-Native Perceptions of Native American Life

Social science research about non-Native attitudes and beliefs about Native Americans (NA) shows that stereotypes are widely endorsed and that their racist content has changed little from the original imperial conception of “the Indian” described in critical historiography and Native studies. What we understand less is how non-Natives understand NA in relation to the self and how this relationship might reproduce or challenge racial hierarchy. We explored attitudes toward NA among a multi-racial sample from Arizona using a perspective-taking exercise, asking interviewees, “If you were to become a Native American person for just a few days, how do you think your life would be different?” Responses expressed stereotypes, recognition of discrimination, and claims of sameness. Stereotypes reflect an endorsement of both negative and positive stereotypes of NA by interviewees. Recognition of discrimination reflects participants' awareness of inequality in the experiences and circumstances of NA relative to non-NA. Claims of sameness reflect colorblind views of NA. We demonstrate perspective-taking questions as useful for the sociology of the self and other.