MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA FISHING OPENER WE HAVE 34 AND 57 FOR YOUR
FORECAST, MOTHER'S DAY 54 WITH
A FEW SPOTTY SHOWERS IN THE
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. >>> AFTER NEARLY 100 YEARS,
LAND O LAKES IS CHANGING COURSE
ON ITS IMAGE THAT IT HAS USED
FOR ITS BRAND.
THAT IMAGE IS THAT OF A NATIVE
AMERICAN WOMAN, OVER TIME MANY
HAVE SPOKEN OUT ABOUT IT SAYING
IT IS A PROBLEM, SAYING IT IS
DISRESPECT FULL TO NATIVE
WOMEN, SAYING IT IS A
STEREOTYPE.
STEREOTYPE. WHAT ONE NATIVE MAN HAS A
UNIQUE VIEW ON THIS, SO UNIQUE
THAT THE WASHINGTON POST ASKED
HIM TO WRITE ABOUT HIS FEELINGS
IN AN EDITORIAL.
>> Reporter: ROBERT HAS
SOMETHING TO SAY.
>> SHE WAS NEVER A STEREOTYPE.
>> Reporter: YES, ROBERT'S
FATHER PATRICK WAS THE ONE WHO
REIMAGINED THE IMAGE YOU ARE SO
USED TO SEEING, KNOWN AS MIA,
ON YOUR BUTTER BOX.
HE DID IT IN 1954.
>> THE DRESS SHE WAS WEARING,
HE HEADED THE BEADWORK TO IT.
THE OTHER THING HE ADDED WAS
THE BACKGROUND, IN THE
BACKGROUND THERE IS TWO POINTS
OF LAND.
OF LAND.
OF LAND. BACK TO A FAMILIAR FEATURE UP
AND READ LIKE.
>> Reporter: RED LAKE NATION IS
WHERE THE FAMILY LIVED UNTIL
ROBERT WAS AROUND EIGHT IT.
IT IS AND WAS A PLACE ROBERT
SAID HIS FAMILY IS PROUD TO BE
A PART OF AND HE THINKS, A
PLACE THAT WAS PROUD TO BE A
PART OF THEM.
>> PEOPLE ARE OFTEN VERY PROUD,
OF ONE OF THEIR OWN, SO TO
SPEAK, AND IS AN
ACCOMPLISHMENT.
ACCOMPLISHMENT. >> WHEN YOUR FATHER RE-CREATED
THIS IMAGE WAS IT A SOURCE OF
PRIDE?
PRIDE?
PRIDE? >>
PRIDE? >> OH, DEFINITELY.
>> BUT OVER TIME, THE IMAGE
BEGAN TO BE SCRUTINIZED, AND
THE SAME COMPANY OF CRITICISM
HAT SON HAD AND HAVE FO
NATIVE IMAGERY BEING USED AS
MASCOTS OR LOGOS, ROBERT KNOWS
THAT ISSUE WELL.
AS HE WAS ONE OF THE
CRITICIZES.
CRITICIZES. >> I MYSELF, I GET INVOLVED IN
THE ANTI-MASCOT MOVEMENT SINCE
THE 1990s.
THE 1990s. I WAS AT THE PROTEST WE HAD AT
THE WORLD SERIES IN 91, THE
FOOTBALL GAME IN 1992.
I ALSO WROTE A BOOKLET FOR THE
EDUCATION PROGRAM ABOUT
STEREOTYPES.
STEREOTYPES. >> WITH THAT KIND OF
BACKGROUND, WHEREIN WHERE HE
TAKES ISSUE WITH THE FOOTBALL
TEAM IN WASHINGTON'S NAME, OR
THE BASEBALL TEAM IN ATLANTIS,
HOW CAN ROBERT NOT TAKE ISSUE
WITH THE AVENGE HIS FATHER RE-
CREATED?
CREATED?
CREATED? >> WHAT I USUALLY LIKE TO SAY
IS THAT SHE HAS EVOLVED INTO A
STEREOTYPE, SHE DIDN'T BEGIN
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. BUT THROUGH CULTURAL
CORRECTNESS, POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, SHE BECAME
ASSOCIATED WITH MASCOTS.
>> HE SAYS WHAT HE WANTS PEOPLE
TO KNOW IS HIS FATHER DID NOT
INTEND HARM.
INTEND HARM. WHEN HE REIMAGINED MIA, MORE
THAN 65 YEARS AGO.
>> IT WAS NEVER INTENTIONAL TO
CREATE A STEREOTYPE, HE WAS
VERY PROUD OF HIS CULTURE AND
HE USED HIS ART TO EDUCATE
PEOPLE ABOUT OUR CULTURE.
>> BUT INTENTION THEN AND THE
TIME WE LIVE IN NOW ARE
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. WHICH LEAVES ROBERT WITH A
RATHER INTERESTING POINT OF
VIEW.
VIEW.
VIEW. >>
VIEW. >> WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT
I SAID, WELL, I AM GLAD SHE IS
GONE.
GONE.
GONE. BUT
GONE. BUT THEN I HAD TO THINK ABOUT
THAT AND THE MORE I THOUGHT
ABOUT IT, I FELT THAT MAYBE SHE
DIDN'T HAVE TO GO.
BUT AGAIN I DO UNDERSTAND WHY
PEOPLE SEE HER AS A STEREOTYPE.
>> SO YOU CAN HOLD BOTH OF
THOSE THINGS AT ONCE?
>> YEAH, I THINK YOU CAN.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. >>
YEAH. >> IT IS PRETTY INTERESTING TO
SIT WITH THAT FINAL THOUGHT, I
THINK, THAT THERE ISN'T ALWAYS
AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT OR ABSOLUTE
WRONG, THERE IS ROOM IN THERE
FOR ALL VOICES AND OPINIONS TO
BE HEARD.
BE HEARD.
BE HEARD. AS FAR AS THE IMAGE FOR LAND O
LAKES, THE COMPANY IS NOT
SAYING THAT MUCH