Yesterday, I found myself stepping in to take a children’s ukelele class which involved singing ‘Ten Little Indians’. I thought, “why the hell are the little Indians disappearing one by one?”

Would it have been better to change the lyrics to ‘pumpkins’ or ‘elephants’? Dr Perry remarked “at least we’re talking about you!” was a common rebuttal for complaints about representations of Native Americans. But being the object of conversation is not always that empowering, especially as a minority. All this song does is objectify an entire group of people; it doesn’t describe their histories, works or lifestyles.

Instead of scrutinising Native Americans, Dr Perry’s research focused on the derivative causes of Indianthusiasm and the subversive artists that gave them autonomy. She talks about them, but in a way that empowers their stories and livelihoods. 

As peculiar and specific Dr Perry’s topic was, I found this seminar particularly resonant. The purpose of her research became obvious when she showed the movie poster for Winnetou, who was played by an Albanian. “This is why it matters”, she said.

Since the first full-length feature film, The Birth of a Nation to Ghost in a Shell today, white-washing choices in media produce a tacit understanding of colonial dominance. These mainstream images have an inculcating influence that can produce real effects on people such as discrimination, violence, and limited life opportunities.

As boundless as these issues seem, Dr Perry was able to capture and address them through a seemingly niche research topic.