Worst Sopranos storylines?

I analyzed this episode for a Native American Studies course.

The HBO television series The Sopranos, which ran from 1999 to 2007, has been lauded by critics and audiences for its portrayal of Italian Americans and their culture. However, for as much praise that it garners regarding Italians, it acquires just as much criticism for its portrayal of other ethnicities and cultural groups. In the Sopranos universe, Jews always think about money, black people are foulmouthed criminals and Native Americans are volatile protesters portrayed as villains for opposing the celebration of Columbus Day. In this short paper I will explore the question who or what gets considered Indian, and why in relation to portrayals of Native American in an episode of The Sopranos titled Christopher.

It’s important to note that the 9/11 attacks were a huge influence on the world of The Sopranos. Taking place in New York and New Jersey in the early 2000s, America, and this region especially, was feeling a sense of nationalistic unity and a desire to feel connected to fellow (white) man while distancing itself from outsiders (remember “freedom fries?”). This era sets the scene for an episode revolving around the annual parade celebrating Christopher Columbus, a revered figure in Italian culture, and the Native Americans who oppose the parade. In the opening scene, when a group of Mafiosos read in the newspaper that a number of Native Americans are planning on protesting the parade, one comments “some fuckin’ balls, badmouthing America - especially now.” This sentiment alone sets the stage for prejudice; it is assumed that the NAs’ opposition to Columbus has the intent of directly disrespecting America, despite nothing in the newspaper article saying anything about the country itself. Another man sitting at the table comments that America has “given a bunch of shit back” to NAs as reparations for the genocides of native peoples: “land, reservations, and now they got the casinos.” In a line that seems to sum up the whole show’s prejudiced and stereotypical sentiments toward NAs, one man says, “I wouldn’t mind sitting on my ass all day, smoking mushrooms and collecting government checks.”

Later in the episode, a protest takes place in front of a statue of Columbus. The NAs are provocative and aggressive, as insults fly back and forth between them and the Italians coming to contest the rally. This portrayal is in line with Mihesuah’s (1999) life stage 3, “ Immersion-Emersion,” (in which she suggests "that many American Indian people engage in 'aggressive behavior' at this stage, or get involved in protests as well as traditional activities for the first time") as the scene quickly spirals into violence between the protesters and Italians. This scene paints the NAs as unreasonable and brash, unwilling to protest peacefully and without conflict.

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When one Mafioso meets Del Redclay, the man leading the protests, he threatens to expose that prominent Native American actor Iron Eyes Cody is actually of Italian descent. At first Del seems unfazed but after the Mafioso leaves he expresses his concern that this could be a huge public relations disaster. Del’s assistant assures him that it’s not a big deal, confessing that she is 1/8 Italian herself. This scene directly utilizes the concept of blood-quantum as it refers to “fractions of ethnicity,” and questions of true ethnic descent.

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Further on in the episode, in a scene where Tony Soprano ironically states, “we just don’t want to see our heritage attacked,” the men meet with a supposed chief of the fictional Mohonk Tribe. This Chief, named Doug Smith, is phenotypically white, and when someone comments that he doesn’t look Indian, he admits that he passed most his life as white. It was not until the passing of “the Casino bill” that Smith had his “racial awakening,” and discovered that his great grandmother was ¼ Mohonk. This not only references blood-quantum, but also applies the one-drop rule (which is usually applied to black people) to himself, claiming that this small bit of Indian blood qualifies him as a Chief. This scene heavily implies that Smith exploited (or simply modified) his ancestry to take advantage of a bill allowing NAs to run casinos.

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Overall, it is easy to see why this is widely viewed as of the worst episodes of such a brilliant television series. It portrays Native Americans as greedy, uncompromising agitators who can exploit the system for their own monetary gain. While it can be argued that this episode was written through the lens of Italian American prejudices, it cannot be disputed that many of the views portrayed in this episode unfortunately reflect stereotypes and perceptions held of Native Americans. I hope audiences can view this episode as an exposition of these stereotypes, rather than a show supporting racism and prejudice.

References

Garroutte, E. M. (2003). Real Indians: Identity and the survival of Native America. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press

Imperoli, M. (Writer), & Van Patten, T. (Director). (2002). Christopher [Television series episode]. In H. Bronchtein (Producer), The Sopranos. Newark, NJ: Silvercup Studios.

Mihesuah, Devon A. (1999). American Indian Identities: Issues of Individual Choice and Development. In Duane Champagne, ed., Contemporary Native American Cultural Issues, pp. 13-38 (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press).

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