Imagining Indians in the Southwest: Persistent Visions of a Primitive Past by Leah Dilworth

Abstract

Leah Dilworth's Imagining Indians in the Southwest critically examines the misrepresentation and misunderstanding of Native American culture by American society between the 1880s and 1920s. The book argues that the tourist industry, particularly through the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, played a pivotal role in shaping a distorted public perception of Native Americans as primitive, exotic, or even comic figures. Dilworth contends that scholarly attempts to study Native American culture were equally flawed, reinforcing stereotypes rather than fostering genuine understanding. Her work is meticulously researched, presenting compelling evidence through ethnographic accounts, promotional materials, and historical documents. Key themes include cultural misrepresentation, colonialism, commodification, and the persistence of primitivist narratives in American discourse. Dilworth's interdisciplinary approach draws from cultural studies, anthropology, and history, employing a postcolonial lens to critique Euro-American institutions' role in perpetuating stereotypes.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)