Disney Expresses ‘Regret’ Over H.S. Drill Team’s Offensive Depiction Of Native Americans In Magic Kingdom Parade

Topline

Disney said Friday it “regret[s]” a high school drill team performance at Walt Disney World this week that was widely condemned for its racist depiction of Native Americans, claiming it did not know the group would chant “Scalp ‘em!” and promising that it has put measures in place to prevent similar incidents in the future—a response advocates criticize as still being insufficient.

Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World on March 03 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Getty Images for Disney Dreamers Academy

Key Facts

The drill team from Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Texas—known as the “Indianettes”—drew outrage for its performance at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World this week, which featured drill team members performing movements criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes against Native Americans while chanting, “Scalp ‘em, Indians, scalp ‘em.”

The performance gained wider attention following a tweet Thursday night from Tara Houska, a tribal attorney and founder of Giniw Collective, who slammed the drill team’s act as “nostalgic racism.”

“Shame on Disney for hosting this,” Houska said in her tweet, which has been retweeted more than 2,700 times as of Friday afternoon.

Disney spokesperson Jacquee Wahler said in a statement to Forbes Friday that the performance “did not reflect our core values and we regret it took place,” and claimed it was “not consistent with the audition tape the school provided,” adding the company will ensure “this is not repeated.”

Disney confirmed to Forbes an employee stopped the drill team from wearing headdresses prior to the performance.

In a statement to Forbes, Houska criticized Disney’s response as “paltry” and said if the company “is actually committed to inclusivity and diversity, this behavior should be unequivocally condemned and an apology issued.”

Crucial Quote

“Disney didn’t even mention the overt racism and ignorance they uplifted,” Houska told Forbes, noting a “cursory review” of the high school shows other offensive references to Native Americans like a “War Whoop Yearbook” and referring to its football stadium as “The Reservation.” “I find it hard to believe Disney had no clue who they were giving a platform to.”

Chief Critic

The high school and director of the Indianettes have not yet responded to requests for comment, but an unofficial website for Port Neche-Groves’ football team defends the school’s “Indians” nickname, acknowledging the controversy over the use of Native Americans as sports mascots. The website claims the nickname is a nod to the history of Native American tribes who used to live in the area and says the school had been recognized by the Cherokee Nation as “Ambassadors of Goodwill,” though the Cherokee Nation withdrew its support of the school in 2020. “Port Neches-Groves ISD respectfully incorporates [Native Americans’] rich traditions with great honor and pride,” the website argues.

Key Background

Disney’s hosting of the Indianettes comes as it moves to be more inclusive in its theme parks and rid them of racist depictions, including of Indigenous people. Walt Disney World and Disneyland recently updated their Jungle Cruise attractions to remove “negative depictions of native people” and announced it will re-theme its Splash Mountain rides to no longer center on the film Song of the South, which has been pulled from distribution for its romanticized portrayal of race relations in the post-Civil War South. The company still has been criticized for the portrayal of Native Americans on the attraction Peter Pan’s Flight, which has not been updated even as the company added a warning to the film Peter Pan on Disney Plus for the film’s “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”

Tangent

The outrage over Disney’s hosting of the Indianettes comes as the company is dealing with a controversy over its response to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Disney faced widespread outrage—including from its own employees—over its initial refusal to denounce the legislation, which has been critcized as discriminatory against the LGBTQ community, leading CEO Bob Chapek to ultimately issue an apology. The controversy has still continued, however, with employees walking out earlier this week in protest of the company’s handling of the issue.