Native American Stereotypes in Film & Culture

I believe that in the Disney movie, Pocahontas, we can point out numerous stereotypes of Native American Indians. The first being how Pocahontas herself is dressed. Pocahontas wears a signature necklace, that looks like an arrowhead. Also, she is dressed in fringed leather clothing and is running around barefoot. Also, the wardrobe of her tribe is also a giant stereotype with all the headdresses, war paint, spears, bows and arrows, long-flowing black hair and feathers everywhere you look. With all the musical numbers about "being one with nature" it's clear Disney is trying to convey that Indians treasure their land, which may be true. But when everyone is talking to animals and trees it almost seems a bit over the top and hard to believe that is what Native Americans are actually doing. 

However, I am having a bit of trouble arguing that Native Americans are the only ones being offended here. The "milky skinned" white man is only concerned about greed and killing off anyone that has a different mindset than him. I also noticed that all the Indians are very, um.....ripped. Whereas all the white men are dirty and overweight. It's kind of offending to know that is how "we" are being portrayed (even if it's true after all). That's probably why I didn't find the song, "Savages" to be as offending to Native Americans as everyone else did. Sure, the explorers were calling the Indians "evil" and what not, but during the song the Indians also had their share of digs towards the explorers calling them "demons". 

Nonetheless, I believe that the movie Pocahontas is still a bit offending to Native Americans. Especially because the only reason Disney made a movie about Pocahontas is because she is a free-spirit and isn't a  postcard member of the tribe. It might have been a boring movie if we followed the life of her friend who might represent the actual life of a Native American Indian a bit better.