The "Crying Indian" Littering PSA from the '70s Is Officially Retired

The National Congress of American Indians took ownership of it, and they're retiring it

If you ever turned on a TV in the '70s . . . even once . . . chances are you saw the PSA where a Native American man sees someone throw trash out a car window and cries a SINGLE TEAR. Well, it's taken over 50 years, but that commercial, featuring Native American actor Iron Eyes Cody, has finally been CANCELED Many Native American activists have had a problem with the ad campaign over the years, because it reinforces negative stereotypes. So recently, Keep America Beautiful transferred ownership of it to the National Congress of American Indians . . . and they're RETIRING it. They say it'll never again be played without the proper historical context.


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