The Crying Indian - full commercial - Keep America Beautiful

Earth Day, the annual day of environmental action and awareness, was first held on April 22, 1970. This past April 22nd, we finally ventured into the woods behind our house and pulled 4 putrid truck tires/mosquito farms out of the mud, along with about 200 pounds of scrap metal, engine parts, and farm equipment. The place used to be a dairy farm, and I guess "out of sight" was "out of mind". If it were still the 70's, cleaning up the woods would have been "outta sight" in a whole different way.

Here's a clip of The Crying Indian from the early 70's. OK, so Chief Iron Eyes Cody wasn't a real Native American after all. That didn't stop the ad campaign from having a tremendous effect back then. And it's no less relevant today.

Here are some links to check out:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
http://www.kab.org/

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  People & Blogs

[gluegunassault2010]

You've got that wrong. They don't like being called "Indians".

[TreyLutrash]

I think the tear he had in his eye was because he knew his canoe would last longer than any one of those 70's model cars he saw on the freeway

[Lauraine Garten]

This PSA still sticks with me. I was still pretty young (I'm fifty now) when I first saw it. Littering and pollution were rampant. The roadways were a mess. Ditches in the country were full of junk and trash. The water was fetid and the air dank. Things have improved to some extent but we need to keep ever vigil to this issue.

[1caninelover]

FYI for both of you. Just like everyone else they are not all the same in preferences; some like native American, some prefer Indian. Not all black folks like African American, not all people from Mexico prefer Latino etc...everyone is an individual even if they are same race or nationality.

[scratchnsniff1961]

I remember this when it came out. It looks tame and retro now but then it was VERY powerful. Much like the 'Daisy Ad' for the Johnson vs Goldwater presidential election.

[marci mccomas]

It's a bunch of propaganda. It was then and it still is today. I was in 5th grade when this commercial debuted. It made me feel so guilty and ashamed of the entire human race. It was quite traumatic for me and I'm sure many other impressionable youth. What a burden to walk around feeling so much guilt, when in fact there was nothing I was doing wrong.

[standupjack]

The official term, according to the Associated Press Stylebook (the go-to source for word usage for journalists) has long been "American Indian," but the AP adopted "Native American" in 2008 as an acceptable alternative and both are permitted.

[happyjack39]

Today is "EARTHDAY". Make every effort to make this "EARTHDAY" special. It also marks the 40th aniversary of this movement...1973-2013. Ironeyes Cody R.I.P.

[thebenolivas]

The American Indian movement might want to have a word with you.

[AccountingIsHard]

Please don't call me an Indian. A tribe member of the Creek nation is fine.

[robicenco1]

I'm in favour of all and any measures that promote environmentalism and conservationism, but this film, noble though its intentions are, is based on a bit of a false premise. The indigenous Americans were no great environmentalists, as can be seen by the horrendous way their descendants - in the US and the rest of the Americas - litter and degrade their environments. Plus, they have simply never developed a civilization capable of generating much waste and litter.

[stevespacek1]

(google) THE AMERICAN STATE LITTER SCORECARD website each month; updates on America's Dirtiest, Trashiest States and Cities--LIKE ON FACEBOOK!.

Top Dirtiest STATES: #1 KY,LA,MS,NV,AL,IN,GA,IL,OK,MT, ND,TX,

Top Dirtiest CITIES: #1 New York, New Orleans, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Memphis, Dallas, Miami, Houston.