You can't talk about the old frontier without acknowledging that there were people in North America before European settler's came along. Well, you can, but that would be dumb. The Indian Village gave Disneyland visitors a chance to experience just a little bit of Indian culture. To my eyes, it all looked remarkably respectful, though I know that there are those who feel differently.
I love the anachronistic, snow-capped Matterhorn in the background! The dancer is about to soar into the sky and do loop-de-loops.
I love how authentic this was, with a natural amphitheater as the setting with the rocks and such.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful it must have been to be sitting in the crowd, listening to the proud music of these Native Americans, and seeing the gorgeous Columbia coming into view, esp on a sunny day like this one! Wish I had seen it for myself :-)
Is that the entrance to Injun Joe's Cave in the background?
ReplyDeleteNancy, I know, this was a feature that I never saw (though I could have!)... yet another thing to regret, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteChuck, I don't think that is Joe's cave... I think that was over on the other side of the island, nearer to the Mark Twain landing.
I saw this a few times when I was a kid but was probably too young to appreciate it at the time. I was more entranced with the mechanized magic of Disneyland at the time.
ReplyDeleteMuch of this type of thing has been lost forever from Disneyland. I remember hearing or reading somewhere that Walt Disney wanted his park to be learning experience as well. Main Street still exists with its setting of around 1905, but the shops instead of selling items that are unique, they all have the same plush merchandise.
ReplyDeleteTSI has been overrun and maybe kids don't read Mark Twain anymore. It is a shame. However, the existence of the island along with references to Huck, Becky and Tom could make some kids inquire about these classic stories. They have pirates down pat.
It was this place (and "The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" on "Banana Splits") that got me into reading Twain in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI've read "Tom Sawyer" to my boys and taken them to Hannibal, and I was so proud of them when we went to TSI and they weren't too impressed with the pirate stuff but LOVED Tom & Huck's treehouse and the caves. There's still hope, Orange Co Native, there's still hope...