Beautiful Frontierland, August 1961
Imagine being magically transported back to 1961. Tuck your mullet under a Keppy Cap so that you won't get looks! Take a stroll around Disneyland, especially Frontierland, and soak up all that vintage ambiance. Since I am reasonably sure that I never visited the Indian Village when I was a kid, I would want to head in that direction. If I time it just right, I can watch a performance of native dancing by members of a number of tribes. It would be so great!
Next is this lovely look at the Columbia; it looks like passengers are deplaning, and they are probably discussing all of the wonders of the wilderness that they just saw. "That moose looked right at me!". A raft is loading up at Tom Sawyer Island, ready to cross the river. To our right, the old, short-lived bandstand.
11 comments:
In that second pic, it looks kind of crowded over there by the boat dock and Rainbow Ridge. We can also see a few pack mules making the uphill hike, way over yonder!
Thanks, Major!
Maybe I should have specified that the pack mules are just below the mast of the TSI raft.
Major-
I do miss the bandstand - another casualty of the New Orleans Square addition - but a damn worthy one-!
Thanks, Major.
Wow, what a nice couple of pictures! I'm keeping both of them! The stars and planets all aligned just right to produce these photos with perfect lighting and composition.
The tribal dancers were caught in exciting poses that show what the photo is all about. And the rapt attention of the audience emphasizes the dancers. You can't go wrong with lots of color and lots of action.
Even though the Columbia's sails are furled, they look really nice here. Again, perfect lighting! As TM! noted, we can see a train of pack mules making its way along the bank of the ROA... At least I think they're pack mules; they all look white, light colored, or pinto splotched. And we can see a magenta ostrich-plume on one of the Rafters. And of course, the flowers on the right add the "chef's kiss" to the photo.
I'll be keeping my mullet in plain sight when I'm transported back to 1961 Disneyland... Gonna let my freak flag fly! Thanks for these extra nice photos, Major.
Very cool. I was born in '61 so just starting my mullet :)
I barely remember the Indian Village, we may have gone there only once. I would probably enjoy the dances now, but as a six y.o. maybe not so much. Let’s get over to Tom Sawyers Island and climb Castle Rock!
Major, there is a fine museum in Albuquerque with many exhibits on the southwestern Indians. They have a big Dance circle with authentic dances and ceremonies. Also a restaurant with native dishes, many of which resemble Mexican food. Easy to see how that came about. Very much worth your while to visit.
The Columbia is a little harder to board and deboard than the Mark Twain, because of that big jetway. Luggage retrieval is pretty smooth now that new carousels are installed. Security confiscated my fried chicken and my zingers though.
JG
TokyoMagic!, you’re right, it does look crowded! I can’t tell if the crowds are specifically at Rainbow Ridge, or just Frontierland in general.
TokyoMagic!, I see those teeny tiny mules!
Nanook, the old bandstand (with the oleanders) looks so nice, it’s a shame they didn’t put something similar in after New Orleans Square was added.
JB, if you want to keep both of these photos, you must send me 300 box tops from Frosted Flakes, along with a note from your parents. I wonder if the Indian Village would have continued to be popular if it had gone on for years, or if there was a waning interest in “the West” by then? You know, when everyone loved Wookies? I’d say those have to be pack mules, I’m unaware of any other critters used over there. Those artificially colored ostrich plumes are the best! Imagine the 1961 reaction to a classic mullet. Pandemonium.
DaBlade, it takes years to grow a proper mullet, so you have to start early!
JG, they used to have Indian dancers at Mission Santa Barbara, of all places, I know I saw some when I was a kid. I have the feeling that was short-lived. When you mentioned “native dishes”, I wondered what those would be, but you said they resembled Mexican food, which makes sense, since I’m sure they had roughly the same ingredients available to them. I sort of like going up that ramp to the Columbia, though I suppose it might make it difficult for wheelchairs and strollers (perhaps strollers aren’t allowed?). I always bring a carry-on so that I don’t have to check a bag.
MAJOR. Across Canada and the USA starting in the late 1960’s American Indian Nations began their cultural preservation and rights demonstrations and occupations. In California there were also big US government and university occupations by combined
Hmm I was cut off and 1/3rd of my post was deleted!!??
Anyway after the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969 -1971 and other Native American groups like AIM ( American Indian movement) peaceful and also some violet and increasing demonstrations in California , Disney productions became concerned of a similar event occurring at Disneyland ..tourist were also becoming nervous about such venues around the nation - especially with the announcement of the BROKEN TREATY TRAIL demonstration being announced to occurs in the early 70’s. WED quickly shelved its plans for the Walt Disney World Indian Pueblo Village being planed and also an entire Indian section of Tom Sawyer Island ( South Island ) later just combined at a single attraction.
Disneyland’s Indian Village quickly became a concern and the introduction of the Hall of Presidents with a 1972 opening of a Anaheim LIBERTY SQUARE was quickly pushed back and another “Florida” show selected to be duplicated at Disneyland was selected : COUNTRY BEARY JAMBOREE - to quickly remove the INDIAN VILLAGE.
Mike Cozart, I know that there were many issues having to do with Native American rights in the later 1960s and into the 1970s; I’m sure you are right that there were probably some who found the Indian Village and Dance Circle to be distasteful (if not worse than that). I wonder how the performers felt? It was regular employment for many years! It was interesting to read about the man who played Captain Guy (the pirate with the real wooden leg on the Chicken of the Sea pirate ship), who went on to help Indians find gainful employment. Not sure how exactly - making crafts? Or other more mainstream things? But it seemed like an unusual “zag” for somebody at that time. Wow, I’ve never heard of the planned Pueblo Village for WDW, I’m sure they would have done an amazing job (sort of a “Montezuma’s Castle” thing, perhaps). It does seem as if the Dance Circle and that sort of thing had become dated by the 1970s, and maybe that is just as well for all concerned.
Interestingly, Knott's opened a little area in 1992, called Indian Trails. It is still there today, and includes a small circular stage where "dancing and storytelling" take place. There are also some teepees and totem poles in the area. Disney should tear down Tiana Mountain and the Poohp ride, and rebuild the Indian Village! Oh, and work Country Bear Jamboree in there somewhere, since Disney doesn't seem too concerned about themeing anymore.
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