Credit: Mattel
Mattel’s attempt to honor a famous female Native American blew up in their faces, thanks mainly to an embarrassing typo on the box.
The woke manufacturer has been utilizing its Barbie line to showcase a long series of politically-correct personalities, including transgender, lesbian, and minority dolls.
Mattel has now turned its attention to honoring the late Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee Nation’s first female principal chief, who led the tribe for a decade until 1995. During her leadership, Mankiller lobbied for expanded education, rural health care, and restoring pride in Native heritage. She passed away in 2010.
She met with three American presidents and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.
A public ceremony honoring Mankiller’s legacy was set for Tuesday in Tahlequah in northeast Oklahoma, where the Cherokee Nation is headquartered.
The Barbie doll shows Mankiller wearing a ribbon skirt, black shoes, and carrying a woven basket.
LOOK:
Siyo, Barbie! Come celebrate the Wilma Mankiller Barbie with us!
This celebration includes The Wilma Mankiller Foundation, the Wilma Mankiller family and the Cherokee Nation — all who celebrate the legacy of Wilma and her presence in @Barbie’s Inspiring Women Series. pic.twitter.com/qEp8WMgYTe
— Cherokee Nation (@CherokeeNation) December 3, 2023
But there is a huge problem. Regina Thompson, a Cherokee basket weaver who grew up near Tahlequah, pointed out to the AP that the Cherokee language symbols on the packaging are wrong. Two symbols look similar, and the one used translates to “Chicken” rather than “Cherokee.”
Yes, Mattel accidentally called a Native American a chicken. You can’t make this stuff up.
Thompson also told the AP that Mattel should have considered moccasins instead of black shoes and included symbols on the basket.
“Wilma’s name is the only thing Cherokee on that box,” Thompson said. “Nothing about that doll is Wilma, nothing.”
Mattel spokesman Devin Tucker claims the company is aware of the problem with the symbols and is “discussing options.” But they should have remembered to do their homework in their rush to virtue-signal.
The tribe said in a statement Mattel did not even bother to consult them on the Mankiller doll.
Regrettably, the Mattel company did not work directly with the tribal government’s design and communications team to secure the official Seal or verify it. The printing mistake itself does not diminish what it means for the Cherokee people to see this tribute to Wilma and, who she was and what she stood for.
The news gets even more embarrassing for the toy company: Mankiller’s only surviving child, Felicia Olaya, revealed she was unaware of the doll until about a week before its public launch.
I have no issues with the doll. I have no issues with honoring my mom in different ways. The issue is that no one informed me, no one told me. I didn’t know it was coming.
While one can hope Mattel takes a hit in the pocketbook due to this embarrassment, this is probably wishful thinking. After all, the American people have made the man-hating Barbie movie number one in America.
The post HAHA: Woke Barbie Manufacturer’s Attempt to Honor Indian Tribal Chief Blows Up in Their Face Thanks to Embarrassing Typo on the Toy Box appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
