Framing the Yanomami: decolonial analysis of U.S coverage of Indigenous people in Brazil during COVID-19

Raiana de Carvalho, Martina Santia, Srividya Ramasubramanian

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mainstream news coverage in the U.S. of Indigenous people and the issues that threaten their survival has largely validated misconceptions rooted in colonial views and discourses dependent on harmful stereotypes. This study employs a qualitative thematic analysis of 32 articles from the New York Times and the Associated Press using a decolonial lens to investigate how U.S. news outlets framed the Yanomami people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings focus on four main frames that we identified among the news stories: (1) victimization and vulnerability, (2) illegal mining and policing, (3) environmental impact, and (4) Indigenous sovereignty. We discuss how these frames reinforce the colonial gaze, which continue to shape public knowledge, attitudes, and policymaking about Indigenous people globally, and how these findings contribute to theorizing about the role of media in Indigenous political representation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)346-367
Number of pages22
JournalEthnic and Racial Studies
Volume48
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2025

Keywords

  • Brazil
  • COVID-19
  • Indigenous people
  • Yanomami
  • decolonial analysis
  • news framing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Sociology and Political Science

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