Reevaluating Historical Symbols: America’s “Indian” and the Durango Caricature Controversy
In 2020, the owners of Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, Colorado, faced mounting public pressure to remove a caricatured Native American sign originally displayed above a 1950s diner. The two-story sign, depicting a stylized Native figure, had long served as a local landmark but drew criticism for perpetuating racist stereotypes. Jackson and Antonia Clark, owners of the gallery known for its Native American art, were forced to decide whether to remove, reinterpret, or retain the sign amid intensifying social debate. This case asks students to evaluate ethical, cultural, and strategic dimensions of business decisions that intersect with representation and historical harm. It encourages application of ethical frameworks such as utilitarianism, rights-based, and justice-oriented reasoning, and Stakeholder Theory to evaluate the Clarks’ options.
After completing this case, students will be able to:
1. Identify and describe ethical issues arising from the gallery’s use of the caricatured sign.
2. Analyze stakeholder perspectives using power, legitimacy, and urgency.
3. Apply the Duties–Rights–Justice (DRJ) framework to assess moral implications.
4. Compare alternative decision options and recommend an ethical course of action.
5. Reflect on place-based experiences to connect ethics to cultural understanding.