MovieChat Forums > Centennial (1978) Discussion > Clemma Zendt is 1/4th American Indian

Clemma Zendt is 1/4th American Indian

posted 16 years ago by jeffyoung1
6 replies | jump to latest

Clemma Zendt is 1/4th American Indian (Arapaho) and 3/4th European Caucasian. What is so odd about her character is that she often complains about being, "too Indian", meaning, not enough white.

This is an inaccurate portrayal of a 1/4th Indian, 3/4th Caucasian person. The actual actress, Adrienne LaRussa, must have had her skin darkened for the Centennial role. I've seen an Internet photo of Adrienne LaRussa and she has a fairer complexion.

I know what I'm saying because I met a 1/4th Apache, 3/4th Caucasian guy many years ago. I would have never known he was 1/4th American Indian had he not told me. He was blue-eyed and blonde. It didn't matter to me anyway.

A hypothetical Clemma Zendt would have looked virtually 100% Caucasian and indistinguishable from the other white peoples. Would Clemma Zendt have actually faced racial discrimination for being 1/4th American Indian? I don't know for sure. I read that in history 1/2 American Indian; 1/2 white persons did face bigotry. I suspect that in actual history, a 1/4th Indian and 3/4th white person, especially a beautiful woman, would not have faced that much bigotry as opposed to the other beautiful yet unfortunate 1/4th black; 3/4th white women known as 'quadroons'. Even octoroon women, 1/8th black and 7/8th white, faced social discrimination, even though they looked totally Caucasian. I just can't believe how narrow-minded people were back then.
Speaking for myself, being a typical 2008 guy, had some hot babe come on to me, whether she was 1/4th Indian, 3/4ths white, or for that matter, 1/4th or 1/8ths black and the rest white, would I have any reservations? Heck no! Bring it on, baby!

[–] blairk 16 years ago

A persons appearance has a lot to do with their dominant DNA. Just being 3/4 caucasian doesn't mean you are going to look that way. I know someone who is 1/4 african american and 3/4 white, and they are very darkly colored.

[–] LAActress 15 years ago

Also back in that day any amount of Indian blood was looked down upon. I read once that Winston Churchill's mother had Native American blood but kept it quiet.

Dominant DNA is what determines what someone looks like. My brother is blond haired, blue eyed, and fair skin and I am dark haired, green eyed and light olive skin. We both have the same parents, our mom was Italian.

[–] mizbara 15 years ago

She *was* "too Indian" in the time she lived to be truly accepted by the white population as a whole. It's fine that you have an open opinion about it; however, you seem to be forgetting what time period she came from. Clemma Zendt was born in the late 19th century. Being anywhere close to non-white, that is, "Indian," black, or Hispanic at that time period was looked down upon. (As a matter of fact, part of the reason why the Civil War was fought was because some people wanted to keep the West completely "white." They didn't want anyone who wasn't of "white European descent" living out there.) Those who could pass for white were "lucky." In Clemma's case, she really couldn't pass for white, because everyone knew who her mother, grandmother, uncles, and great-grandfather were, and that they were all members of the Arapaho nation. The white population's attitude as a whole would have been against her.

Also, just because you met *one* person who happened to be 1/4 Native American who didn't look Native American at all doesn't make Clemma's portrayal inaccurate.

"To not like it would make them dickheads." ~ Leonard Nimoy

[–] clearthinkernow 9 years ago

you can never be sure which genes will show up in people. some persons of mixed race, like Clemma, have tried to "pass" and have been successful. then one of their own children with even more "white" blood shows up with darker skin than the parent. it's just random. think of clemma being similar to her uncle jake. clemma just wasn't going to be happy, no matter what. jim lloyd isn't the best of the best? she'd have had a wonderful life, but chose to be unhappy instead.

[–] crood 7 years ago

Also, most people don't really know their full ancestry and what genes get passed down, but don't show up until paired with another person's. Heck there are documented cases of mixed race parents having twins where one looks Caucasian and the other looks of African descent. It's a random pairing. Most cases would end with children close to their parent's coloring or something between, but there are no guarantees.

[–] bcowan-2 9 years ago

My mother said that is where the expression "Black Dutch" came from. People would say that instead of having indian blood because you couldn't own land if you had just a drop of indian blood in you..

Funny now people brag if they have just have a tiny bit now.

Don't bother sweating over your bills, in the end we all wind up in the hole!