Culture defines the evolving identity of a nation, group, or individual by introducing a fragment of history that has shaped the world in its current form. Museums, history books as well as lectures help educate the society about its past ancestors through evidence collected from moments in history. Often a cultural artifact will be acquired and displayed for the public to analyze and create hypotheses about life in that specific era. The Indian Cigar Shop, a wooden sculpture used to advertise tobacco products, is an example of a marketing technique around cultural stereotypes. Different outfits, expressions and objects in the sculpture create speculations about Indian culture; however, none of the sculptures accurately depicted an authentic Indian. Struggling with public opinion, this artifact struggled to maintain its relevance within society, ultimately abandoning its original intention of being an object of publicity. Because of its interesting context, controversial advertising, and post-protest relevance, the Indian cigar store represents a powerful artifact for Native American culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The transportation of tobacco from Virginia to Europe, as well as the migration of immigrants to Virginia, was carried out at the help from ships. These ships were often recognizable by the abstract, multi-colored or matte wooden sculptures placed unmistakably on the front or bow of the ship, under the bowsprit. Woodcutting, or wood carving, is one of the most experienced and ambitious types of work. Due to the multiple uses of the trees present, the general simplicity of the technology of the time, and the general strength of the item, wood cutting was perfected in virtually every society. Competent sculptors often paid for a transoceanic voyage by cutting out or refinishing previously carved ship figureheads. Between approximately 1760 and 1880, these sculptures began to evolve into life-size human structures, either to represent powerful individuals from history or to depictions of imaginary figures, cut for walking, pointing, or looking up. forward with a severe aura. As technology advanced, the demand for steamships diminished and so sculptors began to target new marketing ventures. Many stores had indicators outside their stores to show the consumer what was inside. Popular examples of this include the red and white striped rotating cylinder representing a barbershop or the three golden spheres representing a pawnshop. The tobacco industry adopted the use of Indians to represent its product, thanks to the discovery of the culture by native Indians. These shipyard merchants began to establish what are known as Indian cigar stores. These life-size wooden sculptures were carved on the East Coast or in urban areas of the Midwest by artisans who may never have encountered Native Americans; the figures resemble white men dressed in native clothing. The Indian Cigar-Store crossed the Atlantic Ocean for two reasons: financial aspects and sociology. In the American entrepreneurial vision, many tobacconist owners wanted to differentiate their business from their competitors, thus began the use of wooden Indians for tobacconists.tobacco. Customers often remembered the wooden statue outside the store when comparing it to the products; a beautiful sculpture represents a high quality product. The cigar store Indians created a new atmosphere for smoking rooms, sidewalk advertising, and even hotel decoration. Each Indian differed in design, color and clothing, creating diversity between tobacco shops. The consumer had to admire a sculpture that gave him aesthetic pleasure, while discreetly promoting tobacco to the viewer. The Cigar-Store Indian, made in the United States, was dressed in tribal clothing, covered with blankets, adorned with feathered hoods, and in some cases shown holding tomahawks, bows and arrows, and spears. All the sculptures were depicted holding a pack of cigars or any other tobacco-like product. These depictions of Indians rarely referred to a specific tribe or group, however, speculation about racism was present. The exaggeration of tribal clothing, paint, and weapons created arguments against the artifact due to the artists falsely representing a real Indian. Indian cigar stores were intended to attract the attention of passers-by, informing them that tobacco was sold inside. However, these sculptures were perceived differently by the consumer, creating controversy around the advertisement. Following the colonization of the United States of America, mythology developed, providing Americans with a worthy heritage. This mythology included the native Indians who once claimed the United States as their own. Native American imagery was used by the federal government, allowing the United States of America to diversify from other countries while creating an image for their nation. The idea of ​​using cultural stereotypes is not new to America, as the country has used different stereotypes to add character and uniqueness to commercial products. Gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are all examples of stereotypes that America uses in its advertising. As noted in the CIA World Factbook and the article Asians as Being Tech-savvy by Taylor and Stern, "White/Caucasians make up the majority of all advertising models, but only about 16% of the world's population." When other groups of people are presented, they are often portrayed in stereotypical ways. For some ethnic groups, such as indigenous populations, research is rare or even non-existent” (Åkestam 12). These tactics are aimed at an audience that can identify with stereotypes, also known as an in-group. This method of advertising allows consumers to identify with the products, which ultimately results in the purchase of the item. Targeting Native American ethnicity to sell tobacco products allows American consumers to identify with their country's origins. A popular example can be seen within the MLB team, the Cleveland Indians. The logo depicted a caricature of Chief Wahoo, a warlord who often symbolized the violence of war. This caused an uproar among the Indian community because it did not mention the strength and beauty of peacetime culture and only demonstrated violence. The Indian Cigar Shop created a similar controversy because each sculpture had a different personality. These images of Indians created by America had two different representations, the good Indian who helped the Europeans, as well as the bad Indian who resisted the Europeans. Tomahawks and knives have increased speculation about violence.