Unpacking the Children’s Park at Volkspark Friedrichshain: A Critical Perspective
When you visit the children’s park at Volkspark Friedrichshain, you might feel something a little off. It’s giving strange. It’s giving Croods. It’s giving… backward. So, let’s talk about it.
What’s a Tipi Village?
Perhaps you’re familiar with the concept from old cowboy movies. Tipis were used by some indigenous groups as part of their way of living, but it’s crucial to understand that Indigenous cultures are incredibly rich and diverse. They have histories that span thousands of years, with many unique ways of living—and the tipi is just one small piece of that story.
However, representations of Indigenous people, like the “tipi village” in this playground, can perpetuate harmful stereotypes. To understand why, let’s take a step back and look at the colonial ideologies these depictions often stem from.
The Roots of a Problematic Narrative
In 1735, Carl Linnaeus—known as the father of taxonomy—classified humans into categories based on race: white, red, yellow, and black. Indigenous people were labeled as the “red race” and, like the others except for white Europeans, were deemed “mentally underdeveloped.”
This is where things start to get troubling. Indigenous people were infantilized and compared to children—seen as wild, loud, and uncivilized. On a playground, children behave in ways that are playful, energetic, and chaotic, which can seem harmless. But here, that comparison serves to reinforce a colonial mindset of inferiority, framing Indigenous people as less capable or less “advanced” than their white counterparts.
What looks like a whimsical play area suddenly becomes a tool of historical and cultural erasure, perpetuating stereotypes that harmfully minimize the sophistication and humanity of Indigenous cultures.
Harmful Narratives in Everyday Culture
This isn’t just about playgrounds. Consider this: during Germany’s carnival season, there’s a popular song with lyrics that, when closely examined, perpetuate harmful stereotypes. It might sound like innocent fun to some, but the underlying history is anything but.
European settlers committed genocide against Indigenous people across the Americas. Over the span of 100 years, an estimated 56 million Indigenous people were killed in South, Central, and North America.
These cultural markers—be it a song, a playground, or a seemingly lighthearted depiction—downplay the scale and severity of racism and colonial violence. To those outside the affected communities, these narratives might seem harmless, but they’re anything but.
Why This Matters
Racism thrives when it is downplayed or disguised as harmless fun. Recognizing and confronting these subtle but insidious forms of racism is essential for fostering equality and justice. By uncovering these truths, we can challenge the status quo and create a more equitable world.
Dig Deeper With Us
Want to explore these issues more deeply? Join us on our decolonial tour of the African Quarter in Berlin. We dive into the history, context, and impact of colonialism and racism, providing a more profound understanding of topics like this. Let’s unravel the stories, confront the uncomfortable truths, and work together toward change.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where we’ll uncover other ways racism is disguised and downplayed in everyday life.