The Native American woman, known as Mia, that has appeared on the packaging of Land O’Lakes butter, cheese and other dairy products since the 1920s, has now disappeared from the packaging without much fanfare.
For years, the Native American woman has appeared sitting front and center on the packaging in the midst of lakes and trees.
But recently, packaging has appeared in stores without the familiar Native woman. On some packaging, there are photos of Land O’Lakes farmers.
The decision to remove the Native American woman from packaging has occurred as Land O’Lakes approaches its 100th anniversary in 2021. In a statement, President and CEO Beth Ford said, “As a farmer-owned co-op, we strongly feel the need to better connect the men and women who grow our food with those who consume it.”
After the initial creation of the image in 1920, Ojibwe artist Patrick DesJarlait created an updated image of the Native American woman in 1950. DesJarlait’s work now sits in the Minnesota Museum of American Art.
Today, DesJarlait’s son Robert says he has mixed feelings. He told the Star Tribune in an interview, “I’m sad to see it go, but I can understand why it’s gone. We live in a politically correct time, so maybe it was time to get rid of it. It certainly devolved into a stereotype.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Indian Country Today’s associate editor Vincent Schilling, Akwesasne Mohawk, on Twitter @VinceSchilling and Instagram @VinceSchilling