VIDEO: Disney Regrets Drill Team's Routine Portraying Native Americans and Chanting 'Scalp' Em'

Disney expressed regret after a drill team’s routine at one of its parks was criticized for its depiction of Native Americans and the Cherokee Nation also voiced displeasure.

As Forbes reported on Friday:

The drill team from Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Texas—known as the “Indianettes”—drew outrage for its performance at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World this week, which featured drill team members performing movements criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes against Native Americans while chanting, “Scalp ‘em, Indians, scalp ‘em.”

Video footage of the group’s performance showed the teenagers wearing their purple and white uniforms while marching and dancing to the band’s music:

Cuz a bunch of kids in fringe chanting “scalp ‘em Indians, scalp ‘em” is honor, right?

And any Natives who attend @pngisd should prolly just accept their classmates dehumanizing them cuz “tradition”, right?

Shame on @DisneyParks hosting this. Nostalgic racism is RACISM. pic.twitter.com/ELsJHRgJlw

— tara houska ᔖᐳᐌᑴ (@zhaabowekwe) March 18, 2022

Meanwhile, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued a statement regarding the event.

“Port Neches-Groves Independent School District continues to use offensive and stereotypical depictions of our tribe, and this is yet again exampled by their cheer team recently in Orlando,” he said:

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief @ChuckHoskin_Jr issues statement in response to offensive depictions by Texas high school cheer team: https://t.co/xx02vto7hI pic.twitter.com/t2VCrbaZV8

— Cherokee Nation (@CherokeeNation) March 18, 2022

A Disney company spokesperson named Jacquee Wahler told Forbes the performance “did not reflect our core values and we regret it took place,” adding it was “not consistent with the audition tape the school provided” and the company would make sure such an incident never happened again.

In October 2020, Disney added more trigger warnings regarding “racist content” to several of its classic movies such as Peter Pan, Dumbo, Fantasia, and Lady and the Tramp, on the company’s streaming service, Breitbart News reported at the time.

In response to Wahler’s statement, PNGISD said it was “aware of the concern regarding the performance of our band and Indianettes at Disney World,” KFDM reported Friday.

“We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our school district. Our district is nearing 100 years old and our Board of Trustees is committed to always making the best decisions for our students, staff, and the communities of Port Neches and Groves,” the statement concluded.

However, a spokesperson claimed PN-G has performed the routine on numerous occasions without receiving complaints from the Disney company, according to the outlet.