Playing Indian: The Iron Eyes Cody Story

At one point in everyone's life they feel an urge to fulfill some sort of fantasy their genetic make up or cultural time period denies them. Some people fantasize about being cowboys, some about being knights or kings, others fantasize about being explorers in the 16th century. Sometimes, people take those fantasies to a whole new level and take steps to fulfill these fantasies - and in particularly rare cases, not only do those around them accept this myth, but they become famous for them. Such was the case with Iron Eyes Cody - one of America's most beloved make believe Indians.

Iron Eyes Cody first entered the public eye during a public service announcement to "keep America beautiful" - struggling to paddle his canoe through polluted waters before overlooking a smoke stack pumping black soot into the air. The final disgrace came when a passing car tossed the remains of their garbage onto his feet - and at this point, the poor Indian could take no more, turned to the screen, and attempted to fight back a tear that rolled down his cheek.

This created a buzz for the man - people in Hollywood flocked to meet the real, true Indian that put environment first. They were dazzled by his promised Cree-Cherokee upbringing and many, my own mother included, beamed with pride when they met him. But, like my mother, many found their hearts broken when they learned a bizarre myth:

Iron Eyes Cody was not actually an Indian. In fact as far as anyone could tell, with the exception of perhaps a fleeting blood link from ages past like many Americans have, he had absolutely no cultural link to Native tribes. This information has been slow to circulate, many tossing it aside as little more than a myth, but even Cody's own sister, May Abshire, stepped forward to explain the truth.

Iron Eyes Cody was actually born Espera DeCorti, a Louisiana native with a curious Sicilian-Italian background. According to his half-sister their mother, Francesa Salpietra, emigrated to New Orleans to live with her arranged husband, an Italian native named Antonio DeCorti. Espera, known affectionately as Oscar, was born in Kapela, Louisiana, the second of four children to a family working in the sugar cane fields and hoping to avoid anti-Italian sentiments in southern Louisiana.

As with many immigrants at the time, Antonio wanted to live the American dream and opened a small grocery store - which likewise fell onto stereotypically hard times. This set in motion a series of events that resulted in Antonio's falling out with the local mob known as the "Black Hand Society", requiring him to flee to Texas and live in relative secrecy.

"He said he wanted to hide because he didn't want his family destroyed," May Abshire said.

With his father gone and communicating only through correspondence with his sister in Missouri, Oscar's mother remarried a Louisiana native named Alton Abshire - May's father.

Following a move to Orange, Texas, the three Corti brothers remained behind and moved in with their biological father while their mother returned to Louisiana. Although information is sparse about Antonio, it is known that he changed his name to Tony and later died at 45 following a less than fulfilling job as a pool room manager. The devastated Corti brothers changed their names to the more Americanized Cody and moved to California, seeking jobs in Hollywood.

May remarks that at this time Oscar became "100% Indian". His attraction to the life style was not new however, as she had commented that his entire life he had dressed up as a Native.

"If he could find something that looked Indian he'd put it on," she told journalists.

The lifestyle appealed to Oscar, now calling himself Iron Eyes Cody. Whether because he sympathized with the people and wanted simply to be a part of the way of life or because he was the cultural equivalent of men who believe they're women trapped in men's bodies, Oscar fully converted himself to an Indian so wholly that he concocted an entire family background for himself. He disavowed all connection to his Italian-Sicilian roots and over several phone interviews he solidly declared that no one could prove he was from Louisiana or of Italian heritage.

May Abshire and the records of Cody's life have been all the proof necessary - and although the Indian Community acknowledges that Cody was not born among them he has been honored as a great member of their culture nonetheless. In many ways, the fantasy has surpassed the reality enough that, although the DNA in his blood disagreed, he was fully and effectively molded into his fictitious background.

http://www.mail-archive.com/nativenews@mlists.net/msg01286.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north67.html
http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/ironeyes.asp