Indians, T Rex, and Hydropower: Pop Culture Niagara

Half the flow of water that cascades over Niagara Falls has been diverted for electricity generation. Changes in surrounding attractions reflect a diminished tourist interest in the past—both natural and historical. There may have been a popular culture component to Niagara since it began attracting sightseers in the nineteenth century, but the amount and aggressive nature of its presence has accelerated. Indians are souvenir and decorative subject matter, but their representations are not exclusively of tribes associated with the region. Totem poles and Plains eagle feather headdresses show up as well as references to the Iroquois Nation. An authentic past is presented by small public museums and a campy, but mostly accurate, private wax museum, but these presentations are overshadowed by global mass culture icons like dinosaurs.