America’s “Indian” and Reevaluating Historical Symbols: The Controversy Over Durango's Caricature

In 2020, the owners of Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, Colorado, faced mounting public pressure to remove a caricatured Native American sign originally displayed above a 1950s diner. The two-story sign, depicting a stylized Native figure, had long served as a local landmark but drew criticism for perpetuating racist stereotypes. Jackson and Antonia Clark, owners of the gallery known for its Native American art, were forced to decide whether to remove, reinterpret, or retain the sign amid intensifying social debate. This case asks students to evaluate ethical, cultural, and strategic dimensions of business decisions that intersect with representation and historical harm. It encourages application of ethical frameworks such as utilitarianism, rights-based, and justice-oriented reasoning, and Stakeholder Theory to evaluate the Clarks’ options.