Ownership rights to an anti-pollution ad showing a man in Native American attire shedding a single tear over a trash-laden landscape will be transferred to the National Congress of American Indians.
Since its debut on Earth Day 1971, the ad has become an indelible piece of TV pop culture. It's been referenced for decades on shows like “The Simpsons” and “South Park” and in internet memes.
But the so-called “Crying Indian” public service announcement has been painful for some Native Americans who saw it as a trope of Indigenous culture.
The non-profit organization Keep America Beautiful, which originally commissioned the advertisement, announced Thursday the National Congress of American Indians plans to retire its use.