Amber Ruffin slams Marvel's Princess Matoaka character

Amber Ruffin has blasted Marvel's depiction of Princess Matoaka in the recently released King Conan #3 comic.

During the How Did We Get Here segment of The Amber Ruffin Show on Friday, the comedian discussed the "deeply offensive" depiction of a Native American woman in the publication.

"We talk a lot on this show about how representation matters, but what if that representation is so deeply offensive that it's worse than not being represented at all?" she asked.

Ruffin went on to note that the name Princess Matoaka might seem familiar because it was Pocahontas' real name.

"Native women have been hyper-sexualised throughout American history, and the consequences have been devastating," she continued. "According to the Department of Justice, Native American women are two to three times more likely than women of any other race to experience violence, stalking or sexual assault, and that is terrifying. The only thing native women should experience three times more than other races is compliments about their incredible community and nation-building skills.

"Continuing to hyper-sexualise indigenous women in fiction can lead us to ignore their abuse in real life... We, as artists and consumers, have to be extra careful in how we treat native people because our country has not been."

Speaking to how the culture industry can rectify this, Ruffin concluded: "It is our duty to make sure indigenous women are depicted with care and integrity, and more importantly, make sure they get a chance to depict themselves."