Notah and Native stereotypes

An American dreamer:  Notah Begay

Despite being jailed at the peak of his fame and facing crippling back pain, the golfer is counting his blessingsThe month is January, 2000, he’s out on the town in his native Albuquerque, catching up with friends at a place called Billy’s Long Bar. Life has rarely tasted sweeter for Notah Begay — he has just banked $1.2m in his first season on tour, he has just returned from a film-shoot with Nike in Hawaii, and his invitation to The Masters is in the post. “One for the road, boys?” Why not? He steps outside into the cool night air and slips a key into the ignition of a Ford Expedition. He doesn’t notice the old Jaguar in the bay behind and reverses into the bumper. There are no witnesses, the car park is deserted, but Begay has always had a gift for the exceptional. He returns to the bar and inquires about the owner.

The police arrive and place him under arrest. The charge is aggravated driving while intoxicated. For anyone else, it’s a regrettable and embarrassing mistake, soon forgotten. For Notah Begay III, the most successful Native American golfer in history, it’s a catastrophe. He has betrayed his heritage and nurtured the thing he most despises—the stereotype of his people as drunken layabouts.

On his appearance in court, to the surprise and dismay of his lawyers, he pleads guilty to the offence and informs the judge of a previous DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) conviction in Arizona during his college days. The judge is amazed. It’s the first time she can recall a defendant being so forthright, but there is no provision for honesty in New Mexico law and she is compelled to send him to jail for a week on a work-release programme.Some background on Begay and Native stereotypes:Notah III was raised in the culture and traditions of the Pueblo, but could never reconcile his bedtime stories with the whooping, bloodthirsty savages he saw on TV.

Take the story of the Long Walk: in 1864, his great, great grandmother was one of 8,000 Navajos stripped of her language and culture by the US government, and marched at gunpoint across 300 miles of desert from Arizona to Fort Sumner in New Mexico. Take the story of the wind-talkers: in 1941, his grandfather, the original Notah Begay, was one of 375 Navajo “code talkers” who used their tribal language to transmit secret information for the US government during the second world war.

“Hollywood has had an interesting impact on the Native American people,” he says. “They are always portrayed in a negative light. They are always portrayed as ignorant or drunk or villains. People based most of their opinions about you on stereotypes. They thought Native Americans wore feathers and danced around the camp fire beating a drum and going: ‘Way-la-hey-ley-way-la’.His career and the reaction to his DWI:The miracle was born in 1999. He won twice, was voted Rookie of the Year and capped a brilliant season by returning to Albuquerque on November 12, where he was honoured by his hometown with a “Notah Begay Day.” Community leaders and members of neighbouring tribes gathered at the Ladera Golf Club.

Begay presented a cheque to the Canoncito Band of Navajos for their junior golf programme and held a clinic for the kids. “Stay in school,” he said. “Follow the straight and narrow,” he said. “Never give up,” he said. The message was clear: “Follow me.” But a few weeks later, he found himself in jail.

The critics were scathing. “Begay, who not only pleaded guilty to the DWI charge but also informed New Mexico authorities of his prior conviction in Arizona, is coming off as a big, wonderful Native American role model in all this,” Rick Reilly opined in Sports Illustrated. “He has been roundly praised in the press as being a ‘stand-up guy’ who is willing to ‘take his medicine’ and ‘not dodge his responsibility’. Uh, wasn’t it the ‘medicine’ that got him into all this in the first place?”Comment:  Reilly's last line sounds pretty stupid to me. How does it contradict the previous line about Notah's being a stand-up guy who is willing to take his medicine and not dodge his responsibility? Answer: It doesn't.

Backing into a car in a parking lot isn't the worst of crimes. Begay pleaded guilty to it, informed the judge of a previous DWI, and served his sentence. Other than being perfect, I wonder what Reilly expected Begay to do.

For more on the subject, see:

Jocks Aren't Good Role Models
The NB3 Challenge
Notable Native Athletes
What's New with Notah?