Media covers Jenner's apology

My posting on Kris Jenner's apology for using the phrase "Indian giver" has gained some media traction.

First to report the news was the Perez Hilton gossip website. Alas, it didn't attribute the item to Newspaper Rock, although that was clearly the source. Fortunately, other media outlets had more integrity.

Kris Jenner Apologizes To Native American Community For Indian Giver Comments!The Kardashian Klan just kan't seem to katch a break!

Not only were many members of the public outraged with Kris Jenner's appearance on Good Morning America, on which she spewed a whole lot of reasons why Kim Kardashian's 72 day marriage to Kris Humphries was NOT a joke, but a majority of the Native American community was deeply offended by her usage of the term "Indian Giver" in regards to the soon-to-be-ex taking back his engagement ring!

Publicist Tara J. Ryan sent the reality momager an e-mail asking her to make a public apology for saying such a hurtful thing on national television, as well as daughter Kourtney's Pochahontas costume on the Halloween episode of Dancing With The Stars, and she replied with the following:

From: "Kris Jenner"
Date: 11/04/2011 06:56 AM
To: "Tara J. Ryan"
Subject: Re: This week's events, some thoughts to ponderThe Daily Shuffle:  Kris Jenner Issues An Apology

By Hannah LawrenceBefore we knew Kim Kardashian was planning on keeping her $2 million engagement ring instead of giving it back to Kris Humphries, Kris Jenner suggested to Lara Spencer on Good Morning America that she hoped her daughter would keep the ring because she "hates Indian Givers." But it looks like she didn't want to take any more crap for her comments because she has since written to Tara Ryan, who's in charge of a Native American arts and entertainment company, and kind of apologized. --Newspaper RockJenner Responds to ‘Indian Giver’ BacklashKris Jenner, momager to the Kardashians, responded to an e-mail request from Tara J. Ryan, who asked her to publicly apologize for using the racist term “Indian giver” during a November 3 episode of Good Morning America.

Ryan, the Chickasaw/Choctaw president and owner of Tiger Lily Co.—a Native American arts and entertainment organization—took the time to contact Jenner directly pointing out not only the racist term but her daughter Kourtney Kardashian’s Pocahontas costume.

“A family of people in this case, specifically two persons, who very publicly on National television in one week, in the very month that is supposed to be a teaching and learning month that is National Native American Heritage month (November) are in a ‘bubble’ of ignorance, especially ridiculous since you are surrounded by so many people of color and your children and late ex-husband are of Armenian descent,” Ryan wrote to Jenner November 3 according to Newspaper Rock. She went on to ask Jenner for a “real, genuine public apology.”

Jenner responded saying she is “truly sorry” and that she “had no intention of hurting or offending anyone.” She chalked up the comment to being put on the spot and said “because of my dry sarcastic personality I was apparently trying to find a bit of levity in a really tough situation.”Comment:  I wouldn't exactly call sending an e-mail "issuing an apology." But I suspect Jenner knew that people would share and report on her message.

For more on the Kardashians, see Khloe Kardashian Thinks She's Native and Khloe Kardashian in a Headdress.

Below:  "Kris Jenner, mother of Kim Kardashian, was interviewed on Fox & Friends Thursday, November 3." (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Asteroids named for Indians

With an asteroid almost crashing into the earth Tuesday, Indian Country Today reviewed the asteroids named for Indians:

Asteroids with American Indian Names, and Video of YU55Yesterday we brought you three of them—Navajo, Hopi and Pocahontas—and a subsequent search turned up a few more.

“In keeping with astronomical tradition, discoverers of minor planets are accorded the privilege of proposing names for their discoveries,” said Gareth Williams, associate director of the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, the Paris-based organization that oversees the naming of such things. ”I’m not sure how many names are derived from Native American sources, but I can add 5460 Tsenaat’a'i, which is (supposedly) the Navajo word for ‘flying rock.’”

The others that Williams unearthed:

Asteroid 2270, Yazhi, the Navajo word for ‘little one’

Asteroid 3307 Athabasca, ancestors of the Navajo and Apache

Asteroid 10039 Keet Seel, prehistoric cliff-dwelling, occupied by ancestors of the Hopi

Asteroid 19407 Standing Bear, Ponca chief, the first American Indian to be granted the rights of a U.S. citizen, and a legal advocate for Natives

Asteroid 145475 Rehoboth, a school that primarily serves Native American families

Comment:  ICT missed the names noted in Asteroids Given Luiseño Names.

For more on Indians and astronomy, see Kitt Peak Observatory on Tohono O'odham Land and The Constellation Indus.

Subtle racism = psychological torture

I've written about the microaggression effects of the constant barrage of Native stereotypes. Here's an article that lays out the harm by comparing it to the Cold War psychological torture.

Is Racism Worse in the Age of Obama?

There are plenty of downsides to racism, but the biggest is perhaps the fear and paranoia it instills in those who have experienced it or seen it up close and personal.

By Keli GoffYet the further along we go into the Obama era, which many assumed would mark the start of a new chapter in American race relations, a provocative question has emerged: Is subtle racism actually more damaging to black Americans than blatant racism?

I had never really considered this question until a panel discussion for the new book Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness? by cultural critic Toure. Among dozens of questions he asked over 100 influential black Americans one was, "What's the most racist thing that's ever happened to you?" Though some shared incidents of breathtaking, blatant racism and of course the N-word made an appearance or two, the most popular answer was what Toure dubbed "the unknowable"; a moment they cited that may have negatively impacted their lives in an incredibly significant way, such as a lost job opportunity, or home loan, that they suspect was tied to their race yet ultimately they will never know for sure and never be able to prove it, so there's nothing to be done about it. But it haunts them, in a way that being called the N-word by some jerk out in the open, no longer does.

In the age of Obama in which even David Duke has enough sense not to use the N-word in public, "the unknowable" has become the most common form of discrimination, unknowable, and thus un-provable. It's therefore become a bit like a form of slow burning psychological torture for those who believe they've endured it. After all, it's one thing to struggle to find a job in a horrendous economy--something people of all races are grappling with. But it's another to know that studies have confirmed that even today just by virtue of being black you are less likely to get a job opportunity than a white male with a prison record, even when you don't have one.

But part of the torture is knowing that because we finally have a black president, accusations of racism are looked upon with more suspicion, eye rolling and dismissal than ever, which only further perpetuates the fear and paranoia. In other words, unless someone actually calls you the N-word, no one wants to hear you whine about racism. By the same token most people--even racists--are too sensible to use the N-word, which leaves those who face any form of subtle racism caught between a rock and a boulder. So victims of subtle racism may begin to feel a bit like the Ingrid Bergman character in Gaslight. For those who consider that reference too obscure, here's another. According to recent reports spies for the Russian government have begun aggressively targeting U.S. and British diplomats and journalists with small-scale psychological torture in an effort to drive them insane and ultimately, from the country. The torture in question? Breaking into their homes and moving pictures and other small personal items around. Though there is rarely any real threat of physical danger, the threat of the unknown and the impossible to control, combined with the inability to prove they are being targeted has begun to have the intended effect: driving some from their posts. In previous regimes some targets were even driven to suicide.Comment:  Consider how many times I've written about Halloween costumes and parties, Pocahontas and other Indian "princesses," and fashion appropriations in the last month. Not to mention the regular parade of stereotypes portraying Natives as savage, lazy, or drunk.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I see only the words and images "big" enough to make it into the mainstream media. I wouldn't be surprised if most Indians are confronted with a negative stereotype every day of their lives.

Just think of this. Suppose Indians have seen or heard that they're "savages" 10,000, 15,000, or 20,000 times in a lifetime. They've received not only the direct message ("You're not a real American") but the unknowable message in the non-Indian's mind. "What does this person think of me?" Indians have to ask. "Does he hate or fear me? What do I have to do to win his approval?"

This certainly does sound like psychological torture. If you've had a parent, teacher, or boss question you every day, you know how stressful it can be. A few years of that can screw up your life permanently.

The constant onslaught of stereotypes is the same thing. You began to wonder and dread what every person is thinking about you. You feel like the masses are judging you and (in your imagination) finding you wanting.

How often do you have to hear you can't do something before you give up on it? Ten times? A hundred? A thousand? Indians have heard a million times that they're nothing but chiefs, warriors, princesses, squaws, and savages--i.e., primitive people of the past.

Even when they don't hear it, they know people are thinking it. I can see how this would lead them to drop out of school, drink, lash out, or become depressed. Psychologically speaking, it must be incredibly debilitating. It's fair to compare it to psychological abuse bad enough to cause post-traumatic stress disorder.

For more on the subject, see Understanding Implicit Bias, Poverty Makes People Sick, and Intergenerational Trauma = PTSD.

Below:  "This is you, Indians. Repeat 10,000 times until you get the message."

Bedlam's "PocaHotAss" party

Someone told me Wednesday about the following event scheduled for Saturday.

Seems a company called Bedlam organizes provocatively themed parties for young hipsters in Atlanta, Georgia. Their latest brainstorm was a "PocaHotAss" party in honor of Thanksgiving. You know, because of the Pilgrims and Indians.

The idea, of course, was to dress as an Indian and let your wild, savage side go free. Once Bedlam posted the event on Facebook, however, the inevitable firestorm of protest arose.



Critics offered the usual arguments:

That dressing up as an Indian is akin to performing in blackface.

That Indians are a culture, not a costume.

That Pocahontas was a real person, a little girl. Not a sexual object or a cartoon created for white people's amusement.

That the "Poke a Hot Ass" theme is especially insensitive given the sexual violence Native women face every day.

Bedlam tries to defend itself

The Bedlam people and their supporters offered the usual excuses and rationalizations:

They didn't intend to offend anyone.

So the hell what? Most racists don't intend to offend anyone--at least in their own little minds. What matters is the outcome, no the intent.

For more on the subject, see The Magical Power of Intent.

There's a big difference between an act of racism and a costume.

No, there isn't. Racist acts can be large or small. They don't have to be anything as monumental as burning a cross or lynching an innocent person. Clutching your bag or crossing the street when you see a black man is an example of racism even if you do it unconsciously.

What about Halloween costumes of Indians? What about Disney's Pocahontas movie? What about a porn movie titled Pocahotass?

As I pointed out, Indians often protest stereotypical Halloween costumes. Indians protested the mistakes and stereotypes in Pocahontas. And Bedlam can't be seriously suggesting a porn title as justification for its party theme.

In other words, two wrongs don't make a right. If that's your best argument, you don't have much of a leg to stand on.

The organizers are really kind, caring people.

Again, so what? Some plantation owners treated their slaves with the utmost Christian compassion. You're an idiot if you think "racist" means "slavering monster" or "unbearable ogre." It means anyone who discriminates by race--regardless of how kind they are to children and dogs.

Besides, as someone pointed out, Bedlam has hosted parties making fun of gays, women ("hos"), the disabled (a really special "Special Olympics"), and the mentally ill (go crazy at the "insane asylum"). So they're hardly scions of sensitivity.

Rather, it's clear they push the boundaries of acceptability to be edgy and cool. This time they got their butts kicked because of it.

Little knowledge = dangerous thing

One organizer claims she has studied Indians and knows their tragic history well.

As I pointed out, Pocahontas has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. Alas, the organizer's "knowledge" fails on the most basic level. Duhhh.

It couldn't be more clear that Bedlam thinks all Indians are the same. That they're savages who whooped and danced their way through American history from Columbus to Wounded Knee.

The organizers asked the critics to come up with an alternate theme for the party--as if they couldn't think of anything but Pilgrims and Indians.

Critics responded with comments like: Come up with your own damn theme. It's not our responsibility to help you out of your self-inflicted mess. If you so uncreative that you can't think of anything, maybe you're in the wrong business.

My suggestion was "Harvest a Hot Ass," in keeping with the thinly veiled misogyny of "PocaHotAss." I also said Bedlam considered "Rape a Native Ass"--basically the same idea--but decided it would be offensive. Because that's how sensitive they are (not).

Someone also requested future party themes. I suggested "Masters and Slaves" for African American History Month in February. Because that's roughly the black equivalent of "PocaHotAss."

Perhaps the funniest part of this promotion was Bedlam's alleged goal: "celebrating the culture and fashion inspired by Native Americans."

The "culture" (singular)? This event does nothing to celebrate the thousands of Native cultures across the Americas.

"Fashion"? Even if party-goers show up in their "Navajo" apparel from Urban Outfitters or Forever 21, the event does nothing to teach them about the Wampanoag at the first Thanksgiving or the Powhatan tribes of Pocahontas.

All it does is give them license to dress up in "feathers and leathers" and pretend to be wild savages. You know, like every other unoriginal, clichéd "tribal" event across America. That's the opposite of celebrating Native cultures, you morons.

For more on Pocahontas, see Pocahontas Statue in Previews and Sophie Turner's "Poca-Hotness." For more examples of non-Indians in redface, see "Trail of Tears" Halloween Costume and Fake Indians in West Hollywood.

Jenner responds to "Indian giver" controversy

A correspondent took the time to contact Kris Jenner, the Kardashians' mother, about her "Indian giver" remark. Here's the e-mail and the response:From: "Tara J. Ryan"
Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:40:46 -0400

Dear Ms. Jenner,

As you well know by now, our community and even before you made the tasteless and thoughtless "Indian Giver" comment, are disappointed to say the least with your ignorance and cavalier manner in such public forums with regard to our community.

None of our community members spend their entire days on every single ignorant person in this country, can you imagine for a moment if we did? We'd have no lives and no money to put food on the table, however, this is definitely a teachable moment as I posted on your daughter Kourtney's official page for her awful Live DWTS display of "leather and feather" costume of not just herself, but also of a toddler, her son, your grandchild. I can only imagine your response if someone was making racial and ignorant commentary and public displays that reflected the blood that ran through the veins of your family or any member or your family's ancestry, what your response would be, especially with all the air time at your disposal. What a shame.

Kourtney's personal blog comment "Hi dolls. Please don’t forget to watch Rob tonight on Dancing with the Stars at 8PM on ABC. It’s a special Halloween episode! I’ll be there, Halloween costume and all! Pocahontas is in the building!!"No, Ms. Jenner and Kourtney she [Pocahontas] is not, and was not, as she passed on long ago, having lived a very difficult life.

http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com/2011/10/support-rob-tonight-on-dwts/#comments

A family of people in this case, specifically two persons, who very publicly on National television in one week, in the very month that is supposed to be a teaching and learning month that is National Native American Heritage month (November) are in a "bubble" of ignorance, especially ridiculous since you are surrounded by so many people of color and your children and late ex-husband are of Armenian descent.

I can guarantee, based on your own show, that I actually used to watch up through the wedding no less (and am kicking myself for it now) and your family being so "open", with Kim in the beginning of divorce proceedings this week and everything that's going on, you wouldn't be as calm or as classy as our community has responded thus far to this.

At the very least, since you are on the air nearly 24/7 right now and our children, families, etc. can't get away from Kardashian images even when we want to, a real, genuine, public apology is in order, with some in depth explanation as to how your family could possibly be so out of touch given your past and present reality. This is a sooner rather than later, immediate action suggestion. As my experience in PR isn't just because I felt like doing it one day...it's been over 15 years in the making, with high honors and a degree, a family in entertainment and broadcasting from birth, this one isn't going to just "go away".

Just a couple of examples that it won't:

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/11/kris-jenner-indan-slammed-largest-native-american-group-controversy-over-her

http://www.theinsider.com/gossip/45886_Say_What_Kris_Jenner_I_Hate_an_Indian_Giver/

There are many more, even and especially from the African American and especially the hip hop community as well, but I've spent enough time on this, you are going to do or not do whatever you wish. It is your choice, as doing greater things for OUR community, is mine.Jenner's responseFrom: "Kris Jenner"
Date: 11/04/2011 06:56 AM
To: "Tara J. Ryan"
Subject: Re: This week's events, some thoughts to ponder

Hi Tara..thank you very much for the very well written note re my careless remarks yesterday on GMA...I am truly sorry if I offended anyone with something I said and I certainly had no intention of hurting or offending anyone...I am probably the least judgmental person you will ever meet, and never would make fun of anyone, of any race....I was asked a question on the spot and because of my dry sarcastic personality I was apparently trying to find a bit of levity in a really tough situation. I was on a book tour in nyc that was booked several months ago and never expected to be thrust into the media storm that occurred but nevertheless would do anything for my kids. obviously not an ideal situation and I'm sorry that careless remark came out of my mouth...I grew up in the 60's and in school it was a silly think kids would say if you took back a gift etc and I'm sure kids never gave it a second thought as to the kind of pain it could cause...but I get it and profusely apologize...I also feel so bad that you take offense of my daughter and grandson and their costumes...I think you can look at something real negative, or the glass half full..I always choose the glass half full because its so much more productive. Kourtney loves fashion and I assure you its a compliment that she is inspired by the indian community and the amazing native style...my grandson wears moccasins almost every day because she likes the way they look...I would look at that at a nod and smile rather than she is trying to poke fun...just another way of looking at it...I am saddened to hear that you might be one of those people who believe everything you read about my daughters decision to separate from her husband. Think about it...obviously something must have happened to have her make this type of decision. I'm sorry you are disappointed but maybe take a step back and use common sense and not judge someone else unless you are walking in their shoes...Just trying to do my best...God Bless you! And thanks for the email..Kris

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&TAnalysis

Ryan reflects on the exchange:Kris Jenner

Disgusted and considering the comments made by Ms. Kris Jenner using the phrase "Indian Giver" in reference to Kim not giving back the ring on National Live Broadcast television, then making no public statement that she made any kind of mistake or had any remorse or apology for it, on Thursday, November 3, 2011 I emailed Kris directly to suggest that she do exactly that, and quickly (full emails are below), as it resonates to leave a comment like that just hanging out there in the wide public arena for all to digest and not apologizing just further just solidifying her total lack of knowledge or consideration for the weight of her words on our community, especially our impressionable youth. She responded that the glass should just be seen as "half full" (full comment below).

Kris' comments about Kourtney Kardashian

In the same email, since I was making direct contact, I chose to also broach the subject of Kourtney's appearance, again, on National Live Television on Monday, October 31, 2011 in a "Pocahontas" "costume" and her references to it, as something that she may re-consider doing in the future and use it as a "teachable moment" to try and move forward with more cultural sensitivity for our community, from our Elders through most importantly, our teens and others who may have watched her show. These type of people, ones who aren't exactly fully aware of the resonating affect of their statements and actions, don't have to be perfect, but this set of statements and actions in one week was very telling, especially after receiving her response, dashed on from her Blackberry on Friday morning, November 4, 2011 at 6:56am EST without a thought or care for writing them out, further showing that with her so called "media savvy" how little she truly thinks of our community.

She responded regarding Kourtney and Mason's "costumes" and Kourtney's subsequent postings on her website, etc. (literally passing the ignorance from mother to daughter (Kourtney), and then Kourtney to her son), that just because Kourtney has so much "fashion sense" that her choices should dictate how myself and my community feels about such a "costume" and take it as a nod and a smile, essentially, a compliment. This clearly indicates that she sees nothing wrong with the statements she made, and her daughter's actions, and in fact believes because it's members of her family doing and saying these things that we should somehow be honored.

As you know, with all the posts on Facebook, in Blogs, emails, video responses posted on YouTube calling for her to get educated and publicly apologize (though clearly, as stated below, she wouldn't mean it) made by our community members, that we as a community, do not feel honored.

Though I am normally business only, especially publicly, I feel it's time to make an exception. There are some times when silence is no longer "Golden".

Thanks Rob!

Tara J. Ryan
Tijer Lily Co
A Native American Arts and Entertainment Company
www.TijerLilyCo.comComment:  I'd say Jenner apologized decently for her "Indian giver" remark. Then she undermined it by not acknowledging a worse offense--her daughters dressing as stereotypical Indian chiefs and maidens.

"Glass half full"? There's no positive side to these chief and princess stereotypes. I haven't heard a single Indian say, "Wow, it's great that the Kardashians are falsifying and trivializing our history."

And Kourtney "is inspired by the Indian community"? If the Kardashians know anything other than what a stereotypical chief or maiden looks like, I'd be surprised. If Indians inspire you, try learning something about them. Then try sharing your knowledge rather than ignorance.

For more on the subject, see Sophie Turner's "Poca-Hotness" and Whites Defend "Right" to Be Racist.

Below:  Khloe Kardashian in a headdress.

Indigenous potatoes fed Europe

How the Potato Changed the World

Brought to Europe from the New World by Spanish explorers, the lowly potato gave rise to modern industrial agriculture

By Charles C. MannWhen potato plants bloom, they send up five-lobed flowers that spangle fields like fat purple stars. By some accounts, Marie Antoinette liked the blossoms so much that she put them in her hair. Her husband, Louis XVI, put one in his buttonhole, inspiring a brief vogue in which the French aristocracy swanned around with potato plants on their clothes. The flowers were part of an attempt to persuade French farmers to plant and French diners to eat this strange new species.

Today the potato is the fifth most important crop worldwide, after wheat, corn, rice and sugar cane. But in the 18th century the tuber was a startling novelty, frightening to some, bewildering to others—part of a global ecological convulsion set off by Christopher Columbus.And:Compared with grains, tubers are inherently more productive. If the head of a wheat or rice plant grows too big, the plant will fall over, with fatal results. Growing underground, tubers are not limited by the rest of the plant. In 2008 a Lebanese farmer dug up a potato that weighed nearly 25 pounds. It was bigger than his head.

Many researchers believe that the potato’s arrival in northern Europe spelled an end to famine there. (Corn, another American crop, played a similar but smaller role in southern Europe.) More than that, as the historian William H. McNeill has argued, the potato led to empire: “By feeding rapidly growing populations, [it] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.” The potato, in other words, fueled the rise of the West.

Equally important, the European and North American adoption of the potato set the template for modern agriculture—the so-called agro-industrial complex. Not only did the Columbian Exchange carry the potato across the Atlantic, it also brought the world’s first intensive fertilizer: Peruvian guano. And when potatoes fell to the attack of another import, the Colorado potato beetle, panicked farmers turned to the first artificial pesticide: a form of arsenic. Competition to produce ever-more-potent arsenic blends launched the modern pesticide industry. In the 1940s and 1950s, improved crops, high-intensity fertilizers and chemical pesticides created the Green Revolution, the explosion of agricultural productivity that transformed farms from Illinois to Indonesia—and set off a political argument about the food supply that grows more intense by the day.Comment:  Andean Indians didn't just find the potato. They bred it to make it a more palatable foodstuff. As the article notes:Wild potatoes are laced with solanine and tomatine, toxic compounds believed to defend the plants against attacks from dangerous organisms like fungi, bacteria and human beings. Cooking often breaks down such chemical defenses, but solanine and tomatine are unaffected by heat. In the mountains, guanaco and vicuña (wild relatives of the llama) lick clay before eating poisonous plants. The toxins stick—more technically, “adsorb”—to the fine clay particles in the animals’ stomachs, passing through the digestive system without affecting it. Mimicking this process, mountain peoples apparently learned to dunk wild potatoes in a “gravy” made of clay and water. Eventually they bred less-toxic potatoes, though some of the old, poisonous varieties remain, favored for their resistance to frost.Wikipedia provides more info on the potato:Wild potato species occur throughout the Americas, from the United States to Uruguay. The potato was originally believed to have been domesticated independently in multiple locations, but later genetic testing of the wide variety of cultivars and wild species proved a single origin for potatoes in the area of present-day southern Peru (from a species in the Solanum brevicaule complex), where they were domesticated 7,000–10,000 years ago. Following centuries of selective breeding, there are now over a thousand different types of potatoes.

The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the 21st century included about 33 kg (73 lb) of potato. However, the local importance of potato is extremely variable and rapidly changing. It remains an essential crop in Europe (especially eastern and central Europe), where per capita production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid expansion over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia. China is now the world's largest potato-producing country, and nearly a third of the world's potatoes are harvested in China and India.So Native people created corn and potatoes, which now feed huge numbers of people. Yet people like Andy Rooney and Ayn Rand think they were ignorant savages. These people are the ignorant ones.

For more on the subject, see Review of When Worlds Collide and Native Foods Changed the World.

Begay tries PGA comeback

Notah Begay III charts a course back to the PGA

Notah Begay III was a big story in golf before an injury sidelined him for over 10 years. This 'Friend of Tiger Woods' now has a foundation and a broadcast gig and is working his way back to the PGA.

By Bill DwyreHe says, even though he kept trying comebacks on the PGA Tour, that it took him six or seven years to get his back in "manageable condition." He didn't have surgery, and when asked about that, he answers a la Frank Sinatra. "I did it my way," he says.

In those 11 years, he has disappeared from winner's circles, but not from golf.

Begay still lives in Albuquerque, near where he grew up. He got married six years ago, has two children and says, "That's the best thing you can be part of."

He does on-air commentary work for the Golf Channel and loves it.

"My job there is to create opinion," he says. "I don't want to be on the fence. Broadcasting is about stimulating discussion."

Part of his story is that he is a Native American, the only full-blooded one to ever play in the Masters, he says. He has a foundation and a consulting business that furthers several Native American causes — among his biggest backers are the San Manuel Indians — and builds golf courses with better access for Native Americans.

His roots extend to his grandfather, Notah Begay I, who was one of the code talkers sent to World War II with the Marines and asked to communicate key messages in their Navajo language. This was the group that inspired the 2002 movie "Windtalkers."Comment:  For more on Notah Begay III, see 4th NB3 Challenge and Woods, Bradford to Golf with Begay.

Chomsky on genocide denial

Noam Chomsky’s Sydney Peace Prize lecture (full text)The 2011 City of Sydney Peace Prize Lecture was delivered to a sold-out crowd at Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday November 2 by the 2011 Sydney Peace Prize Recipient Professor Noam Chomsky.Chomsky's own words on Indians:Whatever the ultimate judgment of God may be, the judgment of man is far from Adams’s expectations. To mention a few recent cases, consider what I suppose are the two most highly regarded left-liberal intellectual journals in the Anglosphere, the New York and London Reviews of Books.

In the former, a prominent commentator recently reported what he learned from the work of the “heroic historian” Edmund Morgan: namely, that when Columbus and the early explorers arrived they “found a continental vastness sparsely populated by farming and hunting people … In the limitless and unspoiled world stretching from tropical jungle to the frozen north, there may have been scarcely more than a million inhabitants.”

The calculation is off by tens of millions, and the “vastness” included advanced civilizations, facts well known to those who choose to know decades ago. No letters appeared reacting to this truly colossal case of genocide denial. In the companion London journal a noted historian casually mentioned the “mistreatment of the Native Americans,” again eliciting no comment. We would hardly accept the word “mistreatment” for comparable or even much lesser crimes committed by enemies.Comment:  This is a good example of how liberals are almost as bad as conservatives when it comes to minimizing genocide.

For more on the subject, see Descendant Excuses Columbus's Crimes and Textbooks Neuter Columbus Critiques.

Below:  Noam Chomsky. (Ben Rusk/Flickr)

"Pocahontas" statue in Previews

Progressive Ruin Presents...the End of CivilizationDon’t be afraid, boys and ghouls…it’s only me, your old pal the Ruin Keeper, with a scary look into the forbidden tome of Diamond Previews, the...um, the November 2011 edition.

p. 366 – Pocahontas 1/4-Scale Statue:

Finally, a way to get kids interested in history again…statuettes of famous folks with magnetic removable tops! Marie Curie, Florence Nightingale, Teddy Roosevelt…the possibilities are endless.Comment:  Needless to say, this statue is a false and stereotypical image of Pocahontas. It presents her as the umpteenth "sexy Indian maiden."

This statue is about 50% more statuesque than the real girl would've been. That she has a pet wolf is a sad joke. And I'm not sure how the "magnetic removable top" works, but it sounds salacious.

For more on the subject, see Sophie Turner's "Poca-Hotness" and A History of Sexy "Indian Maidens."

Abramoff calls "Redskins" an insult

Disgraced Former Lobbyist and Criminal Jack Abramoff Finds ‘Redskins’ Name OffensiveYou know you’ve got problems when even a notorious criminal who had an astounding lack of morals and zero ethics thinks you’re being offensive.

Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who went from being one of the most powerful, shameless players in backroom D.C. politics to serving four years in the minimum-security prison camp of Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland, has a new book out in which he rips into Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder for the team’s hideous nickname.What Abramoff wrote:“Although the Choctaws had long ago assured me that a team named the Redskins didn’t bother them, I figured I would take a shot a trying to undo this insult. In my letter to Snyder, I asked him how we would feel if the New York team were called the Jew Boys, or worse. Moreover, I knew that all Native Americans resented the use of the feathered headdress in the team band’s uniform. I asked how he would feel if the New York Jew Boys band had a uniform of black hats and prayer shawls. I further argued that, were he to make this change now, he would immediately establish himself as a moral leader in our nation’s capital, and garner the respect of those who were likely to look askance on him.

“Snyder called me within hours of receiving the letter, and reviewed each point with me. He was kind and gracious, not the imperious brat the media had portrayed him to be. He said that he sympathized with my points about the team’s name, but he had been a Redskins fan since he was a kid, and he couldn’t bring himself to change it. His business acumen led many to think he was only a cold-hearted, cutthroat shark, but he was nothing but decent, honest and straightforward with me. A few seasons later, I was given first choice of the new suites in the former press section and our expenditures at FedEx Field grew exponentially.”Comment:  Sounds like Snyder knows the "Redskins" name is offensive but refuses to change it for sentimental reasons. In other words, he's a selfish bastard who puts his feelings ahead of others'. In other words, he's a typical American using his white privilege to defend his immoral choices.

For more on the Redskins, see Racist Redskins Had Racist Owner and Critics Slam Snyder's Hypocrisy.

Me-Wuk bless Capitol Christmas tree

First cut is the cheeriest

U.S. Capitol Christmas tree begins its journey across the country

By Dana M. NicholsThe Stanislaus did, however, log a significant first with this year's Capitol Christmas tree harvest: members of the local Me-Wuk tribe were on hand to bless the tree and its journey.

"We are the first tribe that's ever partnered with the Forest Service to take the tree," said Reba Fuller, 62, government affairs specialist for the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.

Fuller, a tribal elder, and her grandson Sheldon Bradford, 16, will travel with the tree for the next three weeks as it slowly crosses the continent to Washington.

Before that journey began, and before the tree was even cut, Tuolumne Me-Wuk head singer Carlos Geisdorff, 35, sang a "Tuda" song of blessing while wisps of smoke from wormwood rose into the gray dawn sky.Comment:  For more on Christmas, see Cheyenne Ornaments for National Christmas Tree.

Robin Gibb seeks Native cure

Native American Cure for Robin GibbTHE wife of frail Bee Gees star Robin Gibb is trying to persuade him to visit a Native American medicine man.

Robin, 61, was struck down with a stomach ­illness and Dwina thinks Miccosukee Indians in Florida could cure him.

She believes they saved her after she was bitten by a spider hidden in artwork she brought back from Mexico.And:“This incredible Indian tribe introduced Robin and I to something called ‘Spider Medicine’ that ­apparently contains ­properties that can help you get well from certain untreatable illnesses.Comment:  For more on Native cures, see Means's Tumor Has Shrunk.

Indians in Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels, the new AMC Western series, doesn't neglect Indians. Unfortunately, it seems to stereotype them as merciless savages--unless they convert to Christianity.

**spoiler alert**

The Native plot elements:

HELL ON WHEELS 1.01 'Pilot'

Cullen Bohannon joins the transcontinental construction crew to find the men who murdered his wife.

By Blair MarnellJoseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears) is baptized by Rev. Nathaniel Cole (Tom Noonan), who decides to build his church among the prostitutes that serve the Hell on Wheels. Ahead in Cheyenne territory, Robert Bell and his wife Lily (Dominique McElligott) chart the map for the railroad company despite the danger from the local tribe and Robert's debilitating illness.And:Back in Cheyenne territory, the tribe attacks the survey team and begins savagely scalping them. Robert and Lily escape into the forest with the survey maps, but his coughing gives them away to a lone warrior. The warrior shoots an arrow through Lily's hand and shoulder before Robert attempts to choke him out. However, Robert is fatally stabbed and Lily is forced to kill the warrior herself with his own arrowhead.

Some reactions to this:

Hell on Wheels:  Can We Forgive and Forget Slavery?

By Brian MoylanIn order to make Bohannon a sympathetic character—a character who is going around killing people who he thinks wronged him—they have to make a big deal out of the fact that he set his slaves free before the Emancipation Proclamation. So killing people is OK, but being a slave owner is not?

The thing that really puts this in a strange perspective is that the show seems to demand a racial sensitivity from the white characters in the story toward the black workers, but it's no big deal if they go around killing the Native Americans who attack them. When Lily (flinty Brit Dominique McElligott) and her husband Robert are attacked by a tribe, the killers are shown as the bloodthirsty villains, and we aren't meant to pass any harsh judgment on Lily, even though she grisly murders one of the "Indians" with his own arrow. Maybe it's because the Indian was a killer and we're operating with no moral compass other than "an eye for an eye." But was it wrong for them to kill these people who are trying to take their land? It seems like it's OK to be racist towards Native Americans but not black people. Does that seem right?Civil War Vet Stalks Wife’s Killers; David Hare’s Spy Games: TV

By Greg EvansDespite the show’s grit and blood (the head-scalping, arrow- piercing violence is very graphic), “Hell on Wheels” is unwilling to tackle race, gender, religion and capitalism with anything but the most modern sensibility.

Photographed in the same trendy, desaturated look of AMC’s much better “The Walking Dead,” the show costumes itself in revisionism but seems no deeper than “Gunsmoke.”Indians in Prime Time:  Violent Ambush on AMC’s ‘Hell on Wheels’The AMC website states that Hell on Wheels “underscores the network’s commitment to the Western”—we’ll be watching with great interest to see what sort of western AMC has created, whether it’s one that allows Indians with dramatic depth or simply uses them as cartoonish plot devices.Comment:  I wouldn't count on much from Hell on Wheels. Any show that starts with Indians as "bloodthirsty villains" isn't interested in setting the record straight. I'm guessing the Indians will continue to be cartoonish plot devices.

For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

Will Rogers on Wall Street

Will Rogers on Occupy Wall Street

By Steve Russell“It’s all right to let Wall Street bet each other millions of dollars every day but why make these bets affect the fellow who is plowing a field out in Claremore, Oklahoma?”

My all time favorite Cherokee, Will Rogers, wrote that in 1924. Today, most of the fellows plowing fields in Claremore, OK, are still Cherokee—but a lot fewer of them own the land they are plowing.And:“When a party can’t think of anything else they always fall back on Lower Taxes. It has a magic sound to a voter, just like Fairyland…” Will Rogers wrote that in 1924, not 2000, and in the same year he expressed the only thing that will get us out of this even if we do, as Occupy Wall Street demands, quit allowing unlimited gambling with other people’s money:

“People want JUST taxes, more than they want lower taxes. They want to know that every man is paying his proportionate share according to his wealth.”

Maybe I’m biased by my Cherokee genes, but any man who could write that in 1924 deserves our attention today.Comment:  As we can see, Occupy Wall Street's message is nothing new. Pundits have been noting the evils of capitalism since the beginning. For instance:I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws our country.Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Logan, Nov. 12th, 1816For more on Will Rogers, see Play About Will Rogers's Courtship and Will Rogers = Jon Stewart.

Andy Rooney dies

Andy Rooney, Who Once Sparked Controversy in Indian Country, Dies at 92Andy Rooney, resident curmudgeon from iconic CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes, has died at age 92. Rooney once caused a stir among American Indians when he suggested that Native Americans who made money from casinos weren’t doing enough to help their own people. (Yahoo.com’s Rooney obituary reminds us of this fact.)

But perhaps more galling was this passage from a 1992 column written by Rooney in which he addressed the controversial nickname of the NFL’s Washington Redskins:

“The real problem is, we took the country away from the Indians, they want it back and we’re not going to give it to them. We feel guilty and we’ll do what we can for them within reason, but they can’t have their country back. Next question.”Comment:  To me, the next line in Rooney's commentary is the worst one:While American Indians have a grand past, the impact of their culture on the world has been slight. There are no great Indian novels, no poetry. There's no memorable Indian music. Their totem poles do not rank with the statuary of Greece and there's no Indian art, except for some good craft work in wool, pottery and silver. Their genius was for living free in a wild state...without damaging the ozone layer.You can read responses to this stupidity in Andy Rooney's Commentary on Indians.

Forever 21 continues "Navajo" products

Forever 21 Didn’t Get The Navajo Memo

By Jenna Sauers[F]ellow mass-market retailer Forever 21 doesn't seem to share Urban Outfitters' concern. While a search for "Navajo" on its website turns up no results, a little digging reveals at least a half-dozen items that have the Navajo trademark in the title. That includes the "Navajo & Lace Hipster"—that's right, not one but two international chains sold "Navajo" underwear for fall—the "Navajo Tunic" and the "Navajo Handbag" in the U.S. online store. (The tunic, along with a pair of "Navajo Drop Earrings," is currently out of stock, but you can see a Google cached page for now.)And:Although two of these items—the panties and the handbag—have product descriptions that call them "Navajo-inspired," they all have "Navajo" and not "Navajo-Inspired" in their names, and the rest of the descriptions use yet more specific language that arguably misuses the Navajo Nation's trademark. The necklace is said to be "Navajo beaded," and the tunic and the socks are said to have a "Navajo print." You'd obviously have to be fairly naïve—and unfamiliar with the retailer's reliance on California and foreign sweatshop labor—to believe that anything sold at Forever 21 was in fact made by Navajo people. And you'd have to be similarly naïve—and unfamiliar with the company's apparent distaste for paying licensing fees—to believe any of these "Navajo" products were authorized by the Navajo Nation under license to Forever 21. But the language used in the company's online catalogue is, at the very least, misleading. You can't call something "Navajo" when it's, well, just not. It's a trademark. And for Forever 21, that's a problem.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Forever 21's Stereotypical Necklaces and Forever 21's Columbus Day Sale.

Harjo wins Oklahoma critics award

Sterlin Harjo honored by Oklahoma Film CriticsThe Oklahoma Film Critics Circle has honored filmmaker Sterlin Harjo with the 2011 Tilghman Award celebrating achievement in cinema in the state.

The OFCC will present Harjo with the Tilghman Award in a short ceremony Saturday after a screening of his most recent works, a series of documentary shorts for Tulsa's This Land Press. The screening, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art as part of the museum's American Indian Cinema Showcase.

Harjo, 31, a member of the Seminole and Creek nations, has earned international acclaim for films examining contemporary life of American Indians. But his feature-length narratives—“Four Sheets to the Wind” in 2007 and “Barking Water” in 2009—are emotionally rich motion pictures populated by complex characters.

“Sterlin's films are invested with a humanity and depth of emotion that eludes many of his older, more experienced peers,” OFCC President Rod Lott said. “In a short period of time, Sterlin has really raised the bar for Oklahoma filmmakers. He more than deserves the Tilghman for his commitment to his art.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Four Sheets to the Wind.

Children of the Plains political cartoon

Political cartoon on the 20/20 special Hidden America: Children of the Plains:

A crying Lakota child is sitting on the ground in a spotlight. Diane Sawyer hovers over the child, thrusting a microphone at it. Next to her, a cameraman also bends over the child. He holds a video camera an inch or two from the child's face.

Around these people are a ring of ghostly figures beyond the light. They're traditional Plains Indians and they look sad and defeated. Each one has a label: Land Theft, Broken Treaties, Boarding Schools, Religious Ban, Discrimination, Lack of Funds, Corruption, Neglect, etc. Clearly the central figures are oblivious to the ghosts around them.

Sawyer is speaking urgently to her cameraman. The caption says:

"Focus in tight! We don't want to miss anything!"

For more on the subject, see Children of the Plains Is a Hit and Poverty Porn in Children of the Plains.

Kardashian's mom hates "an Indian giver"

The latest offense from the Kardashian clan:

Kris Jenner on Kim's ring:  'I hate an Indian giver'

By Ann OldenburgAmid all the muddy divorce details, there's still the question of that big piece of bling, the engagement ring Kris Humphries gave Kim Karadashian.

It was said to be priced at $2 million, although Kim's mom, Kris Jenner, said in an interview Wednesday it was worth "less than half that."

Now, there's buzz that Humphries has asked for the ring back. Kim hasn't said what she'll do with it, but this morning on Good Morning America, Jenner, on to promote her book, was asked about it.

Her response? "I hate an Indian giver. It's a gift, you know."Some background on the phrase from Indian Country Today:

Kim Kardashian’s Mom ‘Hates an Indian Giver’By 1838, evidence that the term had evolved into a playground insult can be found in the New-York Mirror on June 23 in an article discussing school children: “Among them are distinct species of crimes and virtues. I have seen the finger pointed at the Indian giver. (One who gives a present and demands it back again.)”

The term shows up again in 1860 in John Russell Bartlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms: “When an Indian gives any thing, he expects to receive an equivalent, or to have his gift returned. This term is applied by children to a child who, after having given away a thing, wishes to have it back again.”Adrienne Keene provides more background. Her conclusion:

Kris Jenner uses the term "Indian Giver"Basically, I think we can all agree that it's probably not the best term to use to describe a negative act, considering it stereotypes Indians as deceitful and un-generous (not generous?), which, if you've ever been in a Native community, is about the farthest thing from the truth. Ever heard of giveaways? or potlatches?

The Kardashians don't exactly have an awesome track record with sensitivity towards Native issues. Khloe wore a headdress a few months ago, twice, and for Dancing with the Stars on Halloween, Kourtney (and Mason, her son) wore Indian costumes. Though they claim Native heritage (vomit).NCAI Statement on Kris Jenner’s Use of ‘Indian Giver’ Calls for Observance of Native American Heritage MonthJacqueline Johnson Pata, Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, has released the following statement on Kris Jenner’s use of the phrase “Indian giver” on Good Morning America:Once again American Indians and Alaska Natives have been misrepresented by a single misinformed statement. Native American people serve in our country’s military at disproportionate rates, are respected business leaders, citizens of the United States, members of Congress, professional athletes, musicians, teachers and active participants in civic life.

The phrase “Indian giving” is wrong and hurtful. The cultural values of Native Americans are based on giving unconditionally and empowering those around them. Instead this cultural value is forgotten when negative stereotyping of Native people occurs.

November is Native American Heritage Month and this moment calls for a reflection on the contributions of America’s first peoples to this great country. There are over 5 million US citizens identified as American Indians or Alaska Natives and 565 federally recognized tribal nations. This November we’re focused on celebrating 1.7 million Native youth under the age of 18 that face many challenges. There are many hopeful solutions and we invite the Jenner and Kardashian family to join with the country in learning more during Native American Heritage Month.Comment:  For more on the Kardashians, see Khloe Kardashian Thinks She's Native and Khloe Kardashian in a Headdress. For more on "Indian giver," see Indians = Philanthropists, Not Socialists and Simpson Really an Indian?

Below:  Kris Jenner on Good Morning America.

"Trail of Tears" Halloween costume

Incredibly, someone apparently dressed up as the Trail of Tears for Halloween:

Would you dress as Auschwitz for Halloween?

University students should remember the past transgressions against American Indians

By Katelyn KrauseOn the Friday of Halloween weekend, a University fraternity hosted a “Cowboys and Indians” date function at its house, blatantly disregarding requests from the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Minority Rights Coalition to not host parties with said theme. This request to put a moratorium on American Indian themes was first suggested by the IFC in 2009. It came in response to a party by the same frat that hosted this past week’s event in which attendees painted their faces red and acted out the part of scalping other party guests.That was the context. What could go wrong at a fraternity with a theme as unacceptable as a blackface minstrel show? Well, here's what happened:We were told from a source who wishes to remain anonymous that at Friday’s party “someone definitely went as the Trail of Tears.” For those readers hazy on the details of the Trail of Tears, it was a forced relocation of about 100,000 Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Indians. The members of these tribes were made to walk thousands of miles from their homes east of the Mississippi River and restart their lives in present-day Oklahoma. Approximately 4,000 of the 15,000 Cherokee Indians forced to relocate died on the journey, which is nearly equivalent to the ratio of Jews that died in Auschwitz. The dehumanized and decimated tribes were never paid the $5 million for the land officially promised by the U.S. government.

This subjugation of one American Indian Nation is probably the most publicly known, and yet it accounts for only about .0017 percent of the Native American genocide. More than 12 million American Indians were killed in the Native American genocide, which is comparable to the number of deaths attributed to the Holocaust. We at the AISU do not wish to blame anyone for their actions concerning the portrayal of American Indians at theme parties or during Halloween, and acknowledge that even this “Trail of Tears” costume idea probably did not arise from malicious intent. It most likely arose from ignorance concerning the history of Native Americans and the genocide of nearly our entire race and culture.Comment:  I have no idea what a "Trail of Tears" costume actually looks like. But let's assume someone did indeed wear one.

No malicious intent? The person presumably knew what "Trail of Tears" means or he wouldn't have chosen the costume. So he intentionally chose a costume representing the deaths of 4,000 people.

Ignorant doesn't begin to describe the stupidity of this choice. It's very much like wearing a slavery or Japanese internment or Auschwitz costume. If you understand that these are offensive choices, how could you not understand it about a "Trail of Tears" costume?

I'd suggest the intent probably was malicious. Like people who adopt phony Indian costumes, the message is: "I'm a superior white person pretending to be an inferior Indian one. Indians were primitive and savage while I'm modern and civilized. We kicked their butts and that makes me feel good about my white/Christian/American identity."

But even if the intent was "benign," who cares? So he was an ignorant racist rather than a malicious racist...so what? Regardless of what went on in his little mind, the harm was the same. Once again someone told the world that we can freely mock and belittle Indians. In other words, that they're not real people with real feelings. That they don't matter.

For more on Halloween costumes, see Sophie Turner's "Poca-Hotness" and Whites Defend "Right" to Be Racist.

Below:  More Halloween costumes for the terminally stupid:

Ellsbury wins Golden Glove

Historic Season Continues, Jacoby Ellsbury Wins 2011 Gold Glove AwardJacoby Ellsbury, the first major league baseball player of Navajo descent, and a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, has won the 2011 Rawlings American League (AL) Gold Glove Award for best defensive center fielder in the league. The Boston Red Sox was already named Comeback Player of the Year, is also a finalist for the AL MVP award, to be awarded November 21.

Additionally, he won esteemed Player of the Week honors twice during the 2011 season, mostly for his work with the lumber, but his glovework has set him apart.

An Oregon native, Ellsbury is the first American Indian to win a Gold Glove Award, and the first Red Sox outfielder to earn the honor since Ellis Burks in 1990. In his entire career, Ellsbury has committed only two errors over five seasons, which began in late June 2007, the year the Red Sox won their second World Series title since 1918. Both errors were committed in 2009.Comment:  For more on Jacoby Ellsbury, see ZinfandEllsbury Wine and Ellsbury Blogs About Losing.

Justin-Siena mascot = stone idol

A couple of weeks ago I posted about Justin-Siena High School's new Braves mascot. Here's the live version of the Braves logo:



Someone posted this image on Facebook and people quickly tore it apart. Some comments (with minor corrections to the spelling and punctuation):Ahh hell no!!!

OMG! this is horrible....It's hard to believe no one is offended by this....I mean, as a human being.

If it true's that a Cali tribe allowed this I just really wanna know why.

Really I cannot believe them at all, after all the fighting, protesting and everything that the ppl that came before me and spoke up for the ppl and our children. And for a California nation to allow such a mascot to represent California Native ppl is like a slap in the face.

A debut around Halloween...looks appropriate.

That mascot looks stupid who in the hell approved this...and and is that a yellowhammer with red and white diamonds wth looks like a goddam cake decoration....I don't think a real dancer would wear red white and blue paint....Do these people know how sacred the yellowhammer and paint meaning is to the acha....This is horrific and so disrespectful....I would compare this to lining up all the jine kids and making them sing Ten Lil Indians then banging their little heads against rocks!!! Sickkkkkkk

Wappo did, I first saw this on a Facebook post. It said they were being honored with a mascot. It is their people and it is their choice. Personally, I do not approve or like the precedence it sets for the rest of us, but I respect the Wappo tribe and its right to allow it.

I dnt respect the tribe if they did it bkuz it is a slap in the face to all those ppl who fought for us to not be sterotyped as a mascot.

You know I go to school almost everyday and half the time I am debating with ppl about what Native ppls beliefs are, from religion to culture and why I take things so personal when it comes to mascots such as this one. And you know what I dnt get it why would the Wappo ppl do it why? (I think it is very shameful for the Wappo ppl to allow it.) I mean didn't they realize what effect it would have on the rest of the California Natives, did they not think of that and what do they even hold sacred anymore? Cuz obviously showing off and putting on a show.

It's called MONEY...DOLLARS....this Wappo tribe is trying to gain favor with the politicians in the Napa area so as to open a casino and resort for their tribal members....Not hatin on them for wanting to pay their people some of that masan skrilla....But to sell out on the sacred traditions is a no-no that will come back on them....They really don't know their history do they....Capitan Vallejo really exploited them and used their greed against them and a Catholic people are doing the same thing today....WOW what a shame....All those kids are gonna grow up thinking that having a mascot such as a spiritual dancer is a cool thing. I'm curious about this Galbadon or whatever his name is...if he's ever set foot in a round house or ever went to a bighead dance and stomped...or ever whittled a yellowhammer with his own hands...or does he even know a song from his people or any people. I'm interested in knowing cuz this is a disgrace to him and his Elders.Comment:  A few obvious problems with this mascot.

The "flesh-colored" body suit. It looks like a cross between a naked savage and a tawny bear.

The blank-faced visage with no eyes. It looks inhuman, like a stone idol from some Mesoamerican culture.

The exaggerated war paint and arrowhead pendant, both suggesting violence.

The mascot's flexing his muscles to show what a thuggish brute he is.

Here you see the problem with Indian mascots in a nutshell. It doesn't matter how "respectful" the logo's image was. The reality is the message it's sending: that Indians are primitive people of the past.

This loincloth-wearing lout only confirms the point. How many people would see this mascot and conclude, "Wappo Indians can be lawyers, doctors, or US presidents"? And how many would conclude, "Wappo Indians were savages"? I'd love to take a poll and verify the numbers, but the answer is self-evident.

A Wappo representative said his people were peaceful, but never lost a fight. That's nice, but it's not the message you get from the "Braves" name and warrior mascot. Indeed, the message is the opposite. Namely, that the Wappo people were so crude and uncivilized they couldn't do anything but fight. That they were nothing but animated statues devoid of thought or feeling.

For more on the subject, see Chief Osceola Is "Respectful"? and Chief Zee's Successor?

Sophie Turner's "Poca-Hotness"

One starlet hasn't gotten the message about stereotypical Indian costumes that objectify Native women. The same applies to the website touting her racist apparel.

Sophie Turner’s “Poca-Hotness”Just in time for Thanksgiving, here’s Australian supermodel and television host Sophie Turner reminding us of the importance of honoring our Native American ancestors.

Actually Turner, 27, wore that Pocahontas get-up in honor of Halloween, not Thanksgiving … although for reasons surpassing understanding we neglected to include her in our “Happy (Slutty) Halloween” post.Comment:  So many fails in such a small space. The stereotypical costume, of course, but more than that. The website's ignorant assumption that Turner was emulating Pocahontas, a real-life person, rather than a white man's fantasy figure. And its ignorant assumption that this is some sort of honor rather than a racist portrayal of Indians as barbaric savages.

Can you imagine turning Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, or Indira Gandhi into sexual figures? Then why would you do it to Pocahontas?

Oh, yeah. One, because Indians are everyone's favorite fantasy figures. No one thinks they exist anymore...not really.

Two, because you can make a bad pun on the name "Pocahontas." I guess "Sexagawea" would be too obvious; it would call too much attention to the notion of Native women as sexual objects to be raped by white men. But calling a woman a "hottie" is okay. We know what that means (wink, wink).

For more on the subject, see A History of Sexy "Indian Maidens" and Racist Costumes = White Privilege.

First Nations Snowboard Team

Peak Performance:  First Nations Youth Learn Life Skills on the Slopes

By Eisa UlenA young man in British Columbia stands on a precipice. Wind and ice and the fresh feeling of his own youthful power compel him to lean, angle and fly. He soars, twists, lands strong on his snowboard and, in the sudden connection of mind, spirit and body, takes a step closer to adulthood.

He has made his way to the mountain, and the experience has given him the gift of gazing out at the expanse of earth and sky, into the boundless possibility of his future self. Many of his peers are kicking off their adult years in a crowded mall, or crouched in the back seat of a compact car, or leaning in the corner of a smoke-filled room.

But with the support of Nike and the Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund, Canada’s First Nations Snowboard Team (FNST) will pull more emerging women and men out of those dead-end spaces and into the open freedom of their true personal potential.

Founded in 2004 by 34-year-old Aaron Marchant, the FNST has grown from 10 members to 245 this year. In that time, the team has sent six members to competitions at the national level, and 45 members have become instructors (including one, Marchant says, who is “almost certified to certify”). By providing the means for young people to become professional athletes and trainers, FNST is creating sustainable, intergenerational change that benefits individuals and the First Nation communities that are their homes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see First Aboriginal Women in Winter Olympics and Alaska Native Snowboarder in Olympics.

Below:  "Canada's Caroline Calve, an advocate for the First Nations Snowboard Team, competes during the women's parallel giant slalom snowboard qualifications at the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, B.C., on February 26, 2010." (AP Photo/Darryl Dyck, CP)

Sharing Our Stories boxed set

Inuit films move online and into northern communitiesFilms about Inuit people and the North made over the last 70 years are being distributed online and in remote communities in a new initiative launched Wednesday.

Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories also will make more than 100 films created by the National Film Board of Canada more accessible to the rest of the country in an effort to interest Canadians in the issues faced by the North.

The official launch of Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories is Nov. 2 in Ottawa. Films such as 1949’s How to Build an Igloo, 1958’s The Living Stone and 2010’s Martha of the North also go online at nfb.ca on Wednesday.

But the more significant development is a joint project by the NFB, the Inuit Relations Secretariat, the Nunavut government and Inuit groups to show these films in the North. The limited internet access in northern communities means it was necessary to go beyond just creating online access, according to Tom Perlmutter, NFB chairman.

“That’s why we created the boxed set that will be sent out to 53 remote communities,” he said. “The plan is to go into schools and community halls.”Comment:  For more on Inuit movies, see Throat Song, The Descendants, and Stagecoach and The Experimental Eskimos Trailer.

Below:  "How to Build an Igloo is a 1949 short by Douglas Wilkinson. (National Film Board)

Okay to dress up as real person?

Someone named BSK asks a follow-up question in the Racialicious posting noted in Whites Defend "Right" to Be Racist:Great post. I loved the ad and hated the "counter" campaign.

I have a question about a trickier issue: dressing as actual people/characters of another race or culture instead of as a stereotype.

For instance, an NHL player dressed as Jay-Z, part of which included darkening his skin. Now, this wasn't Al Jolsen style black face...but, yea, he darkened his skin. Apparently, he is a huge fan of Jay-Z and did it out of reverence and the costume itself clearly is not intended to mock but, is this okay?

Perhaps the answer to that is obvious (though I'm not so sure it is), what about a child who does an accurate representation of Pocahantas, without skin coloring? Or Mulan, without eye taping? I have a personal stake in figuring out the answer to this question because I am a teacher (Pre-K) and we do a costume parade at my school (personally, I'd rather avoid Halloween since we wrongly assume that everyone celebrates it (false) and that it is a non-religious American holiday (also false). As a teacher, where should I draw this line? Is Cinderella okay but Jasmine not? (I'm using the Disney princesses because of how popular they are, but I have my own issues with that for many other reasons.) Is a dread-wig as part of generic-Jamaican-guy costue wrong but dread-wig as part of Manny Ramirez costue okay?My response (slightly modified from the original):

The real Pocahontas was a 10- to 12-year-old who went around topless if not naked. You could dress your pre-K girls like that, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Any other "authentic" Pocahontas costume isn't authentic. It's stereotypical.

Other than that, here's my take on your question about dressing as actual people of another race or culture, BSK:

1) The costume would have to be very specific AND non-stereotypical. You probably could do an accurate costume for Cleopatra or Frida Kahlo, but isn't Princess Jasmine a harem-girl version of a Arabic woman? I doubt you could rehabilitate her.

2) A white kid doing Michael Jackson seems as valid as a black kid doing Elvis. But I'd suggest no face-lightening or darkening because of its historical problems. If you can't convey the person through dress alone, you probably should rethink the idea.

3) A costume such as OJ Simpson or Osama bin Laden would be hugely problematical no matter how accurate the representation. Why? Because these people are known for their behavior, not their appearance. I shudder to think of white kids acting "black" or "Muslim" to convey their beliefs and attitudes. I'd say it can't be done without veering into racist stereotyping.

If you stuck with well-known historical figures who are defined by their clothing--I'm thinking of people like Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abe Lincoln, or Amelia Earhart--I think you could get away with colorblind costuming. But Pocahontas, Jasmine, or Mulan? I don't think so.

Part 2

In the same discussion, someone commented on a white couple who went to a party dressed as Jay-Z and Beyoncé:In my opinion, his costume was offensive, and it was hilarious to me that his girlfriend who was supposedly Beyonce did a piss-poor job of it. So yeah, Beyonce wears giant honey-blond/brown wigs, but the girl wore something that looked like Snooki hair and was pitch black. It's hard to articulate, but the fact that she felt the need to darken her skin but not use the proper color wig just seemed off to me. Why argue about the need for authenticity if you don't seek to accurately emulate other things? I see your Manny Ramirez suggestion as being problematic for the same reasons as this Jay-Z/Beyonce couple. People are just looking for ways around taking responsibility for the inherently racist act of going about in blackface. Using his hair as part of your costume is just another attempt to circumvent things.

Cartoon or movie characters who have distinctive costumes when worn by a child wouldn't bother me...but leave the stereotypical interpretations of our skin, hair, and other physical features out of it. It always, always, always reverts to this idea that everyone except white people has the same features and oh, aren't they just so funny, cute, hahahaha. You know, there are black people with "white" skin. So you can use our own skin and pull off your costume. Ditto for hair.

There are just so many things that you can be for Halloween. Why are so many people determined to dress up like racist a$$holes as if their lives depended on it?My response:

Good points. Other than Michael Jackson, I'm having a hard time thinking of black celebrities who would be instantly recognizable from a costume. Maybe Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, or Prince, but that's about it.

You want to go as Michael Jordan? Go as a generic Chicago Bulls player instead. Manny Ramirez? Go as a generic Boston Red Sox player instead.

Unless you're the world's greatest fan of Oprah, Jay-Z, Tiger Woods, Beyoncé, etc., I don't see a good reason to cross racial lines. There are literally thousands of nonracial costumes you could choose from. If you're a white person who insists on being black, I have to wonder about your motivation.

For more on Pocahontas, see Pocahontas Opera Casting Criticized and Nicole Scherzinger as Pocahontas.

Forever 21's stereotypical necklaces

Forever 21 is Selling Native American Girl and ‘Oriental Girl’ Necklaces

By Dhani MauLast week, while in search of cheap jewelry for my Halloween costume, I stumbled across something pretty weird and confusing: a necklace that is basically a cartoon character version of a “traditional” Native American girl hanging from a chain. She has tanned skin, rosy cheeks, long, dark side braids, and a somewhat stereotypical-looking Native American dress. I looked over to see, in addition to the Native American girl, several similar necklaces that displayed traditionally-dressed Asian girls.

Apparently, Forever 21 thinks that people want to wear outdated, cultural stereotypes as necklaces, and that it’s okay to sell them. Unfortunately, it gets worse. Later, I perused their website and found that one of the necklaces is literally called “Oriental Girl Necklace.” Seriously. Because why not slap on an offensive and outdated descriptor to your offensive culturally-insensitive jewelry?Comment:  One could really rip apart the "Oriental Girl Necklace." The white skin, the empty eyes and smile, the lack of limbs. This is literally a China doll--an Asian woman as a delicate porcelain object.

Given this evidence, what about the Native necklace? Well, you can cross the "honoring Indians" justification off the list. There's no way you can spin "Oriental Girl" as honoring Asian cultures. The Native necklace is equally dishonorable.

So what was Forever 21 thinking? Apparently, that Indians and Asians really look like this. And that it's okay to sell these stereotypical images.

It would be exactly like selling Aunt Jemima or Uncle Tom necklaces. Or white hillbilly necklaces, for that matter. Are those products coming next, or is Forever 21 already selling them?

The products themselves are stereotypical. The fact that Forever 21 is targeting only certain minorities with these stereotypes is racist.

For more on Forever 21, see Columbus Day at the Westfield Mall and Forever 21's Columbus Day Sale.

Heritage month and tribal summit

National Native American Heritage Month and the White House Tribal Nations Conference

By Kimberly TeeheeToday, I along with several of my colleagues in the Administration are hosting a listening session at the National Congress of American Indians convention to kick off National Native American Heritage Month and to hear directly from tribal leaders about their priorities for discussion at the 2011 White House Tribal Nations Conference.

As you may have already heard, the President, along with members of the Cabinet, Senior Administration officials, and tribal leaders will gather at the 2011 White House Tribal Nations Conference on December 2nd. As part of President Obama’s ongoing outreach to the American people, this conference will provide leaders from the 565 federally recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with the President and representatives from the highest levels of his Administration. Each federally recognized tribe will be invited to send one representative to the conference.

This will be the third White House Tribal Nations Conference for the Obama Administration, and continues to build upon the President’s commitment to strengthen the government to government relationship with Indian Country. Throughout the month of November, the Administration will be consulting with tribal leaders to plan for the 2011 Tribal Nations Conference. In addition, many federal agencies across the Administration will be hosting their own celebration events this month.

In addition, today President Obama issued a proclamation to honor the month of November as National Native American Heritage Month, to celebrate the rich ancestry and myriad contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and to rededicate ourselves to supporting tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and prosperity for all Native Americans. Across the country, in communities large and small, Americans will come together to explore the rich history of tribal nations. The President’s proclamation calls upon all Americans to commemorate this month and to celebrate November 25, 2011, as Native American Heritage Day.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Obama Proclaims NA Heritage Month and Spencer to Speak for NA Heritage Month.

Below:  Obama by Bunky Echo-Hawk.

Kiowa Libertarian seeks office

Libertarian aims to get on ballot

His party will need more than 51,000 signatures of state residents

By Dylan GoforthWith the 2012 presidential election on the horizon, a Libertarian candidate from Oklahoma is getting started. But his first order of business is getting his party on the state ballot.

The candidate, R.J. Harris of Norman, said during a recent visit to Muskogee that it’s clear that the country is ready to see a third-party candidate in office. But for a Libertarian candidate to appear on the Oklahoma ballot, the Oklahoma Libertarian Party needs to collect more than 51,000 signatures by March 1.And:A Kiowa, Harris said both his and the party’s message has been well received in the Native American community. He said cities such as Muskogee can play a key role in the process of granting ballot access to the Libertarian Party.

“What we find is that many people’s beliefs align with the Libertarian Party, but they’re so entrenched in the idea that they have to be a Democrat or a Republican that they don’t know it,” he said. “If people in Muskogee feel they may be interested, they can take control, sign the petition and tell others about the party.”Comment:  Russell Means ran as a Libertarian too. What these people don't seem to realize is that free markets and a lack of government oversight is what destroyed the Indians in the first place.

For more on Indians and libertarianism, see Ayn Rand, Racist, Stossel:  Indians Are Biggest Moochers, and Capitalism Killed the Indians.

Cornbread and Cornbeads

Owl sisters’ play nominated for awards

By Lizz HaroldPatience and Constance Owl travel to Los Angeles on Friday to watch their words come to life on stage at the Autry National Center.

Their play, Cornbread and Cornbeads, is in the final round of competition and up for the 2011 Award for Excellence in Playwriting and $1,000 grand prize.

The sisters had always thrown around the concept for a short play based on being raised in a hybrid household–a traditional Southern family on one side, the ways of the native Cherokee on the other.Comment:  For more on Cherokee theater, see Cherokee Dirty Laundry Debuts and Frybread Queen at the Autry.

Below:  "Sisters Constance and Patience Owl have written a play based on their experiences growing up in a blended family. The play, Cornbread and Cornbeads, chronicles their life growing up with Southern and Cherokee parents." (Scott Wallace)

Phony Native fashions and costumes

Indian Comics Irregular #208:  Urban Outfitters' Fashion Failure