Webb defends Jackson's genocidal actions

Following up on the decision to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, former senator Jim Webb tried to defend Andrew Jackson.

Jim Webb claims uninformed 'political correctness' used to denigrate Andrew Jackson

By Meteor Blades

Webb's claim:Robert Remini, Jackson’s most prominent biographer, wrote that his intent was to end the increasingly bloody Indian Wars and to protect the Indians from certain annihilation at the hands of an ever-expanding frontier population.The reality:As for Jackson’s alleged desire to protect the Indians from clashes with whites, it should not be forgotten that the forcible cession of millions of acres of Indian land was one of Jackson’s claims to fame. He did it to make space for white settlers throughout the South and for his personal profit in the real estate boom that followed the Indians’ ceding of land at gunpoint.

When the Tennessee River Valley in what is now Alabama was ceded, Jackson and his favored pals took 45,000 acres for themselves. As Steve Innskeep pointed out last year, “Jackson both created and scored in the greatest real estate bubble in the history of the United States up to that time.”

Indians who had allied themselves with Jackson in the so-called Red Stick Creek War were much praised by him, but when they later sought government payment for losses incurred in their support of Jackson, he told the secretary of war that their claims were a “complete tissue of groundless falsehood.”Comment:  Give Webb a Stereotype of the Month nomination for his ignorance of the definition of genocide, and for minimizing Jackson's genocidal actions. Removing the Indians was about stealing their land and eliminating them, not keeping them from harm.

DeLanna Studi's dream project

Actress DeLanna Studi is working on her dream project--namely:

Trail of Tears Road Trip: And So We Walked

A father/daughter journey along the Trail of Tears, retracing the footsteps of their family.As a Cherokee citizen, actress and writer, I have always wanted to travel in my ancestors’ footsteps along the Trail of Tears and find a way to share this legacy and the impact it has on all of us. This June, my father and I will travel the Northern Route collecting stories and insights of the communities along the way. It’s a tale about a road trip, family, heritage, and an inside perspective on a forgotten part of our shared American history.You can read more about the trip, and watch it unfold, here:

And So We Walked: An Artist's Journey Along the Trail of Tears

Comment:  I posted the Indiegogo link a few times, and put together the following graphic in Photoshop:



Not a bad job, if I do say so myself.

For more on the Trail of Tears, see Review of How I Became a Ghost and Review of Heape's Trail of Tears.

Daily Cavalier mocks black student's arrest

A University of Virginia newspaper "satirized" a black student's arrest with an April Fools' Day story about a Native student's arrest:

People are outraged at UVA newspaper's April Fools' issue satirizing a black student's bloody arrest

By Peter JacobsUniversity of Virginia students are calling on the school's student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, to apologize for a seemingly insensitive April Fools' Day article.

The Cavalier Daily's April Fools' Day front page is dominated by a story with the headline "ABC agents tackle Native American student outside Bodo's Bagels," which appears to satirize the controversial arrest of UVa student Martese Johnson last month.

The story's tagline reads "Students decry 'Trail of Schmears' as marginalization of minorities reaches new low," a reference to the "Trail of Tears" that followed the US government's Indian Removal Act of 1830.

The student newspaper has since apologized for the article.UVA's Latest Nightmare: Bad Racist 'Satire,' An Even Worse Apology

By Jia TolentinoHere’s a closer look at the first one, which “satirizes” the racism that led to Martese Johnson’s police brutalization and night in chains. Note the names of the imaginary Native American students in the piece (“Dances With Wolves,” “Strong Buffalo,” “Rabbit in the Grass,” “Insect Humming”)—which mainly offend me because the jokes are so painfully fucking weak.

I too am deeply concerned by the fact that what’s actually satirized here is not police brutality but the idea of a sincere institutional response, on the part of administration or students. This is racism so stupid it doesn’t know it’s racist—by far, the most troubling kind.
The most interesting part of this incident is this letter from The Declaration, another campus publication:

An Open Letter to The Cavalier DailySatire is a radical comedic tradition wherein the abuses of the overculture are deconstructed and critiqued. This comprehensive deconstruction is what makes stuff like The Colbert Show (sweet angel, rest in peace) and The Onion work where other attempts at satire fall flat—they make clear the issues that plague society-at-large.

This means that good satire at UVa should speak to the not-so-hidden truths that undercut student life: Greek culture’s gaping wound at UVa’s nucleus; the entitlement complex shared by a majority-white student body; the fetishistic hero-worship of Our Mr. Jefferson; the awkward, elephantine disparity between rich students and poor students; the racism, pervasive and terrifying, woven tightly into this school’s very fabric.

It seems so simple, really, a slice of Culture 101 you’d expect UVa students to have studied long before they entered the university: the “bad guys” look stupid because they are; readers and viewers laugh, duh, but they also question why those “bad guys” are in power in the first place!

As the student publication with the “richest history” and the most influence on grounds, the Cav Daily shouldn’t need this lesson, but when its annual “satirical issue” frames damaging racial stereotypes as funny and trivializes blatantly the marginalized groups satire is supposed to work for, not against, it makes two things clear: 1) UVa works for the overculture, “The Man,” the lived-in, overarching structure that tells you it’s okay to reframe acts of erasure and violence as comedy and call it a day, and 2) UVa is home to a cadre of students who are dumb as hell and didn’t do their homework for Intro to Comedy and Society: or, How to Be a Decent Human Being.Comment:  This excellent commentary applies to every attempt to "satirize" racism by using stereotypes--chiefs, teepees, braves, buckskins, tomahawks, etc.--uncritically. That is, by simply emulating a racist work but claiming you're doing it "ironically," to mock the stereotypes.

Again, in satire, "the abuses of the overculture are deconstructed and critiqued." Simply displaying examples of abusive racism or stereotyping isn't deconstructing or critiquing them. A "satire" isn't a satire unless you actively attack the target of your ire.

For more on the subject, see Stereotyping Explained to South Park Apologists and The Dudesons, Polish Jokes, and Minstrel Shows.

Review of How I Became a Ghost

How I Became A Ghost (How I Became a Ghost Series)Told in the words of Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, HOW I BECAME A GHOST is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of tragedy. From the book's opening line, "Maybe you have never read a book written by a ghost before," the reader is put on notice that this is no normal book. Isaac leads a remarkable foursome of Choctaw comrades: a tough-minded teenage girl, a shape-shifting panther boy, a lovable five-year-old ghost who only wants her mom and dad to be happy, and Isaac s talking dog, Jumper. The first in a trilogy, HOW I BECAME A GHOST thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history.

Editorial Reviews

"The beginning of a trilogy, this tale is valuable for both its recounting of a historical tragedy and its immersive Choctaw perspective." KIRKUS, STARRED REVIEW --Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2013

"...a thrilling caper . . . a recommendation for reluctant readers who like their history tinged with the otherworldly." RECOMMENDED --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Literature

"Tingle, a Choctaw storyteller, relates his tale in the engaging repetitions and rhythms of an oft-told story . . . spare and authentic." --Dean Schneider, THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE

2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award --American Indian Library Association, ALA

2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People --National Council for the Social Studies & Children's Book Council

2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award --American Indian Library Association, ALA

2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People --National Council for the Social Studies & Children's Book CouncilComment:  I read this book because of all the glowing notices it's received. Such as this one from Debbie Reese in her American Indians in Children's Literature blog:

Tim Tingle's HOW I BECAME A GHOSTAs the title suggests, Isaac is going to become a ghost, but this isn't a scary ghost story. Scary things do happen--this is a story about the forced relocation of a people, but it is more about the humanity of the people on that trail than it is about that forced relocation. How I Became A Ghost is about spirituality and community and perseverance. And laughter. There's some delightful moments in this story! Throughout, this story shines with the warmth that Tingle's storytelling voice brings to his writing. I highly recommend How I Became A Ghost. I have it on good authority that we'll hear more from Isaac. I look forward to it.True, it presents civilized Indians who live in a farming community in a Native nation that has treaty rights with the US. That's something if you're expecting the "half-naked grunting Indian men" of Little House on the Prairie.

But that's not enough to make it a good book. I'll have to go with some of the negative comments I found on Goodreads:I know this book was written for the 9-12 year age group, but I think Tim Tingle vastly underestimates the intelligence of that age group. They're kids, they're not stupid. I had a few problems with this book.

This is definitely a children's book, NOT a young adult book, so more advanced readers may be bored by the simple, minimalistic language.

I gave this 4 stars initially, but then just a little bit of research today revealed that some of the history is likely wrong, and that complicates things. There is a fantasy element anyway, but the shocking smallpox blanket scene seems to be entirely fictional.

Even though I think the kids would enjoy this WAW possibility, I just felt it was so exaggerated and unreal that I couldn't get into it. In this story of the Trail of Tears, Isaac is a Choctaw brave that can see ghosts and talk to them and has visions of when people will die. And he becomes friends with another brave that can turn into a leopard. Together they try to free a girl that has been kidnapped and forced to work for several cruel soldiers. This is a no vote for me.

Love the title, and I really wanted to love the book -- Not many kids' books about Indian relocation have passed my way. But I just couldn't get into this. I started reading it out loud to myself; it sounds almost like oral stories written down. As stories told 'live,' in an intimate group, I think it would be better. On the page, it has a stilted, boring feeling. I am not sure kids will stick with this one. Too bad.The smallpox-blanket thing is disconcerting, and perhaps enough to disqualify the book as "history." It might be okay if Tingle had used the blanket gambit once--a bit of untold lore that might have been true. But it's a frequent issue on his Trail of Tears. The characters have to sniff out each blanket to determine if it's contaminated or not.

I think Tingle was trying for a Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn type of adventure with Choctaw protagonists and magical elements a la Twilight. And if someone without Mark Twain's abilities had rewritten Tom Sawyer for 9-year-olds, it might come out like this.

That's fine, but everyone's talking as if How I Became a Ghost is a great read for adults as well as pre-teens. With all the remarkable books out there, I wouldn't even recommend this to 9-year-olds unless they were deeply interested in Indians. To me, it's a Choctaw "Hardy Boys" starring Ghost Boy and Panther Boy, not a serious book for old(er) readers.

Rob's rating: 5.0 of 10. Great cover, though.

'Trail of Tears" GameDay sign

OSU to students: Trail of Tears sign not OKOklahoma State University officials say students' sign referencing the Trail of Tears at an ESPN event prior to the game against the Florida State Seminoles crossed the line.

Oklahoma news outlets report the sign, held Saturday at ESPN's College GameDay event, read: "Send 'em home #Trail_of_Tears #GoPokes."

OSU spokesman Gary Shutt says it is insensitive and the university does not condone it. The school's Twitter account says OSU "requested that it be removed." The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

The Trail of Tears refers to the relocation of Native Americans from the southeastern U.S. in the 19th century, including members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations now based in Oklahoma.

Swift reactions

Cherokee Chief Responds To OSU Student 'Trail Of Tears' Game Day SignThe incident took place on the Cherokee National Holiday where tribal members celebrate the signing of their constitution and commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Trail of Tears, the forced march from the Southeast to Oklahoma that killed thousands of Native Americans.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker told News On 6 he'd seen the sign, but knows that their "good partners" at OSU will do their best to explain to students "how hurtful" the sign is in light of the tribe's heritage and history.

"It's not going to ruin our holiday," he said. "We're trying to at least educate our state and other states as well so they truly understand, and we've got more work to do."

He said, "It's particularly disappointing this unfortunate display happened the same weekend as Cherokee National Holiday, when we celebrate our resilience and ability to adapt and survive unimaginable circumstances. For months, we've also commemorated the 175th anniversary of the conclusion of the Trail of Tears. Since these students clearly don't understand the gravity of these events, this should be viewed as a teaching moment for these young people. We wish them well and hope they seek a more enlightened perspective."Oklahoma State Fans Hold 'Trail of Tears' Banner for College GameDayInfluential sports blog Deadspin.com called it "one of the dumbest GameDay signs you'll ever see."

The sign is concerning on a few levels. The Trail of Tears refers to the consequence of the Indian Removal Act of 1830: The forced relocation of American Indians from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory, a region which would later be known as Oklahoma. Between 1830 and 1837, some 46,000 Indians were removed, and many thousands died on the journey west. It's odd, to put it mildly, that Oklahoma State football fans in particular could create a sign (and it's not a small sign) that so casually treated a tragedy that is an integral part of their own state's history. According to 2010 statistics, Oklahoma State graduated the most Native American students of any college in the country, and its student body was 9.2% American Indian or Alaska Native.

There's also something ignorant about a sign that references the Trail of Tears and also says "Send 'Em Home." The Trail of Tears wasn't about sending anybody home--it was about driving Native people from their homes. And in a larger sense, the entire continent was Natives' "home" until certain uninvited guests showed up, beginning in 1492.OSU Native American students respond to 'Trail of Tears' GameDay sign

By Amelia Henderson“I am disappointed in the actions of these OSU students, even if these actions were unintentional, it is still a serious issue that must be addressed," said Larod Snyder, vice president of Phi Sigma Nu, a Native American fraternity at OSU.

Snyder said it's important for students to understand the significance of the Trail of Tears and the cultural genocide of the Native American people.

"I feel this is a prime example of why Native American mascots should not be used for sports entertainment,” he said.Cowboys and Indians: OSU fans carry deplorable signs at College GameDay

By Catherine SweeneyIs this still funny?

Maybe if you are completely ignorant of the past. But guess what? These fans are students. In Oklahoma, American history is required in elementary school, in middle school, in high school and in college.

Oklahoma State’s American history classes are packed with hundreds of students at a time. Professors lift the veil and let students know how despicably Americans treated the Indians.

These people, smiling and holding up their pistols, don’t get to claim ignorance. No students at this school get to claim ignorance.

They are knowingly making fun of victims of genocide. Who is laughing?Student apologizes

OSU student apologizes for 'Trail of Tears' College GameDay banner

By Erik Horne“My name is Austin Buchanan. I am a junior at Oklahoma State University, having transferred last spring. Today was my first football game as an OSU Cowboy, so I am obviously new to OSU’s game-day traditions. In my zeal to support the OSU Cowboys in their season opener against the Florida State Seminoles in Dallas today, my friends and I made a banner. I appeared in a picture with that banner, which I shared via my Twitter account. Included on our banner was a hashtag insensitively referencing the Trail of Tears. The Twitter post and picture were retweeted and shared by many, eventually going viral.

“Though we did not set out to hurt or offend anyone when we made our banner, I see that it did just that. Referencing the Trail of Tears in such a flippant and disrespectful manner was insensitive and wrong, and I make no defense for our having had such a lapse in judgment. I apologize for our mistake. I am truly sorry.

“To all Native Americans: I hope you can and will forgive me for diminishing a part of your history that should never be made light of. I pledge that I will invest diligent study reacquainting myself with the horrors of Trail of Tears so I don’t repeat the mistake I made today.

“To the entire OSU family of administrators, students, student athletes, alumni, and fans: I embarrassed us today. I am sorry, and I hope you, as well, can forgive me. I love OSU. I want to contribute to, rather than take from, OSU’s positive image in the world. Today I failed in that effort. I promise to do better in the future. While I can’t promise I won’t make more mistakes, I commit to learn from them, hopefully becoming a better person in the process.”But some people aren't buying it:

Trail of Tears’ sign on ESPN’S College GameDay Show sparks Faux-pology

By Johnnie Jae“In many ways, after dealing with Mary Fallin inviting herself to the Choctaw Labor Day celebration in order to con votes out of Natives these past few days, waking up to that image of smiling white faces proudly holding up a banner that reduces a death-march, a massacre, that members of my family, including children, died on, was the final straw, says Louis Fowler, writer for the Red Dirt Report. “It is obvious whites are waging a war on Natives and will do anything to denigrate us especially now that we are fighting back. I will not get over it. I will not accept apologies. I will not accept the ignorance argument anymore. I will not accept the whole ’they need to be educated’ argument. It is not the jobs of minorities–Native or otherwise–to educate whites on how to be better people. They should want to do that anyway and seek that education out themselves if it truly means that much to them.”

He adds, “OSU needs to publicly identify each one of these students and deal with them in a harsh manner to send a message. Until they do, these kids are representatives of the school and its beliefs. To make a mockery of the Trail of Tears–especially on the anniversary of this genocide–is nothing but pure evil and an evil that must be extinguished.”And:Many natives across social media, but especially here in Oklahoma, believe that the only way to quell these acts of willful ignorance is for the offenders to be held responsible for their actions. An apology is not enough and is the reason that these kind of acts continue to happen. You can willfully engage in cultural appropriation and blatantly racist behavior towards Native American people and as long as you issue a faux-pology all is forgiven. There are no real consequences and there should be, especially in this case.And:I commend Oklahoma State University for their quick response to this issue and for recognizing the damaging nature of these students’ actions. I commend the student who issued the apology, although I cannot accept it. Until all the students involved are not only held accountable for their actions by the university, but are willing to accept and face the consequences of their actions…apologies are meaningless.Comment:  Buchanan didn't claim ignorance of Trail of Tears or its significance. He said he was disrespectful, insensitive, and wrong.

So the Natives saying Buchanan can't use ignorance as an excuse aren't quite hitting the mark. They're addressing a typical "faux-pology," not his actual apology.

In any case, I'd say his apology was sufficient. He didn't use the usual weasel words to excuse himself from blame. He took responsibility like he was supposed to.

Nobody says exactly what "consequences" the students should face. Maybe name the six or seven students holding the sign and publicly shame them? Give them or the entire student body a class on Native history. Send them to the Cherokee National Holiday at the school's expense?

I wouldn't do anything more severe. I generally favor giving offenders a second chance. If they do something like this again, then you can punish them harshly.

For more on the Trail of Tears, see Opponents Taunted with "Trail of Tears" Sign and Trail of Tears Basketball Tweet.

Review of Heape's Trail of Tears

Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy (Directors Cut)“Trail of Tears Cherokee Legacy” explores America’s darkest period: President Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to Oklahoma in 1838. Nearly a quarter of the Cherokee National died during the Trail of Tears, arriving in Indian Territory with few elders and even fewer children. Presented by Wes Studi and narrated by James Earl Jones.

Distinguished Awards:

Silver World Medal for History, New York Festivals 2007
Silver Film Award, Telly Awards 2007
Best Documentary, American Indian Film Festival 2006
Founder’s Award, International Cherokee Film Festival 2006
Best Documentary DeadCenter Film festival
Best Feature Documentary Native American Music Awards
Platinum Best of Show Aurora Awards
Winner AEGIS Awards

James Earl Jones narrates Rich-Heape Films, Inc.'s "Trail of Tears Cherokee Legacy"

Noted actor James Earl Jones had previously provided his voice to Rich-Heape Films, Inc. award-winning documentary Black Indians: An American Story. Mr. Jones, who is of blended African and Cherokee heritage, narrates in his customary and convincing tones and will lead an already distinguished group of celebrity voices.

Wes Studi, the best known Cherokee actor, presents the documentary film, speaking on camera in his native tongue (with subtitles). Mr. Jones and Mr. Studi are supported by the celebrity voices of actor James Garner, Crystal Gayle and actor John Buttram and former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder reading diary excerpts, and a host of historical experts from major universities.

Endorsed by the Cherokee Nation and the Easter band of Cherokee Indians.

The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy (2006)“In this movie, presented like a documentary, we learn volumes about the Cherokee nation at the time of Jackson's Indian Removal Act.”

“Liked how the speaking documentaries were interspersed with the re-created scenes.”

“The movie is well screened and the documentary is vivid and accurate.”Photo album:

The Making of Trail of Tears

Comment:  I watched this documentary earlier this year. I'd say it's good, not great, on the events leading up to the forced march. For that part of the subject, the Trail of Tears segment of We Shall Remain is probably better.

Where it shines is in the description of the Trail of Tears itself. You learn a lot--maybe too much--about the deplorable conditions as people waited in camps, then moved. It's evenhanded, too. We learn that some US officials charged with organizing the march tried to delay it until the weather was better, supplies had arrived, and so forth.

Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy isn't necessarily the definitive documentary on the Trail of Tears, but it's a solid piece of work. Rob's rating: 7.5 of 10.

Second "Trail of Tears" banner displayed

Second 'Trail of Tears' Banner Displayed at Tennessee High School Football GameAnother high school football team has used a “trail of tears” banner to allegedly taunt their visiting opponents.

The Dyersburg Trojans played the Northside Indians in the Tennessee High School Football Playoffs on Friday. The Trojans held up a banner that had blue dots in the shape of tears trickled on the word “tears”; and yellow dots, also in the shape of tears, on the word “trail.”

According to Mother Jones, a Facebook page, that is managed by the Dyersburg coaching staff, highlighted a half-dozen photos of their students holding up the sign for the visiting team, the Indians.

Their principal, Jon Frye, did not attend the playoff game and said that he was not aware of the photos on Facebook. He also said that he would ask the administrators of the page to take them down. The photos have been removed.Comment:  See the previous "Trail of Tears" gaffe--Opponents Taunted with "Trail of Tears" Sign--for why this sign is problematical.

Opponents taunted with "Trail of Tears" sign

A High School Football Team Taunted A Rival Team Named The Indians With A “Trail Of Tears” Banner

Update: The school later apologized.

By Ryan BroderickThis photo was posted on Tumblr over the weekend. It was taken at McAdory High School in McCalla, Ala.

The blogger who posted the picture, fiftyfourfortyorfight, wrote that as of Sunday the school has not addressed it and that local media hasn’t covered either.

Last night, this sign went up at a McAdory High School football game.

I am absolutely disgusted that this sign was allowed to go up, and that it was not stopped by school administrators, and that after this, no one has mentioned it.

The school and the students have shown no remorse for the sign (as expected) and the students have claimed ignorance and/or that it was just a “joke”.

Sorry, but the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the death of thousands of Native Americans is not a joke.High School Football Team Taunts ‘Indians’ Opponent With ‘Trail Of Tears’ Banner

By Travis WaldronSchool officials apologized Sunday in a statement on the McAdory web site.

“This was not condoned by the school administration, the Jefferson County Board of Education or the community,” McAdory principal Tod Humphries said in the statement . “The person who would normally be responsible for approving such signs is out on maternity leave, and I take full responsibility that arrangements were not made to have the signs pre-approved before the ballgame. Please accept our sincere apologies to the Native American people and to anyone who was offended by the reference to an event that is a stain on our nation’s past forever.”

Humphries said the school’s social studies and history teachers would re-teach or review lessons on the 1830 Indian Removal Act that created the Trail of Tears.

This incident, though, is the epitome of the basic problem with the prevalence of Native American imagery in sports. When we turn Native Americans into mascots, we put them in a class with the Philly Phanatic or generic Bulldogs and Tigers rather than remembering that they are a people who have survived—and are still dealing with the effects of—real atrocities and terrible policies that aren’t in any way similar to the outcome of a high school football game.Principal Apologizes for ‘Trail of Tears’ Banner, Makes It a Teaching Moment

By Vincent SchillingMonday, McAdory High School Principal Tod Humphries issued an apology on the school’s website and today he reached out to ICTMN. He said he wanted to ensure the public he felt remorseful about the incident and that the sign was a mistake, not malicious.

“I knew when the sign popped up that it was a mistake. The woman that oversees this was on maternity leave, but I know this is not an excuse. I don’t know what else to say other than it was wrong,” Humphries said.

“That is not what we are. The adults in the audience and in the stands understood immediately when the sign went up that it was wrong. I know this perception is not out there right now, but it is not who we are.”

Humphries expressed concern that his school would be seen as a stereotypical Alabama “redneck” school that did not care about the history of Indians. Humphries says nothing could be further from the truth and that the school is extremely diverse.

“We are a very diverse school, with 40 percent African-American, 15 percent Hispanic, rich and poor and everybody gets along. We are probably the most diverse school in our district. Our school is also very family oriented,” Humphries said.

“Most people in the South are part Native American. If you asked our classes who has Native American ancestry, about half the class will raise their hands. The Creeks were here—the Cherokee and the Scots-Irish came in here and intermarried. Most of us here have Native American blood, however ignorance can still slip in about the history of us,” said Humphries.

Humphries also said the moment, though difficult, was an opportunity for teaching.

“We are going to take buses and travel Friday to Gadsden, Alabama to visit the Native American man who has a Indian Removal Act Museum,” Humphries said. “We will be taking the cheerleaders and the student government.”

Natives respond

Cherokee Nation responds to offensive Trail of Tears referenceCherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker issued the following statement.

Ironically, the Cherokee Nation is commemorating the 175th anniversary of the start of our Trail of Tears this year. About 16,000 Cherokees began the trek to Oklahoma from our homelands in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky, but only 12,000 lived through the harsh conditions that winter.

The Trail of Tears was arguably the most horrific period in the Cherokee Nation’s history and among the worst atrocities ever sanctioned by the United States government.

The legacy of that terrible era has had a profound effect on generations of tribal citizens, and still lingers today.

This unfortunate display shows how much improvement is still needed in the understanding of Native peoples, our triumphs and our challenges, both historical and modern.

We hope this becomes an opportunity for administrators at McAdory High School, and at schools all across the United States, to teach our young people not only the terrible history behind the Indian removal era, but also the resilience of tribes across the nation.Trails of Tears Lesson: Anti-Semitism, Gay Hatred, Native “Learning Opportunity?”

By Linda SacksIt is unbelievable to write off the genocide known as the Trail of Tears as a “learning opportunity.” This cheerleading squad glorified the horrific massacre of my ancestors for the sake of sports and the 2nd round of playoffs.

Despite its form and despite the ignorance claimed, they directly praised and glorified the murdering of a people group that still exists…my family and all that comprise the Nations of Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, and Creek. We, natives, are not something of the past and a history lesson.

McAdory, you say, “sorry” and “reteach?” What exactly are you teaching them?

When it comes to sports, political correctness is applied selectively. What if the words “rape” and “murder” were used? These terms are used to describe how awful the opponent suffered on the playing field or court, expressing the brutality of which one team “destroys” another. Anyone in the sports world can testify to this, as do I, therefore finding the cheerleaders’ actions not guilty of ignorance, but fully charged with the lack of conscience for Native American people.“Trail of Tears” Signs Mocking Genocide at Multiple High Schools Point to Epidemic of Racism and Insensitivity Against Native Americans

By Danielle MillerHow could anyone think that mocking genocide is acceptable in any context? I don’t understand how thought processes can be so disconnected. Football games are not a place where racism gets to be excused. People certainly wouldn’t allow anyone to mock 9/11, Hiroshima, or the Holocaust. If there was a sign about lynching at a football game it wouldn’t be a joke. Even some black people with the shared history of oppression defend the issue and basically deem Native Americans unimportant. Why is the genocide and continued marginalization of Native Americans considered to be a “joke”? Has America devolved back to the era of Assimilation and Termination of Natives?

Why are all these administrators and educators ALLOWING this to happen? Clearly there must be institutional racism taking place. Schools also handle this situations terribly with apologies which put the blame on those victimized by racism. Their apologies are always something along the lines of: “We’re sorry YOU were offended. We will reteach about the Trail of Tears.” Great for you to emphasize that WE are offended, rather than taking responsibility. The acts of racism themselves are far more harmful than being “offended” or calling them out will ever be. Obviously repeating a lesson will not help the situation, if its colonized content was part of the reason this occurred in the first place.

It appears that America is harboring subconscious, engrained racism towards Native Americans; their actions are showing it. No matter what excuse or intentions they claim to have. If you act racist, you are perpetuating racism, period. The new racism is the denial of racism. People believe if they defend racism and deny that it is racist, it justifies them in whatever they do. That is completely absurd. If you are dehumanizing or marginalizing a race of people, congratulations--you are being racist! That is a fact, not an opinion!Comment:  Not everyone emphasized the point, but again, the opposing team's nickname was the Indians. These "Indians" received this death-dealing threat because of their stereotype-inducing identity. "We're gonna kill you, fake Indians, just like we did the real Indians!"

This incident is a good example of what happens when we treat Indians as mascots and other stereotypical figures. No one treats the Jewish Holocaust lightly anymore, but Indians are still something of a national joke.

They're the silly savages who got in the way of progress. We smile at their antics: the leathers and feathers, the whoops and dances, the painted faces and birds on the heads. They're like Elmer Fudd against Bugs Bunny or the Coyote against the Roadrunner: potentially deadly but in reality hapless.

When Americans wear phony headdresses or laugh at a "Trail of Tears" sign, they're not taking Indians seriously. They're not recognizing the Indians' pain or even acknowledging their existence. Therefore, it's not surprising that Americans also ignore Native issues--whether it's climate change, the effects of sequestration, or violence against women. Why would anyone bother to care when the people affected are only cartoon characters?

Trail of Tears Olympic torch relay?

Tulsa Is Using The Trail Of Tears To Market Its Bid For The 2024 Olympics

By Travis WaldronThe city of Tulsa, Oklahoma is preparing to bid on the 2024 Summer Olympic games, according to a report from the New York Times. Should the city actually submit a bid, it would be a wild longshot: as the Times explains, the Olympic workforce amounts to half of the city’s population, the city has a third of the hotel rooms required by the International Olympic Committee, and the estimated cost is equivalent to half of Oklahoma’s state budget. Plus, using the Olympics to market a city, as organizers hope to do, isn’t usually a good economic idea.

But the most absurd part of Tulsa’s Olympic bid amazingly isn’t the bid itself—it’s that organizers apparently think incorporating the Trail of Tears on the Olympic torch route as a “nod to the state’s American Indian history” is a good idea:In a nod to the state’s American Indian history, the Olympic torch would be led along the solemn Trail of Tears, not far from where field hockey would be played in Tahlequah.A little history for Tulsa’s organizers: the Trail of Tears is the result of one of the most pernicious laws in American history—the Indian Removal Act of 1830—and it is a marker of policies that nearly eradicated an entire indigenous population of people. The death toll on the trail ranges from the government’s record of 400 to others that estimate more than 4,000 died on the march. It doesn’t merit a “nod” from Olympic organizers, especially not when mega sporting events like the Olympics have a tendency to displace poor and indigenous populations to make room for facilities or to shield them from media and tourist attention. What it merits is education and awareness about the fact that large segments of the Native population are still struggling with the after-effects of government policies slanted against them, even more than a century and a half after they walked that trail.As usual, there was more to the story:

Tulsa Disavows Olympics Bid Using Trail of Tears as Sales Pitch"We are not actively seeking an Olympic bid," Tulsa Sports Commission Senior Vice President Roy Hoyt said at a press conference yesterday. "Or supporting it."

The press conference, called by Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett and Hoyt, was set up to make it clear that a 2024 Summer Olympic Games bid was not an official city effort, at least not anymore.

The original idea for the bid came from Neil Mavis, who moved to Tulsa from Atlanta in 1997. Mavis was living in Atlanta when that city successfully bid to host the 1996 Summer Games, and that effort was his inspiration for trying to bring the massive sporting event to Tulsa. According to the Tulsa World, "Mavis made a pitch to the City Council in August 2009, when the Olympic Exploratory Committee included then-Councilor John Eagleton.

"In April 2011, the mayor and all nine councilors signed letters asking the U.S. Olympic Committee to invite Tulsa to make a bid.

"More recently, this May, Bartlett signed a letter designating Mavis as the mayor's official representative to the U.S. Olympic Committee 'to advance the city of Tulsa's interest in bidding for the 2024 Summer Olympics.' Mavis even got to use city of Tulsa business cards."

Although Bartlett and Hoyt emphasized that the logistics and cost of staging the Games would likely be beyond anything Tulsa could reasonably do (it's estimated the Olympics would cost $5 billion, more than half the state of Oklahoma's annual budget), uproar in Indian country over Mavis's Tulsa2024 website's outrageous use of the Trail of Tears atrocity as a sales pitch must have been a factor in their decision to call this press conference to distance the city from the effort--at least it's hoped so.

Tulsa2024.com states: "Over half of the States in the USA are of Native American origin. The Olympic Torch would travel though these Native American named states and follow one, or more of the many Trail of Tears to Indian Territory, and end in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, headquarters of the Cherokee Nation. The Olympic Torch would then travel from Tahlequah, OK to Tulsa to the start of the 2024 Games."More on why this would be a bad idea:

Tulsa's Olympics Bid Involves Shitty Trail of Tears Gimmick

By Meagan Hatcher-MaysOrganizers have proposed that the Olympic torch be carried down the “Trail of Tears” to honor the state’s Native American history. What an honor! Nothing reflects the Olympic spirit quite like that time the federal government forced thousands of Native American to walk from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States all the way to Oklahoma. I personally can’t think of a better tribute to the thousands of Indians who died during removal than to line the Trail of Tears with throngs of jubilant white people, cheering on some random local carrying a torch sponsored by Coca-Cola.

I’m just spitballin’ ideas here, but you know what might be a better way to honor the Native Americans of Oklahoma? How about addressing the fact that almost 30% of them in Oklahoma live below the poverty line? What about dealing with the health issues faced by the Native American population in your state? Native Americans suffer from higher rates of depression, PTSD, high blood pressure and diabetes. I know that organizing a parade celebrating an open flame at the end of stick probably sounds like a lot more fun than devoting effort to any of these problems, but maybe investing resources in some of your most vulnerable citizens might be a better way to go.Comment:  For more misuses of the Trail of Tears, see Trail of Tears Basketball Tweet, Trail of Tears Fireworks, and "Mail of Tears."

No more Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners

It’s time for Democrats to ditch Andrew Jackson

As Biden speaks at event named for Old Hickory tonight, more appalling stories show party should dump him as icon

By Steve YoderSpring means that appeals for money are bursting forth from both major political parties. It also means Democratic officials in states and counties around the country are busy getting people out to their major fundraiser, the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner. And they’re bringing in the big guns: Vice President Joe Biden will keynote the South Carolina Democrats’ dinner tonight.

But after an election in which Democrats rode a wave of minority support to keep the White House and Senate, party activists should wonder about one of the founders for whom that event is named. If branding matters, then the tradition of honoring perhaps the most systematic violator of human rights for America’s nonwhites should finally run its course.

Renowned journalist T.D. Allman’s gripping Finding Florida: The True History of the Sunshine State argues that brutality was a habit of mind for party icon Andrew Jackson long before he laid the groundwork, as President, for the Trail of Tears, the thousand-mile death march that killed 4000 Cherokees in 1838−39.And:But is it unfair to hold Jackson to today’s standards? It would be—had Jackson’s contemporaries not tried their best to stop him. Cave documents a campaign against Jackson’s Indian removal policy that continued throughout the 1830s; one signature petition from New York City was 47 yards long. From 1830 to 1842, 85 percent of opposition Whig Party congressional votes on removal were cast in opposition to Jackson’s policy, according to a 1993 journal article by historian Fred Rolater. And Allman describes an 1837 investigation by Congressman William Jay concluding that Jackson’s destruction of the Negro Fort constituted an illegal use of taxpayer funds to support slavery.

Today, Democrats sound open to reconsidering whether honoring Jackson still makes sense. In Jackson’s home state of Tennessee, party spokesman Brandon Puttbrese says, “I think we welcome these kinds of conversations about our history. What he did in office…these are not things we should proud of, but they’re definitely things we must learn from.” But if so, why keep Jackson as the party’s brand? “One explanation might just be inertia—it’s been that way forever, so it’s still that way,” says Puttbrese.

In Arkansas, party representative Candace Martin acknowledges that “If you look at the overall values of the Democratic party, then Andrew Jackson probably would not be representative…. It’s maybe something that we should be debating.”

And a Democratic official in one state who didn’t want to be named thinks Jackson’s days are numbered as a fundraising brand: “When I think of Andrew Jackson, I automatically think ‘Trail of Tears’…” the official says. “If a bunch of people in my generation were creating this dinner, I don’t think we would name it the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner. I think a lot of things that happen in politics are just like, ‘well that’s the way it’s always been.’”And:Should Jackson’s history matter to Democrats? If not, it’s hard to explain why Republicans went to such lengths before the presidential campaigns in both 2008 and 2012 to paint themselves as the historic defenders of minority rights by recounting the crimes of southern Democrats before the civil rights era. Today’s Democrats play into their hands by continuing to embrace Jackson; in the battle for minority votes, branding could prove to be the difference.

State parties have dumped Jackson before. In 1978, Minnesota Democrats renamed their Jefferson-Jackson dinner for Hubert Humphrey. Oklahoma Democrats replaced him with former Majority Leader Carl Albert in the 1990s. And in 2010, the North Dakota party picked legendary Senator Quentin Burdick as the fundraiser’s namesake instead.

With Republicans also raising money with Lincoln-Reagan dinners this spring, Democrats have to take a harder look at what the past means for their future. If so, they’ll find it’s not hard to do better. Roosevelt-Kennedy has a nice ring to it.Comment:  Jefferson wasn't all he's made out to be, either. He owned slaves and wanted the Indians removed, making him Jackson's spiritual father. He's not a great fit with today's Democrats, since he favored small government and opposed big spending projects.

But the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners are pretty weak evidence of "liberal racism." As the article indicates, most Democrats probably accept the name without thought. As with a dubious sports team nickname or geographic place name, inertia is largely responsible for keeping it in place.

It's like using a $20 bill with Jackson's picture on it, or driving on a freeway named for Jackson. Most people don't even think about it. Even if you cared, it would require a lot of effort to avoid Jackson's name and image, and it wouldn't have much effect. So I don't blame people for ignoring his presence throughout our culture.

That said, this name is something party leaders can easily change without harming anyone's sensibilities. "Roosevelt-Kennedy" does indeed have a nice ring to it. Or Democrats could abandon the "two presidents" convention and call the event something else. Maybe the Power to the People Dinner or the Ninety-Nine Percent Dinner.

For more on Andrew Jackson, see Most Overrated Presidents and "Most Terrifying Man Ever Elected President"

Trail of Tears basketball tweet

Rep. Bruce Braley Apologizes for ‘#TrailOfTears’ Tweet

By John ParkinsonRep. Don Young might not be the only member of Congress in need of some sensitivity training.

After the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Arizona Wildcats Thursday night in the college basketball tournament with a tie-breaking 3-pointer from LaQuinton Ross with 2.1 seconds left on the clock, Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, tweeted: “It’s official. Ohio State is the luckiest team in the tournament. #TrailOfTears.”

That #TrailOfTears hashtag quickly drew a negative response on Twitter, prompting Braley to delete the tweet within an hour. It was archived, nevertheless.

Braley, who is serving his fourth term in the House, then attempted to clarify his intent with a tweet-pology in the wee hours of the morning, explaining that he was identifying with the pain of Iowa State fans who suffered defeat at the hands of Ohio State last week.

“The ‘tears’ I was referring to were the tears of [Iowa State] Cyclone fans. I have removed the tweet & apologize to anyone who was offended,” Braley, 55, tweeted.Comment:  Much like Indians forced to relocate or die, disappointed basketball fans cry.

"I'm so upset," said one grieving fan. "I feel like I've been raped, tortured, and thrown in the oven to die."

"I feel like I've died of smallpox and left my children to starve before the white man could even reach my village and rape me to death," said another.

Braley's tweet is eligible for the Stereotype of the Month contest because it implies the Trail of Tears is a trivial matter. In other words, that Native concerns don't matter--perhaps that Indians don't even exist anymore. Why else would you use one of their worst catastrophes as a joking matter?

For more misuses of the Trail of Tears, see Trail of Tears Fireworks and "Mail of Tears."

175th anniversary of Trail of Tears

Remember the Removal Bike Ride Marks 175th Anniversary of the Cherokee Nation's Trail of TearsThe 2013 Remember the Removal Bike Ride is the fifth annual bicycle ride commemorating the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from its homelands during the winter of 1838-39. This year marks the 175th anniversary of the Cherokee Nation’s Trail of Tears. The 900-plus-mile trek is accomplished over a three -week period in June as selected riders representing the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians retrace the northern route of the Trail of Tears through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. The Cherokee Nation will sponsor a team of riders on the journey of a lifetime, averaging 60 miles of riding per day.

“Today students read in history books a brief section about the removal, but by participating in the ride they are able to experience firsthand the trials and tribulations of the Trail of Tears,” said coordinator Taylor Alsenay, in a Cherokee Nation press release. “The Remember the Removal Bike Ride is a great lifetime experience.”

During evenings and along the way, the group will explore and experience activities that link the riders to the experiences their Cherokee ancestors had at the time of the removal. The ride is both an educational opportunity and a goodwill event. While on the trip, individual riders will use blogging and other social media, photos and videos to provide daily updates of their experiences on the ride. The ride will culminate with an exciting homecoming event as the team arrives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capitol of the Cherokee Nation.Comment:  For more on the subject, see "Ocmulgee to Okmulgee" Bike Tour and Remember the Removal 2010.

Most overrated presidents

Happy Presidents’ Day! Meet The Five Most Overrated American Presidents

By Ian MillhiserAmericans love to rank things. So lists of the best presidents in American history frequently allow historians to duke it out over whether George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Franklin Delano Roosevelt should be remembered as our nation’s greatest leader. Meanwhile, recently departed President George W. Bush already ranks close to the top in polls of historians asked to rank the worst president in American history. Rather than wade into the thicket of which men best or worst served their nation during their time in the White House, we would like to offer a different kind of list. Here are five presidents who routinely rank far above what their performance in office deserves in surveys considering presidential performance:

1. Andrew Jackson

The Democratic Party frequently hosts Jefferson-Jackson Dinners honoring President Jackson and another historic president who is also on this list. It should reconsider this practice, as Jackson’s policy towards Native Americans was only a few steps shy of genocidal. In theory, President Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, permitted him to negotiate voluntary agreements with tribes in the southeastern United States encouraging them to exchange their eastern lands for new territory in the west. In reality, Jackson’s forced migration policy was anything but voluntary. By his last year in office, 46,000 Native Americans were removed from their lands, opening up tens of millions of acres to white settlement and slave-worked agriculture. As many as a quarter of the southeastern Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, and disease in the Trail of Tears march that began shortly after Jackson left the White House.

2. Ronald Reagan

3. Woodrow Wilson

4. Thomas Jefferson

Like Wilson, Jefferson’s legacy is far more mixed than malign, as no one can question the significance of his contributions to American history—beginning with the document that declared us an independent nation. Yet Jefferson’s most important accomplishment as president was also the most important flip-flop in American history. During the Washington Administration, Jefferson led a losing faction seeking to constrain federal power to foster the nation’s economic growth far beyond the limits contained in the Constitution’s text. This narrow vision of the Constitution initially led him to oppose the Louisiana Purchase as president, although he eventually relented and doubled the size of the United States in the process.

5. James MadisonComment:  The comments about the Louisiana Purchase ignore the fact that the land belonged to the Indians, not the French or Spanish. The comments also ignore the many unfortunate consequences. Here's a summary of them:

The Louisiana PurchaseOn April 30, 1803, the United States government made one of the greatest land transactions of all time when it purchased from the French Republic for $15 million dollars, a piece of real estate extending from the Gulf of Mexico north to Canada, and from the Mississippi River Basin west to the Rocky Mountains. Called the Louisiana Purchase, this transaction added 830,000 square miles of uncharted wilderness to the territory of the United States.

The Louisiana Purchase opened the west for settlement by Europeans and Americans and had grave implications for American Indians, who would soon find their ancestral homelands taken from them. It allowed for the extension of slavery, brought an end to French and Spanish domination in Arkansas and allowed a diversity of settlers to develop and perpetuate their own cultures in the six distinct geographic regions of the state.For more on the subject, see "Most Terrifying Man Ever Elected President" and Best and Worst Presidents for Indians.

Christian curriculum praises Trail of Tears

Bible-Based Curriculum Says the Trail of Tears Was a Path to ChristLouisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s voucher program to privatize public education has come under fire recently for spending state tax dollars to teach Bible-based curriculum. An August 7 post on MotherJones.com, a news outlet covering the 2012 elections, took a look at the program and 14 “wacky facts” kids will learn under the state’s new program.

One of those “facts” is that “God used the Trail of Tears to bring many Indians to Christ.” The tidbit comes from a 1994 A Beka Book, which offers Christian education materials, titled America: Land I Love.Comment:  This gets a Stereotype of the Month nomination because it implies Indians were like children who needed to be raised from savagery to civilization. No, they didn't.

For more on the subject, see Oklahoma License-Plate Challenge Dismissed and Christian Flyer Calls Lakota Rite "Satanic."

Trail of Tears fireworks

Someone posted this photo of a box of fireworks on Reddit, and Native Appropriations reposted it.

Making light of, trivializing, and commercializing the Trail of Tears are the obvious problems here. The subtle problem is deciphering the connection between the fleeing Cherokees, the fireworks product, and the "30 Shots" slogan.

The message I'm getting is, "Ignite the fireworks and watch the flaming balls shoot. Scary and powerful enough to send savages fleeing." As if forcing people to run is a desirable outcome--a reason to celebrate.

For more on trivializing the Trail of Tears, see "Mail of Tears" and "Trail of Tears" Halloween Costume.

"Ocmulgee to Okmulgee" bike tour

Muscogee (Creek) Nation bike tour to retrace Trail of Tears

By Susan HyltonThe journey from the Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia to the city of Okmulgee is marked by stories of tragedy and loss but also pride and triumph for the Muscogee (Creek) people.

John Beaver and Justin Giles of the future Muscogee (Creek) Nation Museum will be bringing those stories to light as they trek some 1,080 miles for the tribe's first "Ocmulgee to Okmulgee" Trail of Tears Bicycle Tour.

Beaver will be the cyclist and Giles will be filming and blogging along the way during the three-week tour, which starts Saturday and is slated to end June 23.

The trip symbolically follows the removal of the Creeks from the southeast in the 1830s to Indian Territory but begins long before that at the Ocmulgee Mounds area, which the Creek people settled around 900. Today it is the site of the Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon, Ga.Bike ride brings many Muscogee Creeks to Macon

By Wayne CrenshawAs he stood for the first time on ancestral lands of his tribe Saturday, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief George Tiger began softly singing a hymn in his native tongue, and was quickly joined by dozens of others.

The song, he said, speaks of an appointed land and place where someday his people would meet and have a reunion.And:The event was a ceremony to start the Trail of Tears Bicycle Tour to commemorate the arduous journey west for the Muscogee Creeks, as well as other tribes throughout the Southeast.

Approximately 80 tribe members came from Oklahoma, as well as a few from other areas for the event.Comment:  This may be a first for this particular bicycle ride, but at least one Trail of Tears bike ride preceded it: the 2009 Remember the Removal Ride.

For more on commemorative treks, see Trail of Tears Bike Ride and Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride.

Below:  "John Beaver, director of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Museum and Cultural Center, right, shakes hands with Nation Principal Chief George Tiger at the Ocmulgee National Monument on Saturday. Beaver is cycling from Macon to Okmulgee, Okla., on an Ocmulgee to Okmulgee Trail of Tears Bicycle Tour." (Jason Vorhees)

Warren's Cherokee claim unsubstantiated?

Elizabeth Warren Ancestor Rounded Up Cherokees For Trail of Tears

By Michael Patrick LeahyFor over a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Warren has described herself as a Native American. When recently asked to provide evidence of her ancestry, she pointed to an unsubstantiated claim on an 1894 Oklahoma Territory marriage license application by her great-great grand uncle William J. Crawford that his mother, O.C. Sarah Smith Crawford, Ms. Warren's great-great-great grandmother, was a Cherokee.

After researching her story, it is obvious that her "family lore" is just fiction.

As I pointed out in my article here on Sunday, no evidence supports this claim. O.C. Sarah Smith Crawford had no Cherokee heritage, was listed as "white" in the Census of 1860, and was most likely half Swedish and half English, Scottish, or German, or some combination thereof. (Note, the actual 1894 marriage license makes no claim of Cherokee ancestry.)

But the most stunning discovery about the life of O.C. Sarah Smith Crawford is that her husband, Ms. Warren's great-great-great grandfather, was apparently a member of the Tennessee Militia who rounded up Cherokees from their family homes in the Southeastern United States and herded them into government-built stockades in what was then called Ross’s Landing (now Chattanooga), Tennessee—the point of origin for the horrific Trail of Tears, which began in January, 1837.Actually, no. As far as we know, Warren has never described herself as Native except in 10 years' worth of professional directories.

I agree the marriage license is a little thin as documentation. I'd call it evidence, not proof.

But having ancestors on both sides of the conflict isn't "stunning" or even surprising. Thirty-one of her 32 ancestors presumably weren't Cherokees. I'd be surprised if those living through the Trail of Tears didn't take sides against the Indians.

Elizabeth Warren brushes off ‘Trail of Tears’ report

By Hillary ChabotElizabeth Warren waved off reports yesterday that an ancestor helped round up Cherokees in the infamous “Trail of Tears,” as well as demands from U.S. Sen. Scott Brown to prove she never claimed her Native American heritage to further her career—dismissing the developments as “politics as usual.”

“I think what this is about is Scott Brown trying to change the subject,” said Warren at a Brighton event last night. “He just wants to find a way to talk about something else, and I think it’s wrong. I think this is why people are turned off on Washington politics.”For more on the subject, see Is Elizabeth Warren Native? and Elizabeth Warren's Birther Moment.

"Mail of Tears"

Adrienne Keene writes about another example of insensitivity in her Native Appropriations blog:

Gawker uses "Mail of Tears" for a cheap punThis, my friends, is a post about how the internet is a slow learner. A few days ago Gawker writer Leah Beckmann posted a round-up of crappy reader mail, and in a clear lapse of judgment and lack of awareness of American history, or a blog in her own network's history, entitled it "Mail of Tears"--complete with a picture of Iron Eyes Cody (the Italian actor who played the "crying Indian" in that famous PSA).

Longtime readers of the blog might think this sounds eerily familiar...and that's because in 2010, Jezebel (Gawker's "sister site") wrote about Meghan McCain crying and gave it the hashtag #trailoftears. I was, clearly and similarly, enraged.Comment:  Would you make a pun about Auschwitz, Zyklon B, ovens, or the Holocaut? Perhaps with a picture of a Jew in prison garb? What's the difference between that and this, if anything?

Using a fake Indian--because he's crying, presumably--only compounds the problem. It seems painfully obvious that Gawker thinks Indians aren't real people with feelings.

For more on the subject, see Actual Indians Crying.

"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:

Upset fans = "Trail of Tears"?

ESPN apologizes for 'inappropriate' Oklahoma comment

By Michael HiestandESPN Sunday apologized for an what it called an "inappropriate" comment made on ESPNEWS following Texas Tech's college football win over Oklahoma.

ESPNEWS anchor Todd Grisham, in conjunction with a shot of distraught Oklahoma fans, referred to the "trail of tears."Comment:  For more on the Trail of Tears, see "Minimal Bloods" = Greedy White People? and Man Walks Trail of Tears.