Southwest Indians renounced swastika

In Honoring Indians with Swastikas, I noted how Indians and non-Indians used swastikas in the early 20th century. You can imagine why both groups stopped using them, but here's a particular act I hadn't heard of before:

Western use of the swastika in the early 20th centuryShortly after the beginning of World War II, several Native American tribes (the Navajo, Apache, Tohono O'odham, and Hopi) published a decree stating that they would no longer use the swastika in their artwork. This was because the swastika had come to symbolize evil to the tourists who purchased their crafts. This decree was signed by representatives of these tribes. The decree states:Because the above ornament which has been a symbol of friendship among our forefathers for many centuries has been desecrated recently by another nation of peoples.

Therefore it is resolved that henceforth from this date on and forever more our tribes renounce the use of the emblem commonly known today as the swastika or fylfot on our blankets, baskets, art objects, sandpainting, and clothing.Comment:  As with their exemplary record of military service, this act shows the Indians' patriotic love of America. Compare this with, say, Southern whites who embrace the Confederate flag or any whites who embrace a stereotypical Indian mascot.

These symbols have more negative implications than the Indians' swastika, which didn't have any negative implications until Hitler appropriated it. Yet the whites are much less willing to give up their cherished symbols. Which people are thinking of the greater good and which people are thinking only about themselves?

For more on the subject, see Native Threads Accused of Nazism and Reclaiming the Swastika.

Below:  "Group of Dineh Artists Renouncing Use of the Swastika," c. February 28, 1940.

Natives at NAMM convention

Native Americans show handmade instruments at music industry convention

By Susan ValotA blues band rocks the stage in the Native American Pavilion at the recent NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center. A handmade native drum set is center stage, adding a traditional component to the blues. This is the first time ever that the giant NAMM Convention for music industry professionals has included a pavilion for Native American music and instrument makers.

The walls of the small room are lined with tables showcasing drums, flutes and even electric guitars.NAMM DefinedNAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global music products industry. Our association—and our trade shows—serve as a hub for people wanting to seek out the newest innovations in musical products, recording technology, sound and lighting—everything you need to enhance and grow your business, presentation or event! Founded more than a century ago, NAMM proudly represents a worldwide community of people who are passionate about what they do and provides them with the tools, learning and business environment they need to do it.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Guitar Honors Navajo Codetalkers.

Honoring Indians with swastikas

My Native Threads Accused of Nazism reminds me of the long history of swastikas in the US. Here's a sampling of this history:

Western use of the swastika in the early 20th centuryAs a Native American symbol

Because this was a popular symbol with the Navajo people, the Arizona Department of Transportation marked its state highways with signs featuring a right-facing swastika superimposed on an arrowhead. In 1942, after the United States entered World War Two, the department replaced the signs.

The swastika's use by the Navajo and other tribes made it a popular symbol for the Southwestern United States. Until the 1930s, blankets, metalwork, and other Southwestern souvenirs were often made with swastikas.Use by the military

The 45th Infantry Division of the United States Army used a yellow swastika on a red background as a unit symbol until the 1930s, when it was switched to a thunderbird. The American Division wore the swastika patch while fighting against Germany in World War I.

The U.S. Army 12th Infantry Regiment coat of arms includes a number of historic symbols. A tepee with small, left facing swastikas represents the unit's campaigns in the Indian Wars of the late 19th century. The Regiment fought German forces during World War II, landing on D-Day at Utah Beach, through five European campaigns and received a Presidential Unit Citation for action during the Battle of the Bulge.Government use

Swastikas and the similar Greek key symbol appear in decorative features of a number of U.S. federal, state and local government buildings including schools and county courthouses.

Swastikas surround the exterior window iconography at the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington D.C. on Constitution Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets.

The Reno, Nevada Post Office features both left and right facing swastikas, along with other designs typical of "Zig Zag Moderne" style, later known as a variation of "Art Deco."

Place names

Swastika Park is the name of a housing subdivision in Miami, Florida, created in 1917. An upscale subdivision in Denver is named "Swastika Acres." Its name has been traced to the Denver Swastika Land Company, founded in 1908.

Commercial use

The K-R-I-T Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan built cars from 1909 to 1915 with a radiator badge that featured a right-facing white swastika on a blue background.

The Crane Valve Company manufactured steel valves in the 1920s and 30's in the U.S. with swastika markings, using a symbol with the arms pointed to the right.

Use in popular culture

In the 1936 H. P. Lovecraft novella, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a symbol of the Old Ones was described by a character as, "Something like what ye call a swastika nowadays."

Swastika quilt patterns were popular in America prior to World War II.

Use by non-political clubs and organizations

The Ladies' Home Journal sponsored a Girl's Club with swastika membership pins, swastika-decorated handkerchief and a magazine titled "The Swastika." Their version of the symbol was square with right facing arms. The club was formed around the 20th century to encourage young women to sell magazine subscriptions.

The 1939 Tennessee State University yearbook lists a "Swastika Club" among women's student organizations. The group focused on literature, scholarship and "clear and straight thinking."

Coins, tokens, and watch fobs

Collectors have identified more than 1,400 different swastika design coins, souvenir or merchant/trade tokens, and and watch fobs, distributed by mostly local retail and service businesses in the United States. The tokens that can be dated range from 1885 to 1939, with a few later exceptions.For more on the subject, see Nazis Tried to Subvert Indians and Reclaiming the Swastika.

Happy Louis Riel Day!

Here's a Canadian figure who's little-known in the US:

Louis RielLouis David Riel (22 October 1844–16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Riel sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. He is regarded by many as a Canadian folk hero today.

The first resistance was the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870. The provisional government established by Riel ultimately negotiated the terms under which the modern province of Manitoba entered the Canadian Confederation. Riel was forced into exile in the United States as a result of the controversial execution of Thomas Scott during the rebellion. Despite this, he is frequently referred to as the "Father of Manitoba." While a fugitive, he was elected three times to the Canadian House of Commons, although he never assumed his seat. During these years, he was frustrated by having to remain in exile despite his growing belief that he was a divinely chosen leader and prophet, a belief which would later resurface and influence his actions. He married in 1881 while in exile in Montana, and fathered three children.

Riel returned to what is now the province of Saskatchewan to represent Métis grievances to the Canadian government. This resistance escalated into a military confrontation known as the North-West Rebellion of 1885. It ended in his arrest, trial, and execution on a charge of high treason. Riel was viewed sympathetically in Francophone regions of Canada, and his execution had a lasting influence on relations between the province of Quebec and English-speaking Canada. Whether seen as a Father of Confederation or a traitor, he remains one of the most complex, controversial, and ultimately tragic figures in the history of Canada.

Riel reconsidered

The formerly widespread perception of Louis Riel as an insane traitor, especially outside of the Métis and French Canadian community, weakened considerably since the late 20th century. Riel is regarded by some as a heroic freedom fighter who stood up for his people in the face of racist bigotry, and those who question his sanity still view him as an essentially honourable figure. Riel nevertheless presents an enigma, although as historian J.M.S. Careless has observed, it is possible that Riel was both a murderer and a hero.

On 18 February 2008, the province of Manitoba officially recognized the first Louis Riel Day as a general provincial holiday. It will now fall on the third Monday of February each year in the Province of Manitoba.

Arts, literature and popular culture

In 1925, the French writer Maurice Constantin-Weyer who lived 10 years in Manitoba published in French a fictionalized biography of Louis Riel titled La Bourrasque. An English translation/adaptation was published in 1930: A Martyr's Folly (Toronto, The Macmillan Company), and a new version in 1954, The Half-Breed (New York, The Macaulay Compagny).

Portrayals of Riel's role in the Red River Rebellion include the 1979 CBC television film Riel and Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown's acclaimed 2003 graphic novel Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography.

An opera about Riel entitled Louis Riel was commissioned for Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967. It was an opera in three acts, written by Harry Somers, with an English and French libretto by Mavor Moore and Jacques Languirand. The Canadian Opera Company produced and performed the first run of the opera in September and October, 1967.Comment:  One might compare Riel to someone like Geronimo or Che Guevara in terms of being a freedom fighter with a mixed legacy.

For more on the subject, see Métis Awareness Day and "Hanging" Louis Riel T-Shirts Offend Métis.

Wounded Knee II's positive effects

Wounded Knee occupation had positive effects

By Charles TrimbleWhat caught me in the Chaat Smith/Warrior book is this statement in the Preface: “We came to write “Like a Hurricane” out of a profound dissatisfaction with the existing narratives of this crucial period in Indian and American history, one that we believe too often saw Indian people as mere victims and pawns. Our focus is not on the U.S. government’s failed policies or on police repression, but on how Indian people, for a brief and exhilarating time, staged a campaign of resistance and introspection unmatched in this (20th) century. It was for American Indians every bit as significant as the counterculture was for young whites, or the civil rights movement for blacks.”

This, to me, is what Tim Giago continues to miss--the widespread exhilaration among Indian people, and the significance of their resistance and revolution. During WKII I was able to witness some of it when I went to Pine Ridge as NCAI Executive Director to offer media and political assistance to the tribal government (which was essentially President Dick Wilson). Although I was disheartened by what I saw happening in what was left of tribal government there, I also saw and heard a new sense of pride among the Lakota people, and much praise for AIM.

I have never been a supporter of AIM, or an apologist for their actions. But, I do have an appreciation for what they meant to do and what they did, in fact, accomplish.

There was indeed much destruction at Wounded Knee during WKII, by AIM occupiers as well as federal and Goon forces. Dewing’s book provides BIA financial estimates of the losses and damage to the homes that were occupied by the militants, in many cases at the invitation of local people. And he also includes BIA estimates on recovery of household items that were missing. Nothing that I have read or heard gives credence to Giago’s telling of AIM occupiers evicting families, looting their homes, then setting them afire when they left. Even the burning of the Gildersleeve’s trading post, it appears, was the result of an accident with a kerosene lamp, when the village’s electricity was cut off by the Federal siege. It was not a torching of the building.

Back in 1981, Giago had a different view of WKII. In his book, Dewing wrote the following: “Looking back on Wounded Knee II from the perspective of ten years, Tim Giago, editor of the Lakota Times, saw some positive outcomes. According to Giago, the confrontation focused national attention upon the ineptitude of the BIA and the Interior Department. ‘It caused the Indian people themselves to demand changes within these bureaucratic structures and put bureaucrats on notice.’ Giago also said the encounter made reservation inhabitants more aware of whom they selected to fill elected office.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see AIM's Misdeeds Too "Complex" to Cover? and Debate Over Wounded Knee.

Happy Presidents Day 2011!

Two weeks ago some Lakota Indians protested a "Wizard of Oz" play because of L. Frank Baum's editorials 120 years ago. Their goal is apparently to banish The Wizard of Oz from our culture to teach Baum a lesson. Too bad he's been dead for 96 years and probably won't get the message.

In their honor, I posted the following suggestion on Facebook for Presidents Day: Let's also remove the anti-Indian presidents from our currency, Mt. Rushmore, the history books, etc.This led to a brief discussion:Rob, let's not forget that the slaughter of indigenous peoples, or the slavery of "lesser" people has been the cornerstone to this fine democracy--which recognizes the rights of all men (women excluded for obvious reasons...wink wink).That's why we need to eliminate these presidents!While you're at it let's not forget those 38 warriors who died by hanging in the largest mass hanging in the history of the US, their death warrant signed by none other than "Honest" Abe Lincoln.I'm including Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, and T. Roosevelt among the presidents to be eliminated along with Baum.OK. Can we then replace Andrew Jackson on the twenty with Richard Nixon?Yes, we can put Nixon on the $20 for his support of indigenous rights. Right after we remove The Wizard of Oz from every bookstore and DVD store.

For more on the subject, see Liberation Day, not Presidents Day and Fun Fourth of July Facts.

P.S. Needless to say, neither the presidents nor Baum's beloved children's story are going anywhere anytime soon. Protesting them is roughly equivalent to protesting the ocean's tides.

"Native American rejects" on KWYR-FM

Native Americans still dealing with insensitivity in media

By Vi WalnLast week I got an email from a Rosebud Sioux Tribal member. She wrote, “Good morning Vi, So just sharing a tidbit with a huge verbal implication. This morning on the Winner radio station [KWYR-FM] 93.7, the radio disc jockey Scott Schramm, was referencing a band called the [All] American Rejects and instead changed the words to say “the Native American rejects”! Really! C’mon, you would think after all these years the non-Natives would have a bit more couth when implicating anything to do with our tribe or just Native people in general."Waln contacted the station and got a perfunctory response. Then:Later in the day I received another email, this time from Scott Schramm. He wrote: “I am rather confused. I am on the air on both the AM and FM stations each day. Was this comment heard on the FM or the AM station this morning? Can I ask what the comment was about? I am the Owner of the Radio Station, and would never approve of anything such as this. Furthermore, I am one of the people on the air. I have no idea what I could have said. Could you please elaborate? This is bothering me.”

Now, the fact that “this is bothering” him should tell us something. Perhaps he knows deep down that he said something he shouldn’t have. And he had “no idea” what he “could have said.” Schramm’s email to me proves my point. The non-Indians residing in the border towns of our reservations make statements every day but they have “no idea” what they are saying or how we are going to perceive their comments.Comment:  Radio DJs can't seem to help saying stupid things about Indians.

Calling Indians "rejects" is a shorthand version of the usual insults: that they're savages, lazy bums, or welfare moochers.

For more on the subject, see Magic FM Mocks Indian Names and DJs Learn Not to Satirize Natives.

Native Threads accused of Nazism

Recently I received an e-mail from Randy Bardwell, president of Native Threads, about an art-design controversy. Bardwell explained it on his Facebook page:Native Threads is being accused as racist because the winning art contest design [left] "looks similar" to a Nazi emblem [right]! Please educate the accuser on how the Eagle, the Feather and the four directions symbol are sacred to you! Don't let these bullies paint us as racist!

The e-mails leading to this controversy:From: pdb
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 12:29 PM
To: info@nativethreads.com
Subject: hate symbol

The art winner for December 2010 is an image that has been associated world wide with RACISM and HATE since before the 1930s.

First the NAZIs, now us??

Please answer and let me know why this image was selected to show native pride. Right now all I feel is ashamed. See links of the Nazi Eagle with Swastika.

Tell me just how similar they are!

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50326165/stock-photo-nazi-eagle-badge-on-book.html

http://thirdreichruins.com/reichsadler.htm

http://www.manions.com/catpages/realize1.aspx~id~5905326

*****

From: info@nativethreads.com
To: pdb
Subject: RE: hate symbol
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:51:44 -0800

Thank you for your email.

The image was selected by vote by over 1200 Native Threads fans, customers and supporters, most of whom are Native Americans and Aboriginal Canadians. The image is not chosen by Native Threads staff.

In regards to the swastika comparison please find the following text from the following website...http://www.shannonthunderbird.com/symbols_and_meanings.htm

"Before it was evil, it was good, and it is the oldest cross/symbol/emblem in the world. The image can be found throughout Native history. The postcard shown above states: "May the four winds from the four corners of the heavens upon you gently blow." It is also not exactly the same symbol that Hitler and his Nazi Party used. Upon closer inspection, the true symbol is actually a reverse of the counterclockwise Nazi version. Sadly, what was a beautiful symbol that represented peace and the natural order of things (sun, winds, four directions) has been perverted for all time by one evil individual and a terrible time in human history."

Our Morningstar design which is represented in Mr. Valle's art entry can be viewed here...http://store.nativethreads.com/Mens-Morning-Star-T-Shirt-Royal-P45C2.aspx#

Hope this helps,

NT Staff

*****

From: pdb
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 1:52 PM
To: info@nativethreads.com
Subject: RE: hate symbol

Okay.

Whoever CHOSE it, it is being PRODUCED by Native Threads.

You sent a picture (morning star) that has ZERO to do with what I am referring to.

Yes, I know the symbol is ancient, and pre-dates Jesus Christ. I am pointing out the remarkable, noticeable, (knock-off?) similarities between the "artwork" chosen as a winner and the Nazi Party symbol. The WHOLE picture, not just the swastika.

I wonder if you are being intentionally dense? Since I credit you with empathy and intelligence, I will say that you were just too busy to LOOK at the provided links. Please take the time to check these images out.

The Third Reich in the 20th century was the largest public act of GENOCIDE. As a culture of peoples who experienced the same by those who wanted to eradicate us, I would think that some common decency, if not affinity, would prohibit the use of your winners' "art."

I am not talking of the swastika--in this "art," it has been replaced by the medicine wheel. That I find a different kind of sick!

I am speaking to the WHOLE DESIGN. The eagles spread wings, the circle clenched in his claws, the symbol inside the circle representing a SPECIFIC RACE, even the "wind" surrounding the eagle was done using boughs and design in the earlier versions of this "art."

Take the time to view the slideshow now, please. Were you able to pick out your winner?

*****

From: rbardwell@nativethreads.com
To: pdb
Subject: RE: hate symbol
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:51:58 -0800

Thanks for your email regarding our latest art contest winner. It was very enlightening to read how passionate you are about history.

We agree with you that this design shares some of the same elements. However, our agreement ends there.

Mr. Valle's artwork does not represent hate or racism, it represents on many levels what are meaningful to Native culture. Our Morningstar represents the four directions, the eagle represents purity and the feathers represent spirit.

Sure, you can draw conclusions about many things and paint them evil as much as you want, however we will not allow ourselves to stoop to that level and pervert our people's artwork with a Nazi slant. It's up to you how you choose to see this artwork. We don't care to change your mind about it or for you to continue to point out how you see it.

We have provided a forum for Native artists to get exposure, opportunity and positive feedback from our Native Threads community of customers. We have overwhelming support from Indian Country on this project and we will continue to run the contest as is and allow all artists a fair chance at growing their art career.

Thanks again for your passionate feedback and we wish you well,

Randy Bardwell
President
Native Threads

*****

From: pdb
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 11:29 PM
To: rbardwell@nativethreads.com
Subject: RE: hate symbol

Mr. Bardwell

It is nice to see a name attached to the reply given to address my concern. The stand you take is great for your company, the artists, and irresponsibility.

It is not MY opinion, MY view, nor MY slant.

It is what it is. Simply deciding a symbol stands for one thing does not mean it doesn't represent quite another--and has for eight decades--to over a million people in your country alone. Literally millions of holocaust survivors and their descendants see the same hate.

Does that not mean anything to you?

Talk about turning a blind eye.

I am sadly disappointed.

You have heard the last from me personally, Mr. Bardwell. Your lack of concern was very clear. Though you can be sure you have not heard the last on this issue.

Take care.Comment:  I can see both sides in this debate. Yes, I think the designs are vaguely similar. And I'm not overly impressed with the winning design. But I don't think the designs are close enough that the winner screams "Nazism." And I certainly don't think artist Phil Valle or Native Threads is trying to send a subliminal pro-Nazi message.

I guess I agree with the commenter who wrote:I can see the similarities, but I would not expect the meaning to be the same. In truth I would not have connected them if you had not posted this picture. I would not worry about it if that was not your intention.Another point is that PDB's response seems like a gross overreaction to what was undoubtedly a coincidence. It might warrant a passing comment, but not a full-blown assault. PDB should've asked Native Threads about the design first rather than assuming it was a Nazi hate symbol.

For more on the subject, see Nazis Tried to Subvert Indians and Reclaiming the Swastika.

Anthro in RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1

A forum discussion raises a good point about Bruce Wayne's recent time-travel trip to prehistoric America:Maybe this has been answered already but why were cavemen in the first issue Caucasian? It was supposed to be set at the site of future Gotham [City]. So why were they not depicted as Native American?Response #1:Anthro was the key caveman involved, and he's always been depicted as white. They'd have to change Anthro's (and Vandal Savage's) race to make it actually fit, or have him be the one white person in the tribe.

There's also the issue of Anthro, "the First Boy" living only 18,000 years ago, but [writer Grant] Morrison's acknowledged that it doesn't make sense; it just had to be that way for the story.Response #2:Because they were exceptionally earlier than any Native culture you or any of us are familiar with? Because some of them later crossed a land bridge and traveled into Europe? Because we know--at least in the DCU--people moved all over the Earth back in our prehistory quit a bit? And, possibly, because despite insistence otherwise, North America is awfully big and had a variety of physiological types, in terms of skin tone, hair color, bone structure and so? Maybe all the above. Or, because.Comment:  This also applies to the Master of the World, an Alpha Flight villain. He began as a "caveman" in northern Canada (or Asia, according to one source), but is depicted as a white man.

Indeed, this is true of all fictional "cavemen"--i.e., all Early Modern Humans who lived from 35,000 to 10,000 years ago. It doesn't matter if they lived in Africa, Asia, or the Americas--which would've made them black, Asian, or Indian, respectively. Creators invariably depict them as white.

As respondent #2 tried to do, you can explain why any particular tribe of cavemen is white, even in the Americas. For instance, a lost tribe of Israel Europe wandered over to America. But the question isn't why one tribe of cavemen is white, it's why they all are.

And this is merely a subset of a greater problem. Most humanoid aliens (Star Trek, Star Wars, the Legion of Super-Heroes) are white. If they have blue or green skin, they still have Caucasian features. Most lost civilizations (the Inhumans, Wonder Woman's Themiscyra, Aquaman's Atlantis) are white too. Even fictional creatures like fairies, trolls, and mermaids are white.

Can you imagine a race of aliens who look Chinese? Or a lost civilization of the Inuit? Or a black mermaid? You probably can now that I've mentioned them, but did you ever think of them before? Or were the fictional beings you envisioned inevitably white?

Apparently writers can't imagine that the Americas were inhabited for 10,000-plus years by dark-skinned Paleo-Indians. It doesn't fit their mental map of human history. To them, the continent was more or less empty until the Europeans arrived. Indians appeared out of thin air to oppose the colonizers the way supervillains pop up to fight superheroes.

This is an example of several things: How people unconsciously express their white privilege (white skin as the default for every unknown race). How people are in denial about the racial reality. How people view Indians as inconsequential or invisible--good only as enemies in 19th-century Westerns.

For more on Paleo-Indians, see Were Indians "Colonists" Too? and Did Indians "Colonize" America? For more on the Bruce Wayne series, see Indian in RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #4.

Below:  A real (reconstruction of a) Paleo-Indian...



...and Anthro, the white boy who should be a Paleo-Indian.

The Lone Ranger as Don Quixote?

Johnny Depp rides into the unknown as Tonto in remake of The Lone Ranger

Johnny Depp's decision to play the Lone Ranger's sidekick has Hollywood talking

By Paul HarrisDepp's Tonto, however, will be rather different from the original ally who stuck by his cowboy friend through thick and thin. Instead, his character looks set to be at the heart of the film and have the dominant role in its narrative.

Director Gore Verbinski is taking inspiration for the central relationship not from the dusty reels of the TV show, but from literary classic Don Quixote. In the new version, the Lone Ranger turns out to be a misguided fool and Tonto the voice of sanity, akin to Quixote's companion, Sancho Panza.

"The only version of The Lone Ranger I'm interested in doing is Don Quixote told from Sancho Panza's point of view," Verbinski told the Los Angeles Times's "Hero Complex" film blog last week. Suddenly it becomes a lot easier to see why Depp would take the role. "I was honest early on with Johnny that Tonto is the part. We're not going to do it [straight]; everyone knows that story. I don't want to tell that story," the director said.And:Some celebrity experts believe tinkering with such a beloved series could be risky. "There are going to be Lone Ranger purists and then you come along and take the Lone Ranger concept to the next level and you might really annoy them. It might be best to leave that material alone," said Gayl Murphy, a California-based celebrity interviewer and media expert.

There is also potential controversy in the role of Tonto itself. The original character, with his pidgin English, has long been seen by many Native Americans as an insult. Later versions of the character--in comic strips and the 1981 film Legend of the Lone Ranger--gave Tonto more depth, making him an equal partner of the Lone Ranger. However, it still might irritate some that Tonto will be played by a white actor, mirroring the controversial practice of many early films that put Native Americans characters on screen but did not use Native American actors to play them.Comment:  Making the Lone Ranger a Don Quixote-like fool certainly won't please the purists. That would be like making John Wayne or Clint Eastwood a foolish character.

Indeed, several superhero movies have done poorly while making relatively minor changes to the hero's background. How will fans react to this wholesale reimagining? Perhaps like they reacted to Batman and Robin, Wild Wild West, or The Green Hornet.

Hollywood has done a fair number of spoofs in which the gunslinger, detective, spy, or superhero was propped up by his sidekick. People don't remember these knockoffs because they're not the real thing. I don't think anyone has ever built a movie franchise by making fun of a beloved character.

But it's possible...

Of course, it's a time-honored tradition to have a sidekick play the straight man to a crazed but brilliant hero. Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey, Montgomery Burns and Mr. Smithers, et al. It can be done if it's done right.

Someone, perhaps Verbinski, also compared the movie's approach to a Far Side cartoon in which Tonto reveals that "kemosabe" means "horse's ass." That's been a staple of jokes and cartoons for decades, so it's not inspiring. And it's not what I'd call a Don Quixote approach. Sancho Panza didn't mock his master; he revered him despite his madness.

I'm glad the article came out and called Depp a white man. His part-Cherokee heritage is a fig leaf behind which the producers will try to hide. Many black actors have some white ancestors, but would anyone cast Denzel Washington as JFK? No.

For more on the subject, see Marty Two Bulls on Johnny Depp and New Approach to the Lone Ranger?

Pro-tribal legislation spurs conservative threats

As you may recall, I wrote about a proposed Idaho law in What Napier Is Ranting About and Tribal Jurisdiction = "Custer Legislation"?! This legislation finally came to a vote last week.

Sources of emotion

By Randy StapilusThe statement of purpose of House Bill 111 says that it “authorizes law enforcement officers employed by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Idaho to exercise powers given to peace officers pursuant to, and in accordance with, the laws of the state of Idaho, within the
boundaries of the reservation of the tribe employing the law enforcement officer”--allows a tribal officer to enforce state law inside the reservation (doesn’t cover enforcement outside of it). And, “There is no negative fiscal impact to state or local government. The Indian tribe bears the expense of POST training under current law, which will continue. Positive fiscal impacts may result from the addition of qualified law enforcement officers employed by a federally recognized Indian tribe within the state of Idaho in the Indian reservation rural areas, without county or city expense.”

If you’re interested in stronger law enforcement, without even raising taxes, this should seem to be up your alley. It was backed by a conservative Republican, Representative Rich Wills of Glenns Ferry, a retired state trooper who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Sounds like a slam dunk.

But no; the House rejected it today, 34-35.Idaho House kills tribal policing bill by one vote

By Betsy Z. RussellRep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, a retired state trooper, said he’s received hundreds of calls and e-mails threatening him and questioning his integrity for backing the bill. “I’ve had threats I’d better never go into the county again,” he said. “I’ve been called all kinds of sundry names.”

Opponents raised fears, ranging from the tribe taking away the guns of non-Indians who have concealed weapons permits and pass through the reservation to provisions of tribal code being used to impose civil penalties on non-Indians--something that already can occur today on the reservation.And:Rep. Mack Shirley, R-Rexburg, debating in favor of the bill, told the House, “I’ve grown weary of the arguments I’ve heard about this for the past two or three years. The whole issue is just to provide proper law enforcement within the bounds of the reservation.” He said he found the continuing dispute “baffling” and said, “I get bothered when I hear that the Indians are a sovereign nation and they already have too many benefits, don’t give them more. I think that’s a poor argument. You know, we’re all Idahoans.”

Shirley said he was stunned to hear that the first question a dispatcher asks in Benewah County is whether the person calling in with an emergency is an Indian or non-Indian. That’s just not right, he said. “This action now compromises safety, cost-effectiveness and just plain good neighborly coexistence.” The dispute, Shirley said, boils down to “prejudices and biases that are counterproductive to improved law enforcement. … Not only is it a safety issue for the officers, but I think it’s a safety issue for the public as well.”Comment:  Let's reiterate the key points. The new law would've provided more law enforcement...on the reservation only...at no additional cost. And yet the majority of Idahoans--in one of the whitest and most conservative states--opposed it.

These people had no valid arguments against the bill. Taking their cue from Fox News, presumably, they fabricated reasons to oppose it. The Indians might take their guns! The Indians might throw them in jail! The Indians might do unspeakable things to their women and children!

Not coincidentally, these are the same arguments white conservatives use against Obama, Muslims, and other "foreigners." They might take our guns! They might throw us in prison camps! They might steal our property, rape our women, and kill us!

And how did these white conservatives react to this reasonable idea to curtail crime on the reservation only? How do white conservatives always respond? With hundreds of attacks and threats. With fear- and hate-filled bigotry. Obama, blacks, immigrants, Muslims, and Indians aren't real Americans. They aren't white and conservative and Christian like "us." We have to crucify them before they crucify us.

There's no other way to say it. Many if not most conservatives are bigots who are prejudiced against other races and religions. Their goal is to protect their white power and privilege at all costs.

For more on the subject, see Political Vitriol in the Giffords Shooting and A History of Conservative Hate Speech.



Conservatives spew more venom

We can find many examples of this conservative fear and hate of "the other." Several of them crop up in the news every week.

Here's one: While most people are cheering the democratic movements in Egypt and other Islamic states, conservatives are looking for any excuse to demonize the rebels and their cause. Columnist Maureen Dowd notes how they responded to reporter Lara Logan's rape:

Stars and Sewers

By Maureen DowdThe conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel smacked Logan from the right: “Lara Logan was among the chief cheerleaders of this ‘revolution’ by animals. Now she knows what the Islamic revolution is really all about.”

On her LA Weekly blog, Simone Wilson dredged up Logan’s romantic exploits and quoted a Feb. 3 snipe from the conservative blog Mofo Politics, after Logan was detained by the Egyptian police: “OMG if I were her captors and there were no sanctions for doing so, I would totally rape her.”

Online anonymity has created what the computer scientist Jaron Lanier calls a “culture of sadism.” Some Yahoo comments were disgusting. “She got what she deserved,” one said. “This is what happens when dumb sexy female reporters want to make it about them.” Hillbilly Nation chimed in: “Should have been Katie.”

The “60 Minutes” story about Senator Scott Brown’s revelation that a camp counselor sexually abused him as a child drew harsh comments on the show’s Web site, many politically motivated.

Acupuncturegirl advised: “Scott, shut the hell up. You are gross.” Dutra1 noted: “OK, Scott, you get your free pity pills. Now examine the image you see in the mirror; is it a man?”The criticism of Scott Brown comes from the same place. Conservatives hate anything that smacks of empowering the disempowered: women, minorities, gays. Their ideal is the rugged white individualist who shoots first and asks questions later. The Puritan, the pioneer, the cowboy, the soldier, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, et al.

Recognizing tribal authority = improving healthcare = admitting illegal immigrants = building mosques. And so forth and so on. The latest examples of this are the Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and workers' rights. We also saw this attitude in Bryan Fischer's pro-genocide columns, conservative criticism of the Pascua Yaqui prayer, and the scaremongering over the UN declaration on indigenous rights.

Other examples include English-only laws, bans on ethnic studies, phony concerns about "voter fraud," hand-wringing over ending "don't ask, don't tell," and attempts to repeal various parts of the US Constitution. And of course the demonization of Obama as a Muslim and a foreigner. Each of these battles is about the same thing: asserting the supremacy of white male Euro-Americans over everyone else.

Conservative crybaby Napier basically said what conservatives are thinking when he called the Idaho bill "Custer legislation." It didn't matter what the bill actually did or whom it helped. Conservatives see themselves as Custer valiantly defending white Americans against hordes of brown-skinned savages. If a law is pro-Indian, they think, it's anti-white and anti-America by definition. Because their worldview is "us" (white male Euro-Americans) vs. "them" (everyone else).

For more on the subject, see Gray vs. Brown Americans, What "I Want My Country Back" Means, and Culture War Over Who's American.

Below:  White Americans stand tall against tribal law enforcement, healthcare reform, illegal immigration, and mosque-building.

Wipeout jokes about savages and smallpox

TV SHOW WIPEOUT: Kidding around about Savages and Smallpox. Let them know how you feel!

by F.A.I.R. MEDIA (For Accurate Indigenous Representation)Another so called "reality show," another affront to Indigenous Peoples.

This time, the culprit is "WIPEOUT."

In an episode which aired on ABC Television, on Thursday, February 17th, 2011 the two hosts engaged in a little banter over "tribes of savages," and "blankets ridden with smallpox."

We wonder how far they would get with jokes about long train rides to gas chambers disguised as showers, or how about some quips about a walk in the woods to a good ole' lynching. It is apparent, that Indigenous Peoples truly are the last acceptable targets for such overt racism.

Please consider contacting the producers of the show, and requesting that they issue an apology. Ask that they hold all accountable, from the writers to the hosts who uttered these tasteless words.

"Wipeout executive producers are Matt Kunitz (Fear Factor) and Scott Larsen. Shye Sutherland, Kevin Wehrenberg, Trice Barto and J. Rupert Thompson are co-executive producers. The series is produced by Endemol USA. David Goldberg is the chairman of Endemol North America."

Contact Endemol USA:

http://www.endemol.com/page/global-usa

Endemol USA Inc.
9255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1100
CA 90069 Los Angeles
United States of America
T: + 1 310 860 9914
F: + 1 310 860 1417Comment:  In the video, the hosts are introducing the next obstacle course. The guy on the right claims he's a world traveler who searches for "new and exotic locales." "It was on one such expedition," he says, "that I discovered a tribe of savages building a crude structure." The guy on the left asks if the "savages" were crew members. The guy on the right responds, "Maybe. But they sold it to me for a handful of colored marbles and a blanket ridden with smallpox."

The first part of this bit is riddled with stereotypical language:

exotic

expedition

discovered

tribe

savages

crude

Basically, every noun, verb, and adjective is a loaded term. They all imply that Indians are strange, remote, and primitive--i.e., out of touch with the modern world.

The second part, which implies the savages made a stupid trade because they're so ignorant, reinforces the message. It also puts a lighthearted spin on the idea of genocide. As the person who posted the video put it:Gee this is so funny. Next week the obstacle course will run through a shower filled with poison gas.It's thoughtless and insensitive, to put it mildly. You might make that kind of "joke" with someone you knew well--someone who shared your dark sense of humor. But you shouldn't make it on national TV in front of millions of strangers. Especially when some are likely to be the Indians you're characterizing as "savages."

For similar cases of insensitivity, see Stereotypes in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and "Party Like It's 1492."

Unidentified reservations in Google Maps

In his Drawing on Indians blog, Stephen Bridenstine notes a curious thing. Unlike other online mapping systems, Google Maps doesn't identify America's Indian reservations. It shows them as slightly darker areas, but it doesn't say what they are, no matter how much you magnify them.

Strange Tan Blotches in South Dakota: Indian Reservations in Online Maps

Consider the worst case: The Navajo Nation is bigger than West Virginia and nine other states. And it's full of empty places where a "Navajo Nation" label would fit on a map. But there's no such label in Google Maps.



Much smaller national forests and parks get labeled, so the problem isn't a lack of space or attention to detail. As I said, other mapping systems note the reservations, so it's not a technical impediment. No, someone at Google "inadvertently" or intentionally left the reservation labels off. I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone's conscious decision: "Don't label the reservations or the right-wing hate machine will vilify us for recognizing so-called Indian nations."

This is yet another example of how invisible Indians are today. Google is reinforcing the message that Indians are dead and gone. That reservations are nothing more than "colorful" places on a map. That semi-sovereign political entities, a fourth level of government, don't exist in our midst.

For more on the subject, see Stereotyping Indians by Omission and The Facts About Tribal Sovereignty.

Fischer worships "God" of racism

Radio Evangelist Preaches An Ugly Message

By Steven NewcombFischer’s argument of “moral disqualification” for American Indians is informed by the Old Testament story of the Chosen People and the Promised Land. In the story, “God” is depicted as being on the side of the Hebrews (and, in Fischer’s view, of the Christians) because “Yaweh” is said to have entered into a covenant with Abram, who was renamed Abraham, “a father of many nations.”

Unfortunately for Fischer, people throughout the world have achieved enough distance from that ancient narrative to realize that he and his allies are operating under a form of outmoded idolatry: He worships the idol of the false “God” of racism and race-purity that authorizes the annihilation of entire peoples because those “others” don’t measure up to the norms and standards of the Old Testament Hebrews and their supposed “Christian” successors. To justify the invasion of other peoples all kinds of false charges are made in an effort to demonize them.

In the background story for Mr. Fischer’s narrative, the deity of the Old Testament is depicted as “promising” the lands of other peoples to the Hebrews “as an everlasting possession” and “inheritance.” This is why those other peoples had to be dehumanized and demonized. That deity instructed the Hebrews to go to cities of the Canaanites, Amorites, and other peoples and engage in genocide against them. Why? Those other peoples were already living in the land before the deity had “promised” it to the Hebrews. The pattern is fully revealed in Deuteronomy 20: 10-18:

But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: but thou shalt utterly destroy them, namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.Comment:  I said similar things about America's cultural mindset in my posting titled Victor or Victim:  Our New National Anthem?

For more on Fischer's column, see Hatewatch Criticizes Fischer's Column and Fischer Defends Pro-Genocide Column. For similar views, see Beck:  God Ordered Indians Killed.

Frybread Queen at the Autry

Native Voices At The Autry Presents THE FRYBREAD QUEENNative Voices at the Autry continues its vital role as the country's only equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to developing work of Native American Playwrights with the world premiere main stage Equity production of The Frybread Queen, which runs from Saturday, March 12 through Sunday, March 27, 2011 (previews begin March 9), at the Wells Fargo Theater at The Autry National Center, Los Angeles. Written by esteemed playwright Carolyn Dunn (Muskogee Creek, Cherokee*) The Frybread Queen is a quietly poetic drama with all the haunting qualities of a Chekhovian tragicomedy--Navajo-style. Native Voices' deep commitment to nurturing new works and seeing them fully realized is illustrated by this production, which is the culmination of the play's pivotal three-and-a-half-year development process shepherded by Native Voices. Robert Caisley, who served as dramaturge during the play's development, directs, and the four-member cast features Jane Lind (Aleut*) as Jessie Burns, Kimberly Norris Guerrero (Colville, Salish-Kootenai, Cherokee*) as AnnaLee Walker Hayne, Shyla Marlin (Choctaw*) as Carlisle Emmanuel Burns, and Elizabeth Frances (Cherokee*) as Lily Savannah Santiago Burns.

The Frybread Queen portrays three generations of strong, opinionated, passionate Native women bound by marriage and family ties who come together for the funeral of a beloved son, and in their grief confront long-simmering tensions and family secrets that threaten to tear them apart. The play addresses many of the challenges facing Native people across the country today, from the erosion of traditional values to the loss of family and tribe and ownership of belonging, elements that factor into the relationships of the women as they struggle to deal with their troubled situation. Each character has her own unique recipe for frybread, a Native American staple, all reflecting their individual attempts to assert some kind of "authority" over the past and to take some kind of control over the future. In competing, both literally and metaphorically, to be the real "frybread queen" in the play, they illustrate the friction between traditional Native ways and contemporary assimilation, from the grandmother's traditional use of lard to her daughter-in-law's "new-fangled" use of self-rising flour.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Frybread Queen Explores Tribal Connections and Developing The Frybread Queen.

Pala's Rez Radio

Pala Band hits the airwaves

By J. Harry Jones“Rez Radio. KOPA FM, Pala. KOPA 91.3.”

With that announcement last week, the first radio station owned and operated by an Indian tribe in Southern California went on the air.

Rez Radio, a commercial-free station that operates out of a small building behind the Pala Band of Mission Indians’ administrative center just off state Route 76, now broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week and streams live over the Internet.And:The station is now airing a wide mix of music—Southern rock, country, reggae, blues, soul. At night, the station is on autopilot, but as time goes on, and volunteers come forward, more extensive live broadcasting is planned.

KOPA soon plans to offer a variety of programming. Some shows of general interest to Native Americans will be purchased from national Native American radio service groups, but most will be locally generated by volunteers. Topics could include native language courses, recordings of elders that have been taken for posterity and archived, home improvement shows, cooking shows, even political shows if someone wants to tackle controversial issues. Fox said anyone is welcome to approach the station with programming ideas. Being a reservation resident isn’t a requirement. The station also has the ability to broadcast from remote locations, such as from softball games.Comment:  For more on the subject, see "Tribal Priority" for Radio Stations and Increasing Tribal Radio Opportunities.

Below:  "Tribal Chairman Robert Smith (right) is interviewed Tuesday by John Fox at Pala's new radio station." (Charlie Neuman)

NY Times reviews Even the Rain

Here's a movie I hadn't heard of until now:

Movie Review
Even the Rain (2010)

NYT Critics' Pick
This movie has been designated a Critic's Pick by the film reviewers of The New York Times.

Discovering Columbus’s Exploitation

By Stephen HoldenIcíar Bollaín’s bluntly political film “Even the Rain” makes pertinent, if heavy-handed, comparisons between European imperialism five centuries ago and modern globalization. In particular it portrays high-end filming on location in poor countries as an offshoot of colonial exploitation.

The movie is set in and around Cochabamba, Bolivia’s third-largest city, which the movie’s fictional penny-pinching film producer, Costa (Luis Tosar), has chosen as a cheap stand-in for Hispaniola in a movie he is making about Christopher Columbus. The year is 2000, and Costa is unprepared to deal with the real-life populist uprising in Bolivia after its government has sold the country’s water rights to a private multinational consortium.Comment:  Odd that this movie was named a NYT Critics' Pick. Holden doesn't seem that impressed with it.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Juan Carlos Aduviri and Gael Garcia Bernal in Even the Rain.

Good Meat weight-loss documentary

NAPT release follows man’s diet struggle

By Jessica KinzerNative American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) proudly announces the release of a new documentary that shows the challenges of overcoming Type II Diabetes and poor diet amidst the poverty of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Good Meat captures the real-time, personal weight loss battle of one Oglala Lakota man, Beau LeBeau. Once a star athlete in his community, he struggles to shed the pounds from his 333-pound frame in an unsupportive environment.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Longest Walk 3--Reversing Diabetes and Ryan Huna Smith's Diabetes Comic Book.

Gil Birmingham in Rango

Rango (2011 film)Rango is an upcoming computer-animated comedy film, directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Graham King. It features the voices of actors Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone, Ned Beatty, and Timothy Olyphant.Rango (2011)A chameleon that aspires to be a swashbuckling hero finds himself in a Western town plagued by bandits and is forced to literally play the role in order to protect it.Gil Birmingham's Photos--Rango Movie Premiere

Comment:  Gil Birmingham voices Wounded Bird (a Chihuahuan raven).

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Gil Birmingham and Johnny Depp at the Rango premiere.

Joanelle Romero and The Blues Collective

Actress Joanelle Romero shows another side of her talent at Red Nation's annual pre-Grammys celebration.

The Blues Collective at the 13th Annual Red Nation CelebrationThe Blues Collective at the 13th Annual Red Nation Celebration Pre-Grammy Concert Series. The band features Noah Watts from Skinwalkers, CSI: Miami, Sons of Anarchy, The Young and the Restless; and Joanelle Romero (Apache/Cheyenne)--discovered by Legendary Leonard Cohen, toured on Sarah McLachlan. Native musicians celebrated the Grammys and remembered the lives of Paul Getty III and Solomon Burke. Also performances by Sage and Quese IMC.

Comment:  For more on the subject, see 7th Annual Red Nation Film Festival.