Greg Burgas reviews Scalped

With the recent announcement of a Scalped TV series in development, it's time to revisit my criticism of the comics.

Comics You Should Own–Scalped

By Greg BurgasIn case you are unaware, the “hook” of the comic is that Dash has returned to the Prairie Rose reservation in South Dakota after over a decade away. Prairie Rose is a Oglala Lakota reservation, modeled clearly after Pine Ridge, and Dash’s mother, Gina, is still living there, protesting against the new casino being built by Lincoln Red Crow, the “president of the Oglala Tribal Council, as well as the sheriff of the tribal police force, chairman of the Prairie Rose Planning Committee, treasurer of the highway safety program, and managing director of this here brand spankin’ new casino,” as Red Crow himself tells Dash when they first meet (well, meet again, as Red Crow knew Dash when he was a boy). Red Crow hires Dash to be his muscle on the police force, but at the end of issue #1, we discover that Dash is actually a special agent for the FBI, sent undercover to build a case against Red Crow. Thus the storytelling engine of the series is revealed–Dash will try to bring Red Crow down, despite all the hardships that will entail.

This grand plot led people to describe Scalped as “The Sopranos on the rez,” which is an unfortunate and largely incorrect description. People are often desperate to fit something new into a familiar category, so they have to break out the comparisons. Yes, Scalped is a crime-noir title, but the FBI’s case against Red Crow and Dash’s attempts to build it are by far the least interesting aspects of the book. This is partly because Aaron doesn’t do enough with Dash himself, so it’s tough to care too much whether he succeeds or doesn’t. Dash careens from mishap to mishap, many of them ridden with clichés. He gets involved with Carol, Red Crow’s daughter, with whom he was in love when they were both young teens. Carol’s story, for a long time, is itself drenched in stereotypes, and when Aaron focuses on their dysfunctional relationship, Scalped is at its worst.So two of the main characters are either poorly written or "drenched in stereotypes"? Sounds like a problem to me. A problem that continues throughout the series, not just the first few issues.Obviously, Scalped created some controversy, especially early in its run. FotB Rob Schmidt collected a lot of stories about the series early on in its run, and I encourage you to check it out (although a lot of the links on the page are now broken). I spoke to Rob recently and he said he hadn’t read beyond the first arc, and I agree that the early issues are somewhat stereotypical. I’m not sure if Aaron was unsure if he could do an ongoing series, as this was so early in his comics career, or if he wanted to grab everyone’s attention with all the violence and sex, but the book becomes far more nuanced after the first six issues and especially after issue #11.Interesting, Greg. You explored all of Scalped's great character work--how the characters changed and grew over time. What you didn't explore was Scalped's overall presentation of life on the rez. The problem is embodied in this sentence:Lincoln Red Crow, the “president of the Oglala Tribal Council, as well as the sheriff of the tribal police force, chairman of the Prairie Rose Planning Committee, treasurer of the highway safety program, and managing director of this here brand spankin’ new casino”...No person on an Indian reservation has ever had this much concentrated power--at least in recent years. For instance, I'm almost certain no tribal chairman manages his tribe's casino. If one did, I'm almost certain it would violate the law.

Which means the feds would intervene and shut the casino down. Casinos don't operate unless the feds are certain they and their management are completely aboveboard. There are hundreds of Indian casinos and not one has been revealed to be a criminal enterprise.

If someone did have as much power as Red Crow, I'm confident the tribe would oust him and the FBI would arrest him--quickly. So an evil empire of this type is essentially impossible. Yet that seems to be the premise of the whole series: criminality far beyond anything possible in real life.

Where are the National Indian Gaming Commission and the tribe's own casino regulators? The internal and external media--such as the NY Times, ABC News, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, who all reported on Pine Ridge recently? The nonprofits, documentarians, even tourists who visit and share what they see? The activists on Facebook and Twitter who protest rez-based conditions? (You and Aaron do realize that most Indians have computers, I trust?)

I don't see any of this reflected in the Scalped I read--or in your review. The whole environment seems like a dark, isolated den of iniquity with no hint of how modern or sophisticated most Indians are. In other words, no matter how good the individual characters are, the series' vision of Native life seems cramped and ugly--i.e., stereotypical. That's my main criticism and I'm sticking with it for now.

P.S. Apologies for the links on my website not working. I've got literally thousands of pages and no time to update any of them. I need worker bees to help me, dammit!

Commenter seeks butt-kicking

Then there's this commenter on Greg's review:Bryan
December 2, 2013 at 11:29 am

Going by the review at the linked site, Rob is an absolutely terrible reviewer and shows very little aptitude for being able to read and comprehend a work. His childish responses are so ignorant it’s almost shocking. Obviously it’s one thing to like or dislike something, but his analysis of the first issue doesn’t seem to grasp the idea of fiction — it’s as if he’d watch Casablanca and think it claimed everyone in Morocco spent all their time in a bar, or read The Great Gatsby and think it claimed everybody in the New York area was spent their wealth excessively.No, Bryan, it's like I watched Planet of the Apes or Escape from New York but it was described as present-day NYC and everyone but me was too ignorant to know the difference.

Ever hear of Birth of a Nation, Amos 'n' Andy, Song of the South, Mandingo, etc.? You seem blissfully unaware that works of fiction can be flawed to the point of prejudice. "Art" isn't a magic label that absolves someone's work of racism, sexism, or any other -ism I could name. Something can be artistic or stereotypical or both.

You can say Aaron's depiction of rez life is unrealistic, fictional, fanciful, or whatever word you want. I say it's unrealistic, fictional, or fanciful in ways that are stereotypical if not racist. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just thinking more deeply about the subject than you are. I'm assessing the fiction, not merely acknowledging it like a baby waving at his mommy.

If you disagree, you must prove there are no stereotypes and Aaron's depiction is more or less fair and accurate. So go ahead and do it. Put up or shut up.

Here, I'll make simple for you. Aaron's depiction of rez life is (choose one):

1) Nonfictional.
2) Fictional with racist stereotypes.
3) Fictional without racist stereotypes.

You stupidly think that *I* think it's 1). Wrong. I think it's 2). And you apparently think it's 3), since you've disagreed with me. So explain your position, if you're not too afraid. How is Aaron's Scalped a stereotype-free depiction of rez life?

As for the rest of my review, be sure to let us know when you can quote anything that isn't true. With your fact-free criticism of my criticism, you haven't done it yet.

For more on Scalped, see "Native Spiritual Adviser" Warns Rob and Aaron on Ending Scalped.

Below:  Near-naked strippers, including one in a headdress, at a casino opening? Has Jason Aaron ever set foot in an Indian casino? Because this scene of debauchery would be unrealistic in Las Vegas, much less a regional Indian casino.

Depicting a girl in a headdress (right edge) is telling by itself. This isn't an "artistic choice" that contributes to Aaron's noir themes. It's pure racist stereotyping, nothing more. It's an insult to every Plains chief who earned his feathers through acts of valor.

Windy apologizes for headdress

Emerson Windy on 'Peace Pipe' Video: 'It Was My Decision, My Mistake'Rapper Emerson Windy, under fire for a music video that Native Americans find deeply disrespectful, posted a long statement to his Facebook page today discussing the matter. In it he addresses American Indians directly admitting to having made a "mistake" and regretting his "naive ignorance surrounding your traditions." He also says that he was misinformed by apparently-Native advisers, and that he is guilty of disrespect, but not racism.

Windy's video drew sharp, often aggressive criticism on social media, and while Windy may be offering a better-than-average apology, the video is still available for viewing on YouTube and WorldStarHipHop. Many of those offended will likely see a contradiction in admitting something was an error and disrespectful, yet leaving it in public view. By this point in the saga of No Doubt's "Looking Hot" video, the clip was long gone from YouTube.Comment:  I like the part about how he'll let us remove our accusations of racism rather than do it himself. Nope, I think we're good with leaving them in place.

As usual, Windy's intent and ignorance are no excuse. He stereotyped Indians as primitive people of the past, a racist act whether he intended it or not.

And how educated do you have to be to know you don't dress up as people of other races. Redface is wrong for the same reasons as blackface.

For more on the subject, see Emerson Windy in a Headdress.

Expel the "Siouxper Drunk" students?

Tribal leader urges UND to expel the students who wore offensive T-shirts

By Nadya FaulxDavid Archambault, chairman of the Standing Rock tribe, said that even if free speech laws protect the actions of the students, university representatives know the right thing to do.

“You feel it in your heart, not in your head, not in your mind,” he said. “You guys all feel it, that this is wrong.

“Expel them. Expel the students. Zero tolerance. If you do something like that, we won’t be meeting like this every other year.”

The names of the students have not been released, nor have any details regarding disciplinary action, per university privacy laws, said UND President Robert Kelley.

Archambault and others said they worried the lack of immediate action could send a message encouraging similar behavior in the future. He said he doesn’t “want the students to think that they can hide behind the law.”

Native American UND students are considering filing a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights, and possibly informing tribes to not send students to the university, said Leigh Jeanotte of UND’s American Indian Student Services.Native Sun News: Indian students at UND protest racist t-shirts

By Brandon EcoffeyThe protest followed a release of demands that were made two days prior on May 15. The Native American Student on campus demanded that the university officially denounce the now-retired Fighting Sioux logo, make racial sensitivity training mandatory for incoming students and ban the Fighting Sioux logo from all academic settings. The demand to ban the logo from academic settings results from the continued use of the mascot imagery by UND staff according to students.

They would also ask that these institutional rules be enforced by a Zero Tolerance policy. That draft presented the Native Students reads: “The University of North Dakota practices a policy of Zero Tolerance of the use of and display of the retired “Fighting Sioux” logo. The university enacts a policy of Zero Tolerance for harassment, discrimination, promotion, or racial slurs in association with the retired “Fighting Sioux” logo on campus, off-campus, and in association with UND events both on and off-campus.” The proposed policy would go on to say,” The University of North Dakota practices a policy of Zero Tolerance of the use of the retired logo in the educational environment, campus activities, UND events and activities on campus, within campus premises, and in the community. It is committed to administering appropriate disciplinary action and holding students, staff/faculty, alumni, and affiliates accountable for violating the policy of Zero Tolerance.”

“When we walk in to administrative offices and see some faculty wearing the logo,” said Emmy Scott, one of the students who helped organize last Friday’s protest. Scott would go on to say that she feels that the UND students who were shown wearing the Siouxper Drunk t-shirts should be expelled from campus.

Although the University did condemn the t-shirts through statement released by President Kelley, some in the Native American community on campus were left disappointed.

Scott and other Native students felt that the statements made by UND officials reiterating that the Springfest event was not an official college function and the statements given by President Kelley addressing the Siouxper Drunk incident were largely for public relations purposes that catered to those who support the return of the Fighting Sioux Mascot and failed to address the underlying issues of discrimination.Tribal Leaders Demand UND To Take Action On Racism"I don't think there's any question in anyone's mind that it's offensive ... offensive and racist," university spokesman Peter Johnson told Campus Reform. "We see it as a highly unfortunate situation, a terrible situation that connects to our needs to provide better education about sensitivity issues."

Leigh Jeanotte, member of the University of North Dakota's American Indian Student Services, told Forum News Service Native American students at the university are considering filing a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights, and possible "informing tribes to not send students to the university."

"Students are at a point where they don't have a lot of options," Jeanotte said.Comment:  I probably wouldn't expel these students for a first offense. Give them a lesser punishment, maybe a suspension or sensitivity training, and warn them not to do it again. A second offense may be grounds for expulsion.

For more on the subject, see Natives Protest "Siouxper Drunk" T-Shirts and "Siouxper Drunk" = Hostile and Abusive.

Whites are blind to their privilege

More responses to Princeton's "white privilege" apologist:

From One White Guy to Another: An Open Letter About Our Privileges

By Max RitvoYou are from Westchester and I am from Santa Monica, a close West Coast equivalent in terms of the kinds of houses, landscapers, restaurants, and neighborhood patrols there. We are about the same age. I, too, am the son of poor, Rabbinical stock dispersed by pogrom and Holocaust, that raised itself out of penury. I, too, attended an Ivy institution (Yale), thanks to my family's effort, erudition, and--I would like to think--some modicum of talent on my own part.

But during college I was exposed to the struggles endured by my peers who looked physically different from me. Simply put, it doesn't compare. You and I may very well be different from a white Protestant man in this country, we may very well have come from suffering, but we are camouflaged in a way people of a different skin tone or gender are not.

Day to day, we are the default option--we are the ones seen in commercials, we are the ones who shop-keeps are accustomed to attending to, we are the ones who teachers are accustomed to calling "confident" as opposed to "aggressive," and "inquisitive" as opposed to "obnoxious," and "in need of help," as opposed to "a lost cause." I know this might seem trivial to you, but I assure you it isn't. Your sense of self-esteem changes when you are an "other." Your sense of personhood changes when the majority of authors you read are of a different race, and are of a different gender. Others have to live in our world. You can imagine what it would be like being told every day of your life, as a young girl, that your deity wasn't your gender. That the thing meant to represent ALL of you, the sum total of your existence, has different genitals and hormones than you do, has different social and religious expectations placed upon him. As you seem to be of a literary ilk from the quality of your article, I urge you to read James Baldwin, Adrienne Rich, Lydia Davis, Tony Kushner--some people who faced or are facing a daily crisis because they are judged not upon the content of their character, but for very different reasons.

Your notion of your background as unprivileged can't easily be dismissed, in part, because the U.S. Jewry wasn't always completely homogenized into the mainstream identity. But at some point, neither were the Irish, nor were the Italians. At some point, neither were the Scots. I'm happy to discuss the rationale and timeline of our assimilation, but this isn't the main point of why I am writing to you. My point is this: the homogenization has happened--when you go out on the street, you are indistinguishable from any other white man. The evidence of this is presented in your article itself; people have asked you to check your privilege. Perhaps you have never categorized yourself as a privileged person, but that's because you have never had to categorize yourself as anything at all. The thing is, as white straight men--we never do.

Some social statistics contradicting those who claim they're self-made:

White privilege 101: Here’s the basic lesson Paul Ryan, Tal Fortgang and Donald Sterling need

Here's one way to fight back against ignorance: A refresher on how privilege works, and why race and gender matter

By Paul RosenbergWe noted above that the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board found that “More than three fourths (79 percent) of whites reported that blacks ‘have as good a chance as whites’ to ‘get any kind of job,’” and that, similarly, the Pew Research Center survey found that “white super-majorities of two-to-one or larger, believed that blacks rarely faced bias” in situations including applying for a job. This contrasts rather dramatically with the data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on a month-in, month-out basis.

Overall, the black unemployment rate averages around twice that of the white rate—just as it did 40 years ago. Part of that is due to educational differences, but black college graduates have an unemployment rate averaging 60 percent higher than white college graduates since 1990, with little change over time. In fact, black college graduates have a 15 percent higher unemployment rate than whites with only a two-year AA degree. In turn, blacks with an AA degree have an unemployment rate that’s almost 30 percent higher than whites with just a high-school education over this same period of time. What’s more, in 30 months since 1990, blacks with an AA degree had an unemployment rate equal to or higher than white high school dropouts!

The conclusion is inescapable: Blacks still face pervasive discrimination in the job market, regardless of whether it’s conscious or intentional. The fact that whites don’t see this constitutes a serious blind spot on their part. The same can be said about discrimination in housing, education and treatment by criminal justice system as well. In many cases, even blacks being discriminated against may not know that they are being targeted, so it’s not surprising that whites are also unaware.

For example, in the latest survey of housing discrimination for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Urban Institute found that minority home-seekers are told about and shown fewer homes and apartments than equally qualified whites, both for rentals and home sales. This is true for all minorities in all categories (including Asian-Americans), except for home sales to Hispanics, where no discrimination was found—although Hispanics were actually more discriminated against than blacks when it came to rental units. Blacks were told about 11.4 percent fewer rental units, and 17 percent fewer homes, and were shown 4.2 percent fewer rental units and 17.7 percent fewer homes.

Statistics like these make it obvious that blacks continue to experience discrimination in virtually every walk of life. Not every black. Not every time. And certainly not from every white. But when the question is phrased “Do blacks have as good a chance as whites?” the objective answer clearly is “No, their chances are not as good as whites’” and supermajorities of whites are simply blind to this reality.

Thus, whites suffer from two distinct blind spots when it comes to racial bias. First, they are blind to their own individual implicit biases, which undermines the basic dispositionist assumption behind the logic of colorblindness. And second, they are blind to the sheer magnitude and pervasiveness of racial discrimination which black Americans continue to experience, even today.

And the racial resentment that arises when you tell whites they're privileged compared to minorities:

Why whites don’t see racism: Reagan Democrats are Stephen Colbert Democrats now

With different frames of reference, the perception gap on racial issues is widening--and affects policy choices

By Sheryll CashinI’m a child of the rural South. But you know what? Actual racism is a lot less common there—we have a ways to go but there is real progress on that front. The more serious problem is white resentment. A lot of white people honestly think they have been significantly deprived of various things because of minorities. And it’s hard to overstate how deeply these feelings run. It’s not so much animosity toward people who are different—it’s the animosity of the aggrieved. They feel like they are victims.

Progressives are often perplexed at why blue-collar guys blame their economic frustrations on people of color and not Wall Street or corporate titans. This is a learned response. In the South, especially, ever since Reconstruction threatened to create a biracial democracy responsive to the working classes, economic elites have stoked racial tensions in order to avoid redistributive policies.

Our black president is the latest, most convenient wedge issue. Although working-class and poor people of all colors suffer greatly from this divisive politics, anti-government rhetoric has reached a frenzied screech in the Age of Obama. The angry black man has been replaced with the angry white one. Post-Obama, Latinos and blacks express optimism about their future chances while certain whites are deeply pessimistic and resentful. Old-fashioned racism has been supplanted by a much more subtle sentiment of racial resentment about not getting ahead. In the past, the primary emotion associated with negative racial attitudes was disgust accompanied by ideas about biological inferiority. Now anger is the primary emotional trigger for negative racial attitudes among whites who harbor them. Two political scientists find that “anger is uniquely powerful at boosting opposition to racially redistributive policies among white racial conservatives.” Nonracial ideologies and preferences for small government are not activated by these emotions.

These negative racial sentiments in turn influence policy stances. Racial resentment often correlates with opposition to any policies perceived as redistributive. For example, another team of political scientists found that whites who registered above average in racial resentment were three times more likely than others to choose the least extensive version of health care reform presented to them in a survey. Those who registered low levels of racial resentment were twice as likely to support a significant expansion of health care coverage. They attribute this difference to differing gut-level worldviews. Partisan attachments, they argue, are increasingly shaped by visceral perspectives, such that even ostensibly nonracial issues are now also about race. Not surprisingly, those who harbor racial resentments are more likely to support voter identification laws and other provisions that make it more difficult to vote. About thirty states have passed or are considering laws restricting access to voting, the vast majority of which have Republican governors or GOP-controlled legislatures.Conservatives prove they're ignorant on the subject of white privilege:

Bill O’Reilly: I’m exempt from white privilege because I worked and can’t tan

Tucker Carlson and Lawyer Guest Whitesplain White Privilege, Get Schooled HARD (Video)

The most obvious response to these idiots is, "It's about whites in general, not you in particular. Grow up and stop complaining that every criticism of America or its history and culture is a personal attack on you."

For more on the subject, see Educating Princeton's Privileged Kid and The Science of Conservative Racism.

http://atlasleft.org/tucker-carlson-and-lawyer-guest-whitesplain-white-privilege-get-schooled-hard-video/

Thanksgiving costumes in Castle

The Good, the Bad & the Baby episode of Castle (airdate: 11/25/13) had a Thanksgiving theme. A reviewer describes the relevant parts:

‘Castle’ season 6, episode 10 ‘The Good, the Bad & the Baby’ recap: Baby on boardThe opening sequence features Kate and Rick discussing Thanksgiving. Rick tells Kate that they all wear costumes for Thanksgiving. Kate is less than enthusiastic about the idea but before they could discuss further, Kate gets a phone call for a murder.And at the end:Rick and Kate are setting up for Thanksgiving dinner, and Kate comes out wearing her Pocahontas costume. Interestingly, no one else is wearing a costume. Rick confesses that he was joking about the costumes, and Kate said she wasn’t sure so she got him a costume to wear as well. Kate definitely gets one up on Rick in this situation.

Comment:  To be specific, Beckett got Castle a Pilgrim costume.

These bits are lame for several reasons:

1) Beckett doesn't ask Castle if he's serious? She doesn't double-check with Castle's mother or daughter? She doesn't ask if she's supposed to be a Pilgrim or an Indian?

Really? Ridiculous. Her lack of common sense sets up the predictable and unworthy "joke" at the end.

2) Castle or his writers should know that neither Pocahontas nor a generic Pocahottie was part of the first Thanksgiving. According to reports, Chief Massasoit and 90 warriors showed up at the feast uninvited. We don't know for sure, but it's likely that no Wampanoag women were present. And certainly not young maidens in buckskin dresses.

3) Castle or his writers should know that dressing up as Indians is frowned upon. Sure, he was supposedly joking, but it's not something to joke about.

Would he have jokingly suggested Beckett dress as a black woman--perhaps a mammy from slave times? Dressing as a false and stereotypical Native woman is the same idea. And it's wrong for the same reasons.

The only way Castle could "joke" about this is if he immediately let the others in on the joke. Like, "Just kidding. I wouldn't ask you to dress as an Indian maiden for real because that would involve the offensive practice of redface." But that didn't happen.

Castle has been one of the better network TV shows in terms of Native references. But this episode was a fail.

For more on Castle, see Bigfoot in Castle and Counting Coup in Castle.

Natives protest "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts

Native students and others planned a walk to protest the "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts at UND. Before the walk:

UND administrators to attend Walk for Change protest after shirt incidentUND Provost Tom DiLorenzo, Vice President for Student Affairs Lori Reesor and other university administrators will participate in a protest walk held by American Indian students, the university said Thursday.

The walk was planned when UND officials did not take immediate action after students and others wore offensive T-shirts to a Saturday event popular with students.

Since then, UND officials, including President Robert Kelley, have condemned the shirts and said they would investigate the incident.

On Thursday, the university said administrators will attend the protest “to show our support and allegiance in combating prejudice and intolerance in our community, state, and world.”‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-Shirt Spurs UND Students WalkForChange

By Vincent SchillingIn response to the “Siouxper Drunk” T-shirts worn by University of North Dakota students last Saturday as part of a Springfest celebration UND Native students have organized a #WalkforChange at the university to be held Friday at 11 a.m. to voice opposition to a hostile UND environment faced by Native students.

In addition to the #WalkForChange, Native UND students that are facilitating the event released several public statements demanding change from UND administrators as well as an outline for fostering cultural awareness at the university.

“The Fighting Sioux logo is supposed to be retired, but it is everywhere,” said Margaret Emmy Scott, a Political Science and American Indian Studies major at UND. “Whether you go to the registrar to pay your bills or to change your classes, people representing the administration are wearing the logo. Professors wear it, faculty, staff and more. We need this to be banned in the school atmosphere. That is the root of the trouble.”

In the release sent to ICTMN by Scott, the sentiment of the students is clear—they are fighting against what they consider to be a hostile environment for too long.

“The distress and hostile learning environment American Indian (AI) students endure is a form of psychological violence, predicated and perpetuated on notions of AI students being overly sensitive. This mentality presents a slippery slope as stereotypes lead to the dehumanization of a people and ultimately, permit acts of violence against those populations who are portrayed as the lesser.

“The continuous and overt forms of disrespect have negatively-impacted UND and its American Indian students. The ‘Sioux-per drunk’ T-shirts were specifically designed to target American Indian students and in itself is an act of discrimination. The UND students that wore these t-shirts have and continue to use social media, Facebook and Twitter to reinforce the notion of premeditated actions and adamant denial of wrongdoing.”

The outcome

Demanding change at UND: 100 protesters march against ‘racist’ T-shirts

By Anna BurlesonUniversity of North Dakota administrators were among about 100 people marching through campus Friday to protest a recent racially insensitive event, but that didn’t prevent them from being called out.

Emmy Scott, former president of the Indian Studies Association, a student group, said administrators were using the march as a publicity stunt and released a list of demands she and other students want the university to meet by December.

“I’m glad that they’re here, but in a lot of ways, it feels like it’s a PR stunt and I want them to know that we are not a photo-op,” she said.

The demands include selecting a new nickname and prohibiting students from wearing clothing or other gear bearing the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.Alas...proving the need for the walk is this posting:UND student tweets that today's #WalkForChange event was over-reaction: "Boohoohoo one little t-shirt and they re-enact the damn trail of tears like we killed their family on springfest" <- this ignorance and license to be overtly racist and offensive is why we've got to keep the pressure on at UND and the GrandForks community to diffuse the palpable tension and division over not adopting a new nickname/logo and disciplining offending students.
Comment:  One little t-shirt that encapsulates centuries of oppression and injustice, you mean. And what amount of racism would be enough to get you to criticize it rather than defend it?

If there's a threshold for the "get over it" crowd, I haven't seen it. Which leads us to conclude that these naysayers are racists themselves or "friends of racism," which amounts to the same thing.

For more on the subject, see "Siouxper Drunk" = Hostile and Abusive.

Billboard mocks rain dances

Larry Smith posted the following on Facebook:Billboard sign located and 2nd and Roycroft in Belmont Shore/Long Beach, CA.

The billboard is owned by ClearChannel.

The client is the Long Beach Department of Water and Power.

Matthew R. Veeh, Director of Government & Public Affairs, Long Beach Department of Water and Power, say's everyone has signs like this, so it's O.K. for us to a have a sign like this too--regardless of the sign's problematics.

Comment:  Given that droughts are an ongoing problem, shouldn't we continue to do rain dances along with everything else?

In fact, one could argue that a return to rain dances might be called for, since Western lifestyles and technologies are causing the drought. Because rain dances go along with reverence for water, which means not wasting it on lawns and pools and so forth.

In short, a rain dance couldn't hurt and might help. So the billboard's message is false as well as stereotypical.

It qualifies as stereotypical because it implies Indians were superstitious fools who did nothing but rain dances. Actually, they conserved their water and thus managed to survive in a harsh desert climate.

This is something we haven't managed to do without huge, wasteful expenditures of water, energy, and other resources. But it's something we may have to (re)learn eventually.

For more on rain dances, see Krauthammer: Scientific Consensus = "Rain Dance" and Indians Perform "Rain Dance" to End Drought.

Drug lawyer's "peace pipe" ad

A posting on the Last Real Indians Facebook page:Thanks to several LRI readers who gave us a heads up to this disgusting campaign ad for Chad Moody who is running for governor of Oklahoma on a pro-pot legalization platform.

It is absolutely unacceptable to cheapen the cannunpa in such derogatory fashion. Contact his office at the web address below.

Link: http://moodyforgovernor.com/

Some reactions from commenters:Seems to come straight out of a 19th century piece of propaganda...sad to see in this day and age...ignorance or arrogance? Or both...?

Dum, why can't they understand we are not living in the past. Move forward and respect the past, honor it. Not make us feel we are not human because we have rights.

No, no, no. This is what happens when you do not ask an elder for permission. It would have been explained out of respect. Why, why why.

Thanks for the heads-up. I live in Oklahoma and know a number of people who've used Chad. I'm going to contact him and make sure he hears from other local folks as well.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Emerson Windy in a Headdress.

"Siouxper Drunk" = hostile and abusive

Several commenters blame the "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirt incident on UND's Fighting Sioux nickname and mascot. Rightly so, I'd say.

Super Dumb at UND: It's Hard to Shake the Racism You've Enabled For So Long[A]s recent events show, these things never go away without resistance from nostalgic students and alumni who profess the name and image aren't racist. "It's a tribute to Native Americans," is a typical argument from those who'd keep names and imagery that many Natives find objectionable, whether it's the Fighting Sioux or the Washington Redskins.

But it's hard to claim a bunch of white kids wearing "Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts is a tribute to anything. This illustrates a point sometimes lost in debates over Native mascots: The players, coaches and school administrators (or in the case of the Washington Redskins, team brass and owner Dan Snyder) may sincerely feel they do not bear American Indians any ill will. But they're only part of the story--a team name or mascot doesn't just belong to the team and its authorized representatives. It also belongs to the fans. And by using a mascot that is based on someone's racial identity, the organization is setting the stage for fan behavior that is undoubtedly racist.

"Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts, fans attending games in redface, opposing fans comparing a football game to the Trail of Tears, restaurants touting team pride with talk of "scalping" and "firewater"--these are all things that fans do, unsanctioned by the school or pro team they profess to like. And they're all racist.

And they could all be avoided if the organizations would do the responsible thing and abandon their Native team names and imagery.After offensive T-shirt incident, UND administration tries to respond to demand for action

By Anna BurlesonThe University of North Dakota has held plenty of events promoting diversity, but Damien Webster, a senior majoring in Indian studies, said the only time he has seen big crowds is when student attendance was mandatory.

“There needs to be a lot of education across the board,” he said. “We all stick to our own and we need to open up.”

He is among many American Indian students on campus asking the administration to mandate sensitivity training and toughen consequences for racially insensitive acts, such as the “Siouxper drunk” T-shirts worn Saturday at an event popular with students.

It was the latest of several high-profile incidents over the years that have embarrassed the university and upset Indians on campus.And:At UND, many Native Americans have long made the connection between racially insensitive incidents and the university’s Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, which were retired at the end of 2012 because the NCAA considers them offensive. Indians on campus continue to ask the administration to denounce the nickname and logo.

That argument has echoed far beyond North Dakota. Recently, the popular animated comedy show “Family Guy” had a throw-away gag where “Drunky the Indian,” a fictional mascot from “Dakota University,” appeared at a college fair, yelling out “Look how drunk I am! This is important for sports!”

Johnson said UND has no control over clothing and other merchandise bearing the nickname and logo that were manufactured before the university forbade it. Some of that merchandise continues to be sold. “There’s nothing we can do about that,” he said.

The administration did seem to anticipate some of the recent troubles, though.

It decided to hire the diversity executive last year, months before the latest incident. According to Johnson, Sandra Mitchell’s job when she starts in a few months will be to devise a plan to establish concrete ways to make UND a more inclusive campus.

Does the use of Native American mascots lead to racist debacles like ‘Siouxper Drunk’?

By Abby PhillipThe episode comes just two years after the university retired its Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo in the wake of intense NCAA pressure. But after more than 80 years of using the mascot, it is perhaps no surprise that these old habits are dying an embarrassingly painful death.

North Dakotans were dragged kicking and screaming to the realization that it was time to retire their mascot. The NCAA determined in 2005 that “hostile and abusive” mascots such as UND’s needed to become a thing of the past; the State of North Dakota sued on behalf of the North Dakota state board of higher education and UND to keep the “Fighting Sioux,” and the state legislature passed a law forbidding the school from retiring the name. The state’s law was eventually reversed.And:The “Siouxper Drunk” controversy is just one of several recent incidents on the UND campus that prompted a group of Native students to write a scathing letter that blamed the university for being “complicit” in acts of racial insensitivity on campus, and for failing to put forward concrete solutions.

“The problem,” the letter said, “is clearly systemic.”

But the incident highlights the difficulty of policing “appropriate” uses of Native imagery and names. Can sports teams claim to use them without racist intent, but still distance themselves from the people who do?Thanks for a perfect example of the "hostile and abusive" environment the NCAA criticized, #SiouxperDrunk students. Case closed on how the harm goes beyond the playing field--how it permeates the student body, the alumni, the entire community.

More charges of racism

Drunk College Students Mock Native Americans In Most Offensive Way Possible

By Smriti SinhaThe behavior exemplified by the UND students, coupled with the reappropriation of Native American cultural traditions common in entertainment and fashion, highlights a continued ignorance and insensitivity among Americans regarding Native Americans. Last year, for example, an Alabama high school put up a big banner saying, "Hey Indians, Get Ready to Leave in a Trail of Tears, Round 2."

These types of references aren't clever, they're not cute and they're certainly not funny.“Siouxper Drunk” T-Shirts Helped Fighting Sioux Nickname Opponents

By Dr. Erich LongieAs far as racism goes, it doesn’t get much uglier than the “Siouxper drunk” T-shirts incident that happened at UND over the weekend. As proof of the extreme racist nature of the incident, conservative, talk show hosts, bloggers, and other non-Indians are coming forward to vigorously and stridently defend this shameful and disgusting incident. In typical fashion, they will try to drown out voices who disagree with them.

Emerson Windy in a headdress

Dopey: Rapper Emerson Windy's Native American Shtick Sparks OutrageHip hop artist and "vaping" advocate Emerson Windy has gone all in with a faux-American Indian look and attitude, and Natives are asking him to cease and apologize.

Windy's latest video is for a track called "Peace Pipe" off his album Herojuana. In the video, as on the album cover, Windy wears a feather headdress. The song's lyrics are mainly about smoking marijuana (unsurprising, given the album's title), which he conflates with the idea of the Native American "peace pipe." The idea of a "peace pipe" itself is a vast oversimplification that dates to early contact with Europeans--American Indians from all over Turtle Island smoked pipes on various ceremonial occasions.

But that is likely beside the point--although there are some shots of what looks like a pipe in the video, Windy is more likely referring to a vape pen--akin to an e-cigarette but used to inhale vapor infused with concentrated marijuana oil. Windy actively promotes a line of flavorings called "Mr. Good Vape"; the company's logo can be seen at the start of the video, and bottles of flavorings such as "Melon Head" are on display in some shots.

The video also contains footage of powwow dancers, as well as shots of Monument Valley, on the Navajo Nation. Here it is:The track's chorus goes "Pass that mothafuckin' Peace Pipe, CHIEF / Blow a bag with me," and in one section Windy riffs on "Arapahoe":

They call me CHIEF up in this bitch, ho
Windy know a rap-a-ho (heya heya)
Windy Boy a rap-a-ho (mic checka)
I'm a certified trap-a-ho
Gotta sell my dope, bitch I gotta go

Another manifestation of Windy's Native fetish is the name he uses for his followers and fans: "Windyians."

The American Indian Movement of Indiana and Kentucky has launched an online petition (which at the time of this posting has 631 of its target 1000 signatures) demanding that Windy remove the video from YouTube and apologize. Their statement reads, in part:

This song and video are disrespectful and demeaning towards Indigenous people of this land. We are also calling on Mr. Emerson Windy to MAN UP and remove the offensive video and send out a letter apologizing for his blatant disrespect and his insensitivity of the struggles of Native people of this land.Put Down the Peace Pipe and Step out of the Costumes

By Carolina Castoreno“Peace Pipe” is the video that Emerson Windy released this week. In this video he is dressed in “Indigenous attire” and raps about passing a peace pipe. Let’s start with the fact that Emerson mixes the regalia of a headman, medicine man, and a brave all together. Really Emerson, you wanted to be all three? Talk about an identity crisis. This is the problem with wanting to play dress up; people can’t even get that part right. If you wanted to portray a football player, would you also carry a baseball bat or a hockey stick? Why in 2014 is it still trendy to put on “Indian” costumes? But then again, just go to any typical Midwestern Pow Wow, and all you will see are non-Natives in costumes. That’s another issue we need to address in Indian Country, but I digress.

So you want play Indian? You want “smoke ‘em good peace pipe?” Please, pile on the stereotypes. A peace pipe is not a recreational tool to give you a good buzz. The pipe is a gift from our Mother Earth to be used ceremoniously only. It is not a plaything. When you portray it as just another vehicle for getting high, you perpetuate the negative imagery that society paints on Natives, that we are all drunks and like to “smoke peyote.” News flash, we don’t smoke it. What you are doing is equivalent to someone using a rosary or prayer beads in a sacrilegious manner. It demeans our spiritual beliefs.

I read Mr. Windy’s bio on his official site. He appears to enjoy philanthropy and spreading awareness about causes such as homelessness. Those are very commendable acts. The bio also states that Emerson likes to “push the limits.” Well, he has indeed pushed the limits with the Native community. Not even Native rappers would dare insult our elders or ancestors by playing dress up in a music video. Take for example Frank Waln, who gifted the anthem “Oil for Blood” to the Anti-Keystone XL Movement. While many of his videos depict the poverty stricken reservation life, never does he pose as a holy man or pervert his own culture to turn a dollar.

Has our society learned nothing from the countless incidents of “Black Face” or even “Yellow Face” in cartoons and movies? There was internet outrage over the group of white students who threw an MLK party by dressing up as “thugs with watermelons.” Did Mr. Windy condone their behavior? In a society where people of color continue to be pushed to the margins and still face racism from majority groups, it is unacceptable to have to face discrimination from one another.From Gray Wolf on Facebook:I am amazed that not more people are speaking out on the outright insult and disrespect perpetrated by someone who due to the suffering of his own people, should KNOW better! Here we have this ignorant uneducated house negro dressing up in "redface," disrespecting the sacred pipe and prancing around like some Las Vegas showgirl and only a few so-called activists standing up and speaking out on this vile behavior! Okay I know, we are all busy...but too busy to address insult and disrespect??? I will remind you all, what we allow will continue! We ALL need to speak out on this issue...Comment:  I think these critics have missed a key point in Windy's presentation. "Chief" is a slang word meaning:(v.) To smoke marijuana. Commonly used as slang for "getting high," "smoking up," etc.

Yo let's go chief after school today.So this isn't just some random appropriation of the Plains headdress and peace pipe. There's a whole subculture associating getting high with "chiefin." Which they're visualizing as being an Indian chief.

Meanwhile, how original is it for Windy to conflate the tribal name "Arapaho" or "Navajo" with the derogatory word "ho"? Not original at all.

Get a clue, loser. There's nothing original about any part of this act. If you have no talent, find a job doing something else, please.

For more on the subject, see Humboldt Republic's "Chief Life" T-Shirts and Snoop Dogg in a Headdress.

The billionaires' crybaby club

Billionaires’ crybaby club: Someone get these whiners a bottle!

An epidemic of self-pity among the wealthy raises questions about the mental health of the top of the top 1 percent

By Joan WalshDoes being super-wealthy make you extra susceptible to self-pity today? That’s the only conclusion we can draw from an epidemic of self-pitying American billionaires decrying their persecution by “despots,” and the “Kristallnacht” of rising concern about income inequality, over just the last few months.

Charles Koch is the latest to fall victim to what funnier folks than me have labeled the WATB syndrome, with a whiny op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. “Collectivists” in government, Koch writes – “those who stand for government control of the means of production and how people live their lives,” i.e. Democrats — “strive to discredit and intimidate opponents.” It gets worse: “They engage in character assassination. (I should know, as the almost daily target of their attacks.)”

I’m worried about Charles Koch. For one thing, with all his billions, he couldn’t find a better ghost writer? His silly op-ed, with its alarmist Marxist clichés and fusty Schopenhauer references, would have been dismissed as an April Fool’s joke if published just one day sooner. It came the same day as the Supreme Court’s McCutcheon decision, which only increased its ridiculousness.

But Koch’s self-pity and persecution complex is downright unhealthy. He clearly suffers from the same malady as Tom Perkins, who delusionally compared rising political concern about income inequality to “Kristallnacht” for the rich. Newspaper-destroying real estate mogul Sam Zell, who cosigned Perkins, is also a victim, complaining the super-rich “are getting pummeled because it’s politically convenient to do so,” when in fact “the 1 percent work harder.”

Self-pity sufferer Ken Langone of Home Depot even warned Pope Francis that Catholic billionaires might stop contributing to the church because of the pope saying the “exclusionary” culture of the rich made some of them “incapable of feeling compassion for the poor.” Langone had earlier joined self-pitying mogul Leon Cooperman to admonish President Obama for “new lows in polarizing rhetoric…aimed at successful people in the business sector.”

Maybe we need a public health campaign to warn billionaires about the dangers of self-pity: stress, anxiety, depression, isolation and illness. The authors of “47 Steps to Stress Management” say that “the effect of self-pity on the body is similar to chronic anxiety.” A widely quoted 2003 study of self-pity in the Journal of Personality found:Paul Krugman slams the ‘parade of billionaires whining’ because people are criticizing them

Comment:  Many people have criticized the billionaire crybabies for whining about Nazism and evil when we try to raise tax rates to their historic levels. These postings are just the tip of the iceberg.

For more on the subject, see Rich People Are Sociopaths and Conservative Christian Persecution Fantasies.

Below:  Tom Perkins.

School's "YMCA" act called racist

Fargo parent calls school's 'Y.M.C.A.' talent show act 'racist'

By Forum News ServiceA Fargo first-grade class won’t be participating in the school's talent show after a concerned parent called a planned act “racist.”

The students were supposed to be performing the song “Y.M.C.A.” during Bennett Elementary School’s May talent show.

For the show, a first-grade teacher asked parents to have their kids wear clothes like the Village People, the group that recorded the hit song in the 1970s. Some would come dressed as a policeman, a cowboy, a biker dude, a construction worker or a Native American.

But one mom, Elaine Bolman, said asking her daughter and her classmates to dress up like an Indian is offensive.

“I'm not in a position to do anything for these educators, and hopefully those people that are can make the right choices so all students of any culture and race won't feel singled out or like their race is being stereotyped against,” Bolman said.

The Bennett Elementary staff pulled plans for “Y.M.C.A.”Comment:  This is a classic example of how stereotyping is perpetuated. People continue to portray or parody the Village People, and of course the band continues to perform. While the other portrayals are close to the occupations they portray, the "Chief" is an outdated stereotype from a century or two ago.

It's also the only racial caricature in the group. Yet no one points out the anomaly--that one of the five performers doesn't match the other four. That one is an ignorant stereotype like every mascot, Halloween costume, or hipster in a headdress.

Instead, the message is sent that this is what an Indian looks like. Because everyone treats it as good and normal, it reinforces a million other stereotypical images in our society. Collectively they tell us that Indians are nothing but primitive people of the past.

For more on the Village People, see Village People in Family Guy and What's Wrong with the Village People?

"Siouxper Drunk" t-shirts at UND

Writer Ruth Hopkins was the first to flag this incident. It ended up getting covered by the media nationwide:

‘Siouxper Drunk’ Shirts Worn at the University of North Dakota’s Springfest

By Ruth HopkinsOn Saturday, May 10, 2014, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota man posted this picture to my Facebook wall:The photo was taken at the University of North Dakota’s Springfest earlier that same day. In it, non-Native UND students are wearing shirts that say ‘Siouxper Drunk.’ Beneath it, a stereotypical ‘Indian head’ reminiscent of the retired Fighting Sioux logo is pictured drinking from a beer bong. What followed the post were a string of comments from understandably infuriated Natives, many of whom were from the Spirit Lake Nation, the Dakota Tribe located closest to the UND campus.And:The tiny town of Whiteclay, Nebraska, located just over the border from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, rakes in millions of dollars for beer companies every year by profiting off the misery of Lakota addicted to alcohol. These people who are sick live short lives full of pain and suffering. Families are destroyed. Now tell me again, how is ‘Siouxper Drunk’ funny?

The fact that a whole group of students were able to walk around UND’s Springfest in ‘Siouxper Drunk’ t-shirts without being stopped speaks volumes. Why would faculty, staff, students, and community members choose to ignore such blatant racism? Didn’t anyone have the good sense to feel embarrassed or ashamed of such a discriminatory display? By allowing such open, aggressive hostility against Natives, you are complicit. If you disapprove of such behavior, stand up and be counted.Hopkins also tweeted the following:

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
'Siouxper Drunk' t-shirts depict one of the worst, most harmful stereotypes about Native people that there is. #UND #Appropriation #Racism

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
There's beer companies making millions thru the tiny rez border town of Whiteclay off the misery of Natives. How is 'Siouxper Drunk' funny?

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
Europeans introduced alcohol to the Indigenous population in America. It was used to subdue & assimilate Natives. #UNDSiouxperDrunk #racism

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
Local North Dakota media refuses to run posts or a story about the racist 'Siouxper Drunk' tees worn at UND's Springfest. #Complicit

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
Native mascots personify the widespread systemic racism against Native people that still prevails in the subconscious of western society.

Helena @_RuthHopkins May 10
#UND, an apology for allowing 'Siouxper Drunk' tees to be worn at your Springfest isn't good enough. Implement a zero tolerance policy.

Media coverage takes off

Sometimes these protests take off in the media and sometimes they don't. This one did. The following was one of the earliest reports on the story:

UND Students Wear "Siouxper Drunk" Shirts to SpringfestA group of students at the University of North Dakota are catching grief for wearing shirts that, some say, display "blatant racism." Several photos of the t-shirts have been making the rounds on social media following this weekend's Springfest at UND.

The group photo shows ten students in their black, green and white shirts. The shirts say "Siouxper Drunk" with a logo underneath, similar to the retired Fighting Sioux logo, pictured drinking from a beer bong. Prior to Springfest, someone in the group even tweets "Our Springfest shirts will make the news I just know it lol."

UND student, Frank Sage says that many students coming into Indian Student Services on Monday were upset by the incident. Sage says there was no excuse for it. He called it very degrading and demeaning. We are still waiting for comment from UND Administration on whether the students involved in the incident could face any disciplinary action.

A blog on "Thelastrealindians.com" says, "The 'Drunken Indian' caricature is one of the worst stereotypes about Native people that there is." Writer Ruth Hopkins goes on to say, "Alcoholism is a serious issue in Indian country and it's nothing to laugh about." She cites a CDC statistic that liver disease and cirrhosis is the #5 cause of death among Native Americans and says 1 in 10 Native American deaths are alcohol-related.

People on social media are not only bothered by the student's choice to wear the shirts, but are also coming down on CustomInk.com, which is apparently where the shirts were made. CustomInk released the following statement on Monday:

"We are very sorry about this offensive design. CustomInk's business is focused on bringing people together in positive ways. We handle hundreds of thousands of custom t-shirt designs each year and have people review them to catch problematic content, including anything that's racially or ethnically objectionable, but we missed this one. We apologize for any pain or offense caused by this shirt, and we will continue to improve our review processes to make them better." --CustomInkUND president condemns T-shirts with Indian head

By Associated PressYoung people who wore T-shirts with a caricature of the University of North Dakota’s former Indian head logo drinking out of a beer bong perpetuated a derogatory and harmful stereotype of American Indians and should not be accepted, the school’s president said Monday.

The shirts that were stamped with the words “Siouxper Drunk” apparently were worn for an annual spring party that attracts students and others and is not associated with the university. Kelley said he was appalled by “the poor judgment and lack of understanding” that led people to create and wear the shirts.

“The message on the shirts demonstrated an unacceptable lack of sensitivity and a complete lack of respect for American Indians and all members of the community,” Kelley said in a statement.And more coverage on some widely-read sites:

Univ. of North Dakota students mock Native Americans with ‘Siouxper Drunk’ T-shirts

North Dakota students offend with racist “Siouxper Drunk” T-shirts

North Dakota Students' "Siouxper Drunk" Shirts Are Super Racist

Fallin suffers fallout from stereotyping

People are still talking about Christina Fallin's headdress and "sheep" shawl incidents. Some tidbits from a long article:

Does He Realize? Protesters Not Satisfied With Wayne Coyne's Apology

By Wilhelm MurgCoyne distanced himself from Fallin and Pink Pony in the interview by denouncing the band’s music as “stupid” and while Fallin has insisted from the beginning that she never intended to offend Native Americans, Coyne contradicts her and corroborates what the Native American protestors have said all along, that Fallin and Pink Pony were taunting the protesters.

“I thought [Pink Pony] making fun of the protestors seemed stupid,” Coyne was quoted as saying. “And I just thought, ‘Why don't you just go out there and play your music, tell them you're sorry and play some cool music, and that would be what the festival is about?’ And Pink Pony handled it badly.”And:Coyne also seems to be saying that he just happened to be laughing while Native American people were being taunted in public, but he was not laughing at them, he was just generally having a good time during the taunting. “Yes,” Coyne was quoted, “I was at the festival. People probably saw me laugh. I took pictures with probably 500 people that night. I'm laughing in probably all the pictures.”

“I, myself, had eye contact with Wayne; he and his little girlfriend were laughing and pointing at us,” said protester and former Flaming Lips fan, Louis Fowler. Fowler, who is Choctaw, was there as a journalist covering the protest, but decided the situation was too overwhelming to remain impartial and picked up a sign and joined the protesters. “You come face to face with someone you respected and who you wasted so much money on between concerts and albums. For him to do that--it was really heartbreaking.”And:“I pretty much believe [Fallin's boyfriend] Steven Battles is the mastermind behind all of this, and Christina Fallin--and you can quote me on this--Christina Fallin is like his dumb little automaton that does what he says," Louis Fowler said. “In the interview she did with Indian Country Today she had ample opportunity to apologize and speak her own mind, but she sounds like a brainwashed cult victim. When she was referring to Steven Battles as a 'philosopher' she sounded like she might as well be drinking the Kool-Aid at Jonestown.”

The Lost Ogle, an Oklahoma City information site, is reporting that Battles’ radio show for Oklahoma City’s “The Spy” has been canceled. The Pink Pony Facebook page has been taken down and the Oklahoma City fashion and beauty magazine So6ix has severed its ties with Fallin, who was working with the publication as a media consultant, according to the site.And:Louis Fowler says he will definitely continue this protest. “My greatest resource, my greatest talent is my writing, so I’ll use that and I’ll use whatever means I can. I never realized what a significant problem this is in our state. It’s been one of the most heartbreaking and soul draining things I’ve ever encountered in my life.”

“I think Wayne Coyne and Christina Fallin operate in a tower so tall they can't even see where their arrows are landing,” Samantha Crain said. “It is possible that my next move may be another protest. As long as they hold the beliefs that they do, I don't believe there is much forgiveness from the Native community to be had. ... However, if they want to read some books, interact with some tribal members, and take steps towards understanding and respecting the culture, then speak more about how their attitudes have changed, that, I think, would be grounds to supporting them, and forgiving them. I think they keep dragging it out because their lack of knowledge and understanding really convinces them that they've done nothing wrong.”Comment:  Nice to hear Fallin, Battles, and Pink Pony are suffering for their effrontery. Maybe they shouldn't tangle with dedicated activists in the social media age, eh?

For more on Christina Fallin, see Coyne Apologizes for Dog Headdress and Scurlock Explains Flaming Lips Firing.

Below:  "Photo of Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp-Muhl tweeted by Lennon to Wayne Coyne. Source: twitter.com/seanonolennon via The Lost Ogle."

ATV rally threatens Native sites

Welfare Cowboy Jr. Leads 300 Armed Protesters on Crusade for More Stuff They Aren’t Entitled To

By Josh KilburnThe entitled lowlifes at the Bundy Ranch are back at it again, and this time gathering 300 strong to ride roughshod through the Four Corners region that is home to ancient dwellings and other cultural resources to the Ancestral Pueblo—because the White man cannot do enough damage to Native American history, he also has to run ATVs through historically important land as well.ATV Rally to Ride Through Sacred Native American Burial Sites

By Scott Gaudinier[B]oth Native Americans and environmentalists state that the current ATV ban is vital at Recapture Canyon, as there are fragile artifacts, burials and homes of ancient Pueblo peoples, all of which need to be preserved. Current Navajo inhabitants claim that the dwellings and artifacts left there belonged to their direct ancestors, and that the sacred land needs to not be trodden upon out of respect for their people.

Lyman, in response to Native American criticism, stated that it would be possible for ATVs to ride through the area while preserving sacred ancient artifacts. However, Jessica Goad from the Center for Western Priorities strongly disagreed with Lyman’s statement, explaining how ATV riders ruined any chance of riding through the area when two men were discovered by authorities using picks and shovels to construct another trail for ATVs before the original ban had been instituted.

The ATV rally to ride through sacred Native American burial sites has since spurred anger among Natives, as well as environmentalists and other groups opposed to the rising threat of right-wing action in Western states. According to these groups, not only do these actions show extreme lack of respect to Native cultures, but it also shows a high amount of ignorance about the government’s involvement in the lives of citizens. This is due to both far-right individuals like rancher Cliven Bundy and the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, who each provoked the event.

Bundy supporters defy feds by riding ATVs in off-limits Utah canyon[BLM Utah director Juan Palma] said he was concerned the riders may have damaged artifacts and dwellings that "tell the story of the first farmers in the Four Corners region" of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.

"Damage to archaeological sites is permanent and the information about our collective past is then lost forever," Jerry Spangler, of the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance, said to the Salt Lake Tribune. "It is sad that irreplaceable treasures of importance to all Americans would be sacrificed on the altar of anti-government fervor. It is worse that protesters would be so blinded to their own insensitivity as to what others consider to be sacred treasures of their past."

Palma also pointed out in his statement that there are more than 2,800 miles of trails on public lands that are open to ATV use within a short drive of Blanding. He also noted that BLM-managed public lands in Utah provide $490 million in local and national economic benefits in 2012.ATVs in Recapture Canyon: What Are They Fighting For?

By Christina RoseLyman said he knows the area is sacred but somehow believes that ATV riders can preserve the area while riding down paths too narrow to pass without damaging the area.

“The trail within the closure area is very narrow. There are many points throughout the closed area where there are remains, relics, artifacts.” Crandall said. “Some are right next to the trail and some are even on the trail. You are risking those resources by using those vehicles.”

In a letter to the Salt Lake Tribune, Willie Grayeyes, chair of a nonprofit that lobbies to protect Navajo land, wrote that a Veterans Retreat had to be cancelled because of the rally.

“This opportunity for healing, to help these men and women has been postponed due to the threats of illegal activities by San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman on behalf of those who desire to drive their ATV toys over the sacred ruins of others.” Grayeyes wrote. “Contrary to the beliefs of many, southeastern Utah was not an empty place that no one wanted just waiting to be inhabited by European settlers or discovered as a recreation playground, but rather it was and remains our home.”

Lyman has complained that Blanding’s ancestors used that path 150 years ago to travel north and the townspeople have a right to the area, which is still legally accessible on foot and on horseback.

“I understand the viewpoint that many of the descendants of the original Blandings were there 150 years ago, but I would also say that the Native Americans have been here for two millennia,” Crandall responded.How Cliven Bundy and the Land Rights Movement Screws Native Americans

Land Rights activists like to invoke ‘ancestral rights’ to federally owned land, even as they run roughshod over preservation sites for ancient Native American cultures.

By Caitlin DicksonThe piece of Recapture Canyon that Saturday’s protesters insist they have a right to drive on is closed off in order to preserve artifacts that offer invaluable insight into how ancient Native Americans lived.

“Damage to archaeological sites is permanent and the information about our collective past is then lost forever,” the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance’s Jerry Spangler told The Salt Lake Tribune in response to the protest. “It is sad that irreplaceable treasures of importance to all Americans would be sacrificed on the altar of anti-government fervor. It is worse that protesters would be so blinded to their own insensitive as to what others consider to be sacred treasures of their past.”

Libertarians—the proponents of hands-off government, including land rights activists—are fond of appropriating Native American imagery to evoke negative sentiments toward the federal government, especially with regards to gun control. Last year, several gun control opponents warned that federal gun regulations would lead to a massacre akin to that of nearly 300 Lakota Indians by U.S. soldiers near the South Dakota’s Wounded Knee Creek in 1890. “Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history,” one blogger at Libertarian politician Ron Paul’s website DailyPaul.com wrote last year. “It ended in the senseless murder of 297 people.” A popular Internet meme picturing a Native American tribal leader surrounding the words, “I’m all for total gun control and trusting the government to protect you…After all, it worked great for us,”promotes the same message.

That believers of the same ideology would try to appeal to the emotions of Native Americans to promote one agenda, while shamelessly ignoring the rights of those same people in an effort to further another cause, is ironic to say the least. So, too, is Bundy, a literal freeloader in every sense of the word, suggesting that black people would be better off as slaves than “under government subsidy.”Arrest the bums

BLM Says It Will Prosecute Illegal ATV Riders at Recapture Canyon

By Public News ServiceThe federal government says it plans to prosecute everyone who illegally rode an ATV on federally protected lands in southeastern Utah over the weekend. Juan Palma with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says his agency will "pursue all available redress through the legal system to hold the lawbreakers accountable."

Motorized vehicles have been banned in the area, which contains ancient Native American cultural assets, since 2007.Comment:  I hope prosecutions will happen, but I wouldn't bet on it. No one wants to go up against the gun-wielding Bundy "patriots" aka terrorists.

For more on Cliven Bundy, see ATV Rally in Off-Limit Canyon and What Bundy and Sterling Tell Us.

ATV rally in off-limits canyon

With links to welfare cowboy Cliven Bundy, anti-government "patriots" planned to show their contempt for the Constitution, the law, and Native Americans.

Gov. Herbert: Uphold laws during ATV protest

By Brady McCombsAn idyllic Utah canyon home to ancient cliff dwellings and native burials will be the site of a protest Saturday by a group of people who plan to mount their ATVs and ride a trail that has been off limits to motorized vehicles since 2007.

The Bureau of Land Management is warning riders to stay out, vowing prosecution against those who ignore a law put in place after an illegal trail was found that cuts through ruins that are nearly 2,000 years old. The canyon is open to hikers and horseback riders.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he understands frustration around the issue, but urged people to uphold the law and not disrupt public safety during the protest.

The protest is the latest illustration of tension between Western residents and the federal government over management of public lands. But the off-road protest isn't expected to end in a confrontation like other recent ones.Saturday’s Illegal Cliven Bundy-Endorsed ATV Rally Runs Through Sacred American Indian Sites

By Matt Lee-AshleyAn illegal all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride planned this weekend through Recapture Canyon in Utah is the latest flashpoint between anti-government activists and federal land managers. The illegal ride is already drawing criticism from the Navajo Nation, putting American Indian burial sites and cultural resources at risk, and has even forced the cancellation of a traditional Navajo Warrior welcome home ceremony for veterans.

Yet San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman (R-UT) and his supporters appear determined to defy federal law by riding their ATVs through Recapture Canyon, an area of southeast Utah known as a “mini-Mesa Verde” because it contains one of the highest densities of archaeological sites in the country.

Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who has refused to pay more than $1 million in grazing fees he owes U.S. taxpayers, has reportedly urged his supporters-–who include armed militia members–-to join Lyman in Utah this weekend.

“We need to help the people of Blanding re-establish who is in control of the land,” said Bundy and his wife, Carol, in an email that was reported by E&E News. “This is your next stand. Will you be there to help them like you helped us?”NCAI Urges Cliven Bundy to Respect Native Ancestral Sites; Cancel RallyCliven Bundy’s group plans to ride roughshod through the Utah Canyon with a gang of all-terrain vehicles which would endanger places of cultural significance to Native peoples. Bundy thinks he is protecting his rights, but he is endangering the cultural integrity of the homelands of Native peoples.

Since well before the state of Nevada, the federal government, and farmers and ranchers occupied the area, tribal nations–including the Las Vegas Band of Paiute, Moapa Band of Paiute, and other tribes in the area–have respected and honored the Utah Canyon as a sacred place. Native peoples believe the canyon contains many markers from their ancestors. An action like this is no more appropriate than a similar activity at a church or other place of worship.

The NCAI strongly urges federal authorities to act–as part of its trust responsibility to tribal nations–to prevent this potential destruction of sacred places. We would oppose an action of this type not only by Mr. Bundy and his supporters, but by anyone with a disregard for Native peoples and cultures.During the event

Trail ride challenges federal control of Utah land

By Jennifer DobnerHundreds of activists seeking to directly challenge federal control of swathes of territory in the U.S. West on Saturday drove dozens of all-terrain vehicles into protected land in Utah that is home to Native American artifacts and where such journeys are banned.

The ride into Recapture Canyon, which comes amid heightened political tensions, is a protest against indecision by federal land managers on whether to reopen canyon trails to recreational vehicle use after more than seven years of study.

About 300 people rallied at a nearby park before dozens of people, some of them armed with guns, set off in about 60 ATVs down a closed-off trail, which winds through red rock desert. The local sheriff had armed officers on horseback monitoring the protest.

The dispute is the latest squabble between conservative states' rights advocates in Utah and across the West, who want to take back millions of acres of public land over which federal agencies have authority. More than 60 percent of Utah's land is under federal control.

The canyon in the Four Corners region of Utah is home to the ruins of ancient dwellings and other cultural resources of Ancestral Puebloans. The Bureau of Land Management closed the area in 2007 after an illegally constructed trail was found and some artifact sites were damaged.

Utah ATV protest peaceful

But BLM says it documented illegal use

By John PeelATV riders drove at least a couple miles into an off-limits area Saturday to protest the closure of a trail in a popular canyon with ancestral Puebloan artifacts just east of town.

A rally before the ride and the ride itself both went off peacefully Saturday morning. But there were some testy moments at the morning rally at Centennial Park on the southwest edge of town as visitors from outside the area exhorted San Juan County residents to fully flaunt their right to the part of Recapture Canyon in question, located on Bureau of Land Management land and closed to ATVs in September 2007.

Also, a statement issued after the ride from BLM Utah Director Juan Palma said the agency had documented those who rode Saturday into the area closed to motorized use.

“The BLM was in Recapture Canyon today collecting evidence and will continue to investigate,” Palma’s statement said. “The BLM will pursue all available redress through the legal system to hold the lawbreakers accountable.”Protesters in Utah drive ATVs onto federal land—but find no showdown

By John M. GlionnaThe ATVs kicked up sprays of dirt, their riders waving American flags and protest signs as they rumbled along a disputed canyon trail that federal officials had closed to motorized vehicles.

Their message Saturday was clear amid the dust: This was the latest challenge by citizens saying they are defending state and local rights against an increasingly arrogant federal government that has overstepped its role in small communities such as Blanding.

The protagonist this time wasn't a private rancher like Cliven Bundy, who prevailed in a standoff with the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada. This protest was the brainchild of a public official, San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman, who contends that this town of 3,500 residents has tried hard to compromise with the bureau to reopen scenic Recapture Canyon to all-terrain vehicles.

BLM officials banned the vehicles to protect archaeological sites, a move residents say has cheated them out of a prime recreational area. Unlike in the Bundy incident, no guns were brandished here, but the words were volatile. "If you make a rule that I have to lick your boots," Lyman said of federal officials, "I'm just not going to do that."Dozens of protesters ride ATVs in off-limits canyon

Protesters ride ATVs through canyon despite ban, BLM officials document illegal activity

Welfare Cowboy Jr. Leads 300 Armed Protesters on Crusade for More Stuff They Aren’t Entitled To

Comment:  For more on Cliven Bundy, see What Bundy and Sterling Tell Us and Cliven Bundy vs. Dann Sisters.

New Zealand PM's daughter in a headdress

PM's daughter releases more raunchy artwork

By Kirsty WynnPrime Minister John Key is backing his daughter over her latest series of artworks, which has attracted controversy because of its reference to native North American customs.

Stephanie Key posted the pictures online as she prepared to submit her portfolio at the Paris College of Art—an American private university with four campuses in Paris.

One of the pop-art style self-portraits, showing Key wearing an elaborate pink, feathered, war headdress, lacy pink knickers and a pink modesty star over her nipple, has been criticised for being culturally inappropriate.And:The war headdress of Native Americans and Canadian First Nations was used only for important occasions. Each eagle feather told a story and the wearer earned each feather in his or her headdress.

Desi Rodriguez Lonebear, a Native American Indian from the Northern Cheyenne tribe of Montana now based in New Zealand, said Key owes an apology to Native Americans and the tangata whenua of her own country.

"I think it's incredibly offensive and distasteful."

Hamilton-based Lonebear said it was even more shocking that the work was by the prime minister's daughter, and called for the photo to be removed from the collection.

"I see a nearly nude woman posing in a war bonnet headdress and holding a peace pipe — the most sacred of objects. It's totally mocking.

"It's very offensive that it's Prime Minister John Key's daughter. [It's] is a huge slap in the face for race relations and ultimately the cultural competency that I have been privileged to witness in New Zealand."

PM backs daughter after art cops flak

By Kirsty WynnMr Key was questioned over his daughter's controversial art while speaking to media after his address at the National Party conference in Queenstown today.

He said he and his wife Bronagh were "proud of her."

"You've got to remember these pictures were taken off Facebook and [that's] probably something that wouldn't happen to any other art student studying in Paris.

"She's going to make her way in the world ... I hope she does well and I'm incredibly proud of her.

"She's going to have her own view of what art is.

"I hope she's happy and she's healthy and she pursues her dream."John Key defends daughter's 'art'Prime Minister John Key has defended a raunchy photo of his daughter Stephanie wearing a pink traditional Native American headpiece saying the picture was not culturally insensitive.

Key responded to questions by the media at the National Party conference in Queenstown today about the latest pictures of his daughter Stephanie, 21, emerging online.Comment:  Actually, Key didn't say anything about cultural appropriation--at least in the quotes given above. Let's examine what he said:

He's "proud of her"--but not for any particular piece of "art."

People took the photos off Facebook, which presumably has a lower standard of quality. He implies they did something wrong--exposing her "art" to a more critical audience that would judge the racism and sexism.

She has her own view of what art--which presumably doesn't match his or anyone else's. What she considers art, others may consider cultural appropriation and racist stereotyping.

That's his defense of her? Okay, if you say so. To me, it sounds more like someone trying to subtly distance himself from her antics.

For more on hipsters in headdresses, see Coyne Apologizes for Dog Headdress and Little Mix Salutes Stereotypical "Warriors."

Waxman calls for Redskins hearing

Rep. Henry Waxman wants hearing on 'derogatory' name of D.C.'s NFL team

By Willliam DouglasRep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is pressing the House Energy and Commerce Committee for a hearing on use of the term 'Redskins' for Washington's National Football League team.

Waxman, the committee's top Democrat, sent a letter to committee chair Fred Upton, R-Mich., stating that the 'Offensive remarks by Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association, have raised public awareness of racism in sports.'

'I am writing to ask you to hold a hearing to examine another instance of racial insensitivity in professional sports: the use of the derogatory term 'Redskins' as the name of the Washington football team.'And:In his letter to Upton, Waxman equated the word 'Redskins' to the N-word that African-Americans find offensive. He suggests that if Snyder the NFL don't move to change the name, Congress could take steps to pressure a change.

'The NFL gets substantial tax benefits as a 'nonprofit' corporation, and its teams often receive billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded stadium subsidies,' Waxman wrote. 'As the committee with primary jurisdiction over professional sports, we could play a constructive role in challenging racism by asking Mr. Snyder and (NFL Commissioner Roger) Goodell to explain in a public hearing how their actions are consistent with the public interest.'Waxman calls for hearing on 'derogatory' Redskins name

By Blake NeffWaxman, the Democrats’ ranking member on the committee, called for the hearing in a letter to the panel chairman Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). [READ THE LETTER HERE.]

Waxman described the team’s name as “derogatory” and compared it to recent controversial remarks made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

The difference, Waxman said, is that while Sterling has been banned for life by the NBA, Redskins owner Dan Snyder has been defended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“In the case of the Washington football team, the offensive conduct is public, not private. But it is being condoned and defended by National Football League,” he said.

The Redskins' name is condemned by some Native American groups as racist and offensive.

The Commerce Committee oversees professional sports, and Waxman’s letter cites the numerous tax benefits received by the NFL and its teams to justify the committee’s involvement on the matter.

Meanwhile, another government official joined President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and others in speaking out:

Arne Duncan Weighs In on Donald Sterling, Washington Redskins' Name

By Bryan ToporekDuring an event this morning to discuss high school graduation rates, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan couldn't help but weigh in on one of the biggest controversies to come across the sports world in years.

Duncan called the outrage about Sterling's recent remarks "a teachable moment," according to POLITICO. "How do you combat racism?" he asked. "Exposure. Honest conversation."

The secretary then segued—unprompted, per the Post—into a discussion about the controversy surrounding the name of the local professional football franchise.

"Here in Washington we have the Washington Redskins—is that name appropriate for a professional football team?" Duncan asked. "I don't think it is. We should challenge the status quo right here in Washington."And pundits continue to speak out:

Now it's Redskins owner's turn

By Clarence PageLike the Cleveland Indians or Atlanta Braves, Indian-related team names hark back to earlier cultural times in America.

But that doesn’t excuse the continued use of Redskins, an indisputably vulgar racial slur. It only shows how some people win respect in the world of pro sports more easily than others do.

That’s the question at heart in the new name dispute. Who gets respect?

If the NFL was two-thirds Native American instead of two-thirds black, we wouldn’t be having the same conversation. It is a sad, cynical reality of today’s racial etiquette that respect goes to those who have not just sympathies but numbers, money, votes or some other leverage with which to wield real power.What the NFL Doesn't Want You to Think About

By Jim WallisI decided to go to the Washington team's website. I searched under "changing the team's name," and several hundred official pieces came up--none of them about the controversial issue, except one announcing a new foundation owner Dan Snyder just created to "serve needs" in tribal communities. Of course, that only fueled the controversy about the team's name. Most were about this week's NFL draft.

But then I found something else on the website--a video of Dan and Tanya Snyder being honored for their work on behalf of a group called the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I watched Snyder's speech, in which he said something I hadn't heard before: the first of their three daughters was a "2-pound miracle baby." Snyder said, "After that, we decided to dedicate our lives to children." Perhaps this could be the best way for Dan Snyder to understand the deep problems with the name of his team--the effect of the racial slur on Native American children, and other children too.

I recalled what Peggy Flanagan recently said in Sojourners magazine on the topic of our football team's name. Peggy is a Sojourners board member and, because she is like a daughter in our family's household, I have seen how becoming a mother has shaped her perspective on everything. Peggy said:As a Native American woman and mother, I am concerned about how my infant daughter will see herself represented and portrayed in popular culture and the media as she grows up. Multiple studies have shown that American Indian sports mascots and other negative stereotypes are detrimental to the self-esteem and development of Native American youth and exacerbate racial inequities. The continued use of the Washington Redsk*ns mascot sends my daughter, and other Native and non-Native youth, the message that somehow it's okay for her to be called a racial slur. In her formative years, she will continually see herself portrayed as less than human....When you deny people their humanity, it is easier to disrespect them and their culture.

I am not a mascot. My daughter is not a mascot. My people are not mascots. We are human beings. We are still here.