Tonantzin recognizes Trail of Death

Sculpture honors Indian women

Artist creates limestone statue to honor Indian women who faced hardships during forced relocations

By Jan Biles"Tonantzin," an 11½-foot-tall statue of a Mascouten noble woman, is taking shape in the yard at artist James Wahwassuck's home.

The cottonwood limestone monument, weighing nearly 20 tons, commemorates the 1830 Indian Removal Act, the forced relocation of Indians to lands east of the Mississippi River, and the Potawatomi Trail of Death, the forced removal of Potawatomi Indians from north-central Indiana to eastern Kansas in 1838.And:The Mascouten lived in southern Michigan and then in Wisconsin and Illinois, Wahwassuck said. In the early 1700s, they united with the Kickapoo and Fox, after almost being exterminated by the French and the Potawatomi. Survivors moved westward and in the early 1800s became part of the Prairie Bands of the Kickapoo or Potawatomi.

Although his sculpture depicts a Mascouten woman, he said he named his work after Tonantzin, the Aztec goddess considered to be "the mother of all indigenous people."Comment:  See how easy it it to portray an Indian who doesn't look like a half-naked chief, warrior, or princess? Keep this in mind whenever you see a stereotypical statue.

The only thing I question is the name "Tonantzin." Some tribes may acknowledge kinship with the Aztec, but many don't. There's no widespread belief that Indians came from Mexico or that Tonantzin is a "mother goddess" to everyone. To give two examples, the Lakota honor White Buffalo Woman and the Navajo honor Changing Woman, not Tonantzin.

For more on the Trail of Death, see Signs Placed on Trail of Death and Caravan on the Trail of Death.

The origin of "Indian summer"

Indian Summer

By Josh FitzpatrickOne explanation of the term "Indian Summer" might be that the early native Indians chose that time of year as their hunting season. This seems reasonable seeing the fall months are still considered the main hunting season for several animals.

Also, the mild and hazy weather encourages the animals out, and the haziness of the air gives the hunter the advantage to sneak up on its prey without being detected. Taking this idea one step further, Indians at that time were known to have set fires to prairie grass, underbrush and woods to accentuate the hazy, smoky conditions. But Albert Matthews pointed out that the Indians also did this at other times of the year.

Other possibilities include; the Indians made use of the dry, hazy weather to attack the whites before the hard winter set in; that this was the season of the Indian harvest; or, that the predominant southwest winds that accompanied the Indian Summer period were regarded by the Indians as a favor or "blessing" from a "god" in the desert Southwest.

Another idea, of a more prejudicial origin, was that possibly the earliest English immigrants equated Indian Summer to "fools" Summer, given the reliability of the resulting weather.

Finally, another hypothesis, not at all in the American Indian "camp" of theories, was put forward by an author by the name of H. E. Ware, who noted that ships at that time traversing the Indian Ocean loaded up their cargo the most during the "Indian Summer," or fair weather season. Several ships actually had an "I.S." on their hull at the load level thought safe during the Indian Summer.Comment:  Another theory may explain the origin of "Indian summer," or at least its staying power. Namely, the idea of a fall season that reminds us of the golden glow of summer. You know, when temperatures were warm, families gathered, and children frolicked. When the buffalo roamed, the deer and antelope played, and Indians flourished before Euro-Americans began killing them. In short, a romantic and nostalgic time of year when we think fondly of the past symbolized by noble but dead Indians.

For more on the subject, see Chicago Tribune Reprints "Injun Summer" Nostalgia Piece.

13th annual Big Cypress celebration

American Indians celebrate cultural heritage at Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation

By Tristan SpinskiPreserving the cultural heritage of native people is the goal of the three-day festival sponsored by the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, says Dorian Lange, development officer with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The festival includes vendors, visual artists, dancers, musicians and archaeologists showcasing the cultural wonders of over 14 American Indian tribes from across the United States. Additional attractions include an alligator wrestling show, a critter show and performances by Martha Redbone, Hank Nelson, Jr. and Cowbone.

Martha Redbone, a New York City-based performer who is headlining the weekend celebration, says it’s important to know your past to get where you’re going. She says she draws on her Cherokee and Choctaw heritage for her music, which she describes as rhythm and blues infused with traditional native music.

“Most of America and the world doesn’t know Native Americans exist,” Redbone says, now in her fifth year as a performer at the event. “And we don’t exist like we’re depicted in Hollywood films.”Comment:  For more on Seminole culture, see Swamp Men on National Geographic Wild and Seminoles Want Pro Alligator Wrestling.

Below:  "Doreen Duncan, left, with Yellow Bird Apache Dancers, a Native American dance troupe from Mesa, Ariz., holds hands with Carmela Sievers, right, 3, of Bonita Springs, during a group dance at the 13th Annual American Indian Arts Celebration at Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010." (Tristan Spinski/Staff)

Littlefeather fought for Native actors

Part II:  What would Sacheen Littlefeather say?

By Lisa SnellIn the early 80s, she was one of the co-founders of the National American Indian Performing Arts Registry, a nonprofit organization that encourages the film and television industries to hire Indians.

In 1984, Sacheen shared in an Emmy Award for her advisory work on PBS' 1984 "Dance in America" presentation of the ballet "Song for a Dead Warrior." She worked on two PBS shows, "Remember Me Forever" and "The Americas Before Columbus," both broadcast in 1992. She also produced films on American Indian health subjects and taught seminars about Indians' portrayal in American media and encouraged students with Santa Fe's Institute of American Indian Arts, which trains future filmmakers.

Sacheen eventually ended up back the in the San Francisco Bay area where she volunteered and worked with Native Americans dying with AIDS. That's when she met Mother Teresa.

"Marlon Brando didn't impress me the way Mother Teresa impressed me. She was somebody who worked with the poorest of the poor but never tried to 'missionize' anybody. She was just about doing good works, period," Sacheen said.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Reel Injun Interview and All About Sacheen Littlefeather.

Below:  "Activist and actress Sacheen Littlefeather, right, a subject of the PBS special Reel Injun, participates in a panel discussion about the show with Native American director Neil Diamond during the PBS Television Critics Association summer press tour on Aug. 5 in Beverly Hills, Calif." (AP photo/Chris Pizzello)

Beck slams tribal flag song

Beck and crew attack Native American student for singing a song honoring troops at Reid rally

By Karen FamighettiGlenn Beck and his radio sidekicks attacked a Nevada student for singing a Native American song that she dedicated to American troops during a recent rally for Sen. Harry Reid. Her offense? Not singing "The Star Spangled Banner."

Picking up on a story first reported by radio host Barbara Simpson and carried on Gateway Pundit, The Blaze, and Fox Nation, Beck asked, "When somebody says, 'Please rise for the national anthem,' what song are you expecting?" He then ridiculed Christina Thomas for not singing the national anthem at a recent Reid rally.

But audio makes clear, however, that Thomas told the audience that she was not singing the national anthem as the event's emcee announced, but rather a tribal flag song. Thomas told the audience, "I sing this in honor of all our veterans" and "those who are still fighting for our freedoms overseas."Comment:  Glenn Beck gives us another fine example of his prejudice against Indians.

Note the false and malicious methods used by the typical teabagger. Beck claims Thomas sang what he called "her national anthem." No, she sang a song to honor military veterans, as she said explicitly. Beck claims outrage on behalf of the people at Harry Reid's rally. Since it was Reid's event, Reid's opinion was the only one that mattered. If anyone else didn't like it, they were free to go home and vote against him.

This is what Beck and his fellow teabagger conservatives mean when they want to "take back the country." Criticize people for daring to be different. Attack any divergence from the mainstream culture. Slam anyone who doesn't toe the white Christian line.

Beck didn't make his message explicit, but we can do it for him. "Thomas isn't a real American," Beck seems to be saying. "Her Native culture isn't part of America's culture. If she can't act like an American, she should go back where she came from."

Beck gets another Stereotype of the Month entry for implying that a tribal flag song is un-American. Same for the people who sing such songs.

For more on Beck's anti-Indian bias, see:

Beck:  Indian mounds are Egyptian
Beck:  God ordered Indians killed
Glenn Beck:  racist or ignoramus?

For more on the conservative prejudice against people who aren't white Christians:

Tea Party Guide to American History
Gray vs. brown Americans
What "I want my country back" means
Culture war over who's an American
Why we believe in Columbus

Below:  "I pledge allegiance to white Jesus and the country for which he stands."

Cherokee play adapted into Oklahoma!

Q&A:  Native American Theater and Lynn RiggsThe Cherokee playwright Lynn Riggs (1899–1954) was the only Native American dramatist writing for the Broadway stage during the beginning of the 20th century. As a child of the Cherokee Nation, Riggs (above) witnessed the social, legal and cultural changes of his community when, in 1907, Indian Territory became Oklahoma. This childhood experience inspired “Green Grow the Lilacs,” a Pulitzer-Prize nominated drama that was later adapted into the hit musical “Oklahoma!”

On Wednesday, Nov. 17 and Thursday, Nov. 18, the National Museum of the American Indian will host a production of “Green Grow the Lilacs” by the U.S. Naval Academy’s theater troupe, the Masqueraders. Dr. Christy Stanlake, a scholar in Native American theater and director of the Masqueraders, recently spoke with NMAI about how she first learned of Riggs’ work, her students’ reactions to the play and what she hopes her audience will take away from the performances.

Why did you choose to stage this particular play?

I’ve been interested in Riggs for a long time, and the play of his that I really want to direct one day is The Cherokee Night, an amazing, powerful play. Of course, because I direct the USNA theatre program, my play selection is also shaped by our particular audience, an audience that is too young to really understand the more controversial scenes in The Cherokee Night. I chose Green Grow the Lilacs because it appears to be such a “mainstream” play; nevertheless, it includes Native dramaturgical elements that are challenging, highly philosophical, and dramatically haunting.

For almost eighty years, this play has been produced as if it harbors no Native presence, but if you really look at the script, you see characters asserting Native American intellectual traditions, people surviving despite overwhelming political changes, and ceremonial actions relating people to one another and the land around them. This is the beauty of Riggs’ writing. He introduced a Native theatrical language onto the Broadway stage when most portrayals of Native people were pure stereotype. He gave the American Theatre an element of Native dramaturgy, which we are just now beginning to see and celebrate. As far as I know, this is one of if not the only, staging of Riggs’s Green Grow the Lilacs to use Native American theatrical staging practices, but I am certain that this sort of interpretation of his plays is going to grow to be the norm.Comment:  For more on Cherokee plays, see Cherokees Revise Museum and Play and Cherokee Play About Warrior Woman.

DoD showcases Native soldiers

Honoring Indian veterans

By Ed HooperVeterans Day falls in the middle of American Indian Heritage Month, but those military men and many others, including Ira Hayes, Pima, who helped raise the iconic flag on Iwo Jima, and Gen. Clarence Tinker, Osage, who was the first U.S. general killed in World War II, are not names that come to mind for most people.

That’s because this is not the usual storyline of American Indian history portrayed in movies or taught in public schools. For most school children, American Indian Heritage Month typically involves a few lessons in early Indian history, arts and crafts, and the national tragedies of the 19th century. This is important material, but after the lessons one of history’s most influential indigenous populations is placed back in the closet until next year.

The Department of Defense is working to change this. For the last few years, they have used their Internet and media outlets to showcase the modern heritage that American Indians have brought to the armed forces of the United States for more than 150 years.

Gen. Ulysses S. Grant opened the door to the military for American Indians during the Civil War. New York Gov. Edwin Morgan had turned away Ely Parker’s (Seneca) Iroquois Volunteers, and Secretary of War Simon Cameron declared that Parker’s ethnicity wouldn’t permit him to serve. Grant secured Parker’s appointment as an engineer, and he rose to become the first American Indian general in U.S. history. Meanwhile, on the Confederate side, Stand Watie, Cherokee, also rose to the rank of general and was the last commanding officer to surrender in the war.Comment:  For more on Indians in the Military, see Cherokee Runners in Marine Corps Marathon, Nazis Tried to Subvert Indians, and Choctaw Codetalkers Documentary.

Mohawk spoken-word poet

Culturelicious:  An Interview With Mohawk Poet Janet Marie Rogers

By Jorge Antonio VallejosJanet Marie Rogers is a spoken-word poet from Six Nations Territory in Ontario, Canada, who started writing in 1996.

Her literary passions are Native heritage, feminism, historical territories, human love, sexuality and spirit.And:BCP:  How long have you been writing poetry/songs?

JMR:  Gosh, I moved from Toronto to Victoria BC in 1994. I had three years sobriety under my belt at that time and I was done with the Big Smoke. I had every intention to pursue a career as a visual artist and even had a solo show in Vic called “Rock, Paper, Scissors” based on petroglyph and pictograph images. I also started a women’s artists collective at the time which was pretty successful. I began writing in 1996--and when the writing began piling up, I produced little books. I was tickled when people actually took money from their pockets to buy my writing--and the writing seemed to go farther in a shorter amount of time, than the visual work ever did…so I followed that.And:BCP:  Why did you name the CD Firewater?

JMR:  I love the idea of re-claiming words, especially words that were meant to degrade our people. Firewater is actually paying homage to two of the natural elements, Fire, which represents the creative forces in the word and water, which is essential to our life, water runs through the veins of the earth. But firewater also means booze. So like the booze reference, these poems work with that wild energy, that drunk and uninhibited energy. Its about power! and I’m surprised, more people haven’t taken me to task over this title…I was hoping for more controversy.Comment:  For more on Native poets, see Slammin' Young Native Poets and Poetry Not a Snooze.

Lost Sparrow on PBS

‘Lost Sparrow’ premiers Nov. 16 on PBS

Film explores the tragic death of two Crow boys and family’s search for redemption

By Gale Courey ToensingWhen two young Crow Indian brothers ran away from their white adoptive family’s home and were killed by a freight train more than three decades ago, their deaths devastated the family and shocked the small community in upstate New York where they lived.

Filmmaker Chris Billing was 16 years old when his adopted Crow brothers Bobby, 13, and Tyler, 11, were killed on June 27, 1978. Their deaths haunted him for years.

When Billing set out 30 years later to make a film about his lost brothers, his goal was to investigate the unanswered questions about their sudden and mysterious deaths–why did the seemingly happy well-adjusted boys run away from home that day? Where were they going? Why were they on the train tracks?

“Lost Sparrow,” Billing’s powerful and personal film, succeeds in unraveling the mystery surrounding Bobby and Tyler, but in doing so it unveils a family secret that led directly to the boys’ tragic deaths.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.

Minnesota's Native literary community

Telling "the big story":  Native voices are strong in Minnesota literature and theater

By Sheila ReganThere has been quite a bit of buzz recently about Native American writers, particularly with the landmark production of Native writer Louise Erdrich's Master Butchers Singing Club at the Guthrie Theater. In fact, the Native writing scene here in the Twin Cities has been going strong for quite some time due to a tight, supportive network of artists who encourage and support each other, combined with a number of institutions that have been fostering Native voices.

Later this month Louise Erdrich's sister, Heid, who writes in a number of different genres including poetry and plays, is having her play produced by Pangea World Theater at Intermedia Arts as part of the Indigenous Voices series. Heid wrote the play in 2005 and has been workshopping it for five years. The piece uses historical documents to create the dialogue about an Anishinabe man who went to Europe in the 1840s.

Heid said that there are both formal and informal aspects to the Native writing community locally. There are organized writing groups, such as the TGI Frybread writing group sponsored by The Loft, while at the same time there are personal relationships that Native writers build with each other. There are "literary friendships that support each other's work and have for many years," she said.

One great thing about the Twin Cities, she said, is that there are a number institutions—publication houses and theaters, for example—that are particularly supportive of Native writers. For example, Milkweed Editions has a new book out by Eric Gansworth called Extra Indians. Holy Cow Press and Coffee House Press also have typically supported Native writers, as have some local periodicals, such as the specifically Native Yellow Medicine Review and Loon Feather Press.Comment:  For more on Louise Erdrich, see Louise Erdrich on Faces of America and Love Medicine Chosen as Big Read.

Below:  Birchbark Books. (Photo by Sheila Regan)

Libraries hide Hidden from History

Hidden from History Books Systematically Destroyed across Canada

By AlexCopies of the historic book Hidden from History: The Canadian Holocaust have disappeared this week from the libraries at McGill and Concordia Universities, and from local aboriginal resource centers, following on a similar disappearance of the book from the Vancouver Public Library and the University of B.C. Library system during October.

Librarians have not provided any clear reason how the books vanished so easily and quickly.

Hidden from History is the primary resource book that documents the evidence of the deliberate genocide of native people in church-run Indian residential schools across Canada. Published in 2005, its 500 pages contain documents, death records, official correspondence and eyewitness testimonies that prove a fifty percent death rate in the schools, and a clear intent by church and state to wipe out indigenous populaces under the guide of education and religion.

The disappearance of the books coincides with the sudden and unilateral banning without cause of Kevin Annett, the book’s author, from his decade-long public affairs program on Vancouver Co-op radio, after apparent RCMP intervention.Comment:  Sounds like censorship to me...!

For more on Natives and censorship, see Teachers Protest True Diary Censorship and Publishers, Librarians Avoid Controversy.

Bloomberg halfheartedly apologizes

Bloomberg half-heartedly apologizes for racist remark

By Rob CapricciosoAfter months of outrage from Native Americans over a perceived racist comment, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized in a way that made it appear some Indians weren’t offended by his words.

“I don’t know that there were very many Indians offended. If they were, I apologize to them. Nobody intended to do that,” Bloomberg said to an audience gathered for a Harvard panel discussion focused on the midterm elections Nov. 1. MSNBC hosts moderated and spoke at the forum, and portions were featured on the network.And:Bloomberg’s mea culpa came in response to a question from student Lise Balk King, who was in the audience at the event and asked a question during a session that was being taped by MSNBC. She has previously served as a journalist for Indian news outlets.

“I asked the question of Bloomberg in an attempt to get an apology by giving him the opportunity to re-state his position, especially in light of his now famous remarks on the right of Muslim people to have a ‘community center’ near Ground Zero,” Balk King said.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Halbritter:  Indians Must Speak Up and Paterson Criticizes Bloomberg's Remarks.

How Spencer became an addict

Twilight star shares his story of struggle with substance abuse

By Katie DurkinWith a father for an alcoholic, he fell into a crowd of other youths from dysfunctional homes, he said.

“I’m talking dysfunction: There was mental abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse. I thought that was normal for a long time, and it is on a reservation,” Spencer said.

In his teens he began drinking alcohol. He had a lot of anger inside, and the alcohol seemed to help him deal with that, he said.

“I took my first drink, and that one can, that’s what took everything away; all the pressures away,” Spencer said.

He moved off the reservation into a predominately white community during his later teens, where he experienced more racism.

To get over feeling like an outsider, he used alcohol as a social lubricant and got himself into a rough crowd. He would drink to the point of blacking out, and often didn’t know how he got home.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Spencer to Speak for NA Heritage Month and Chaske Spencer in Rehab.

2010 Aboriginal Peoples Choice winners

Buffy Sainte Marie, Winnipeg's Most take prizes at aboriginal music awardsMusical legend Buffy Sainte Marie and Manitoba band Winnipeg's Most were among the big winners Thursday night at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards.

Sainte Marie, who was born in the Qu'Appelle Valley of Saskatchewan but has long lived in Hawaii, was awarded best music video for "No No Keshagesh," a politically charged song off her "Running For the Drum" album.

The honour adds to her long list of accomplishments, including several Junos, a Gemini Award, a songwriting Oscar and a Golden Globe Award.

Charlie Fettah and Jon-C of Winnipeg's Most took home two prizes: best duo or group and best rap or hip-hop CD.Comment:  For more on the subject, see 2010 Aboriginal Achievement Awards and 2009 Aboriginal Peoples Choice winners

Where Obama went wrong

Some analyses of where Obama went wrong in the 2010 election:

How Obama Lost His Voice, and How He Can Get It Back

Barack Obama went from being a transformational leader in the campaign to a transactional one as president. It didn't work, and he must reverse course.

By Marshall GanzThis dramatic reversal is not the result of bad policy as such; the president made some real policy gains. It is not a consequence of a president who is too liberal, too conservative or too centrist. And it is not the doing of an administration ignorant of Washington's ways. Nor can we honestly blame the system, the media or the public—the ground on which presidential politics is always played.

It is the result, ironically, of poor leadership choices.

Abandoning the "transformational" model of his presidential campaign, Obama has tried to govern as a "transactional" leader. These terms were coined by political scientist James MacGregor Burns 30 years ago. "Transformational" leadership engages followers in the risky and often exhilarating work of changing the world, work that often changes the activists themselves. Its sources are shared values that become wellsprings of the courage, creativity and hope needed to open new pathways to success. "Transactional" leadership, on the other hand, is about horse-trading, operating within the routine, and it is practiced to maintain, rather than change, the status quo.

The nation was ready for transformation, but the president gave us transaction. And, as is the case with leadership failures, much of the public's anger, disappointment and frustration has been turned on a leader who failed to lead.

Obama and his team made three crucial choices that undermined the president's transformational mission. First, he abandoned the bully pulpit of moral argument and public education. Next, he chose to lead with a politics of compromise rather than advocacy. And finally, he chose to demobilize the movement that elected him president. By shifting focus from a public ready to drive change—as in "yes we can"—he shifted the focus to himself and attempted to negotiate change from the inside, as in "yes I can."More on what Obama didn't do and should do if he wants to win in 2012:

Why Obama Should Learn the Lesson of 1936, not 1996

By Robert ReichFor the next two years Republicans will try to paint Obama as a big-government liberal out of touch with America, who’s responsible for the continuing bad economy.

Obama won’t be able to win this argument by moving to the center—seeking to paint himself as a smaller-government moderate. This only confirms the Republican’s views that the central issue is size of government, that it’s been too large, and the economy can improve only if it’s smaller.

On the Republican playing field, Republicans always win.

Obama’s best hope of reelection will be to reframe the debate, making the central issue the power of big businesses and Wall Street to gain economic advantage at the expense of the rest of us. This is the Democratic playing field, and it’s more relevant today than at any time since the 1930s.

The top 1 percent of Americans, by income, is now taking home almost a quarter of all income, and accounting for almost 40 percent of all wealth. Meanwhile, large numbers of Americans are losing their homes because banks won’t let them reorganize their mortgages under bankruptcy. And corporations continue to lay off (and not rehire) even larger numbers.

With Republicans controlling more of Congress, their pending votes against extended unemployment benefits, jobs bills, and work programs will more sharply reveal whose side they’re on. Their attempt to extort extended tax cuts for the wealthy by threatening tax increases on the middle class will offer even more evidence. As will their refusal to disclose their sources of campaign funding.Here's what Obama did right. But since he didn't communicate this well, and let the Republican Tea Party dominate the conversation, he might as well not have done it.

How Obama Saved Capitalism and Lost the Midterms

By Timothy EganThe banking system was resuscitated by $700 billion in bailouts started by Bush (a fact unknown by a majority of Americans), and finished by Obama, with help from the Federal Reserve. It worked. The government is expected to break even on a risky bet to stabilize the global free market system. Had Obama followed the populist instincts of many in his party, the underpinnings of big capitalism could have collapsed. He did this without nationalizing banks, as other Democrats had urged.

Saving the American auto industry, which has been a huge drag on Obama’s political capital, is a monumental achievement that few appreciate, unless you live in Michigan. After getting their taxpayer lifeline from Obama, both General Motors and Chrysler are now making money by making cars. New plants are even scheduled to open. More than 1 million jobs would have disappeared had the domestic auto sector been liquidated.

“An apology is due Barack Obama,” wrote The Economist, which had opposed the $86 billion auto bailout. As for Government Motors: after emerging from bankruptcy, it will go public with a new stock offering in just a few weeks, and the United States government, with its 60 percent share of common stock, stands to make a profit. Yes, an industry was saved, and the government will probably make money on the deal—one of Obama’s signature economic successes.

Interest rates are at record lows. Corporate profits are lighting up boardrooms; it is one of the best years for earnings in a decade.

All of the above is good for capitalism, and should end any serious-minded discussion about Obama the socialist. But more than anything, the fact that the president took on the structural flaws of a broken free enterprise system instead of focusing on things that the average voter could understand explains why his party was routed on Tuesday. Obama got on the wrong side of voter anxiety in a decade of diminished fortunes.Plus more snarky tweets on the subject:Remember all those articles claiming Obama is a clever strategist who plans several moves ahead? Was this election part of his plan too?

News flash:  House Republicans say they intend to reduce the size of government. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Inside Obama's mind:  "If I give Republicans half, they'll give me the other half. It didn't work before, but it should work now." Uh-huh.

The Republican Tea Party prepares to implement the billionaire Koch agenda for the little people. Tax breaks for me, empty rhetoric for you.

Anybody still think BHO is the second coming of FDR, JFK, or LBJ? Discuss.

Election summary:  Teabaggers buy bread and circuses, vote to continue enriching their corporate masters aka the military-industrial complex.

Mitch McConnell:  Dumping Obama in 2012 is the only way to achieve the GOP agenda of rich white Christians ruling the country in perpetuity.Comment:  This posting is relevant to Newspaper Rock for a couple reasons:

1) The Indians' future is tied to Obama's future. Indians did worse under George "Sovereignty is...sovereignty" Bush and are doing better under Obama. No one who's poor wants to return to the era of slashed budgets and callous neglect.

2) What Obama needs to do is what liberal activists need to do. Namely, articulate a vision and educate the public about it.

For instance, critic Michael Cooke has suggested that Native stereotypes don't matter and aren't worth a protest. He'd prefer to sweep them under the rug and ignore them. I've said the opposite: that Indians and their supporters should protest them loud and clear. That we should keep explaining the harm of Native stereotypes and insisting on change until everyone gets it.

The Cooke approach has accomplished nothing. The activist approach has caused real and lasting change ever since it took off in the 1960s. We continue to see its worth in issues ranging from healthcare reform to gay marriage. Nothing in the political arena happens "organically" like a flower blossoming on its own. It happens because people demand change with well-reasoned and passionate arguments.

Obama's approach--letting Congress lead on legislation, staying out of the fray, not communicating his views, letting the facts speak for themselves--hasn't done much better than Cooke's. Like Cooke, it seems Obama hoped change would occur organically, without his leadership. He needs to do what I do here: challenge the status quo, frame the debate differently, and say why he's right and his opponents are wrong.

For more on the election, see 2010 Election Doesn't Matter and At the Restore Sanity Rally. For more on the efficacy of protests, see Comic-Con Protest vs. Dudesons Protest and Indians Shouldn't Act Uppity?

Preview of Man in the Maze

Shoals-made ‘Maze' has world premiereFilmed at Brush Creek Park and in the woods near Waterloo, as well as along the Natchez Trace Parkway and at Ghost Bridge near the Forks of Cypress in north Florence, The Man in the Maze tells the story of four college students who stumble upon a Native American burial mound during a research trip to study the Trail of Tears. Their disturbance of the mound unleashes a mysterious—and deadly—force, Patel said, and the friends find themselves lost in a terrifying maze.

Patel wrote and directed the film, which stars out-of-town actors Andrew Roth, Erik Williams and Liana Werner-Gray and Florence actress Stephanie Lomenick.

“The Man in the Maze is a story that is very close to my heart,” Patel said in a news release.

“It is definitely a one-of-a-kind story ... You may not want to turn your head because you might miss something.”Comment:  A one-of-a-kind story that sounds like every other "Indian burial ground" story...hmm.

I understand the impulse to tell burial grounds story. Native religions talk of everything having spirits. And storytellers want to connect America's mundane present with its rich Native past.

But Native legends don't talk much about ghosts, curses, and haunted places. And storytellers rarely acknowledge the continued presence of Indians today.

The first PEACE PARTY story I wrote had a spirit trapped in a burial mound. Yes, it's kind of a cliché, but there are differences. In particular, the mound wasn't cursed and the spirit was more misguided than malevolent. There was no claim of evil or horror attached to the Native culture.

Also, it was only one story in the series. First a ghost story, then a crime drama, then something else. It's not as if I said, "I want to do a movie about Indians. I plan to devote three years and a million dollars to give audiences my take on them. And my subject will be...a cursed burial ground!"

So do your supernatural stories, storytellers. But be creative, as I tried to be. Mix it up and don't tell the same story as everyone else.

For more on the subject, see Wendigo Movies at imagineNATIVE 2010, Indian Massacre in Night at the Temple, and Terry Gilliam's Legend of Talladega.

Below:  A spirit has a bad dream in PEACE PARTY.

Depp goes native for Tonto

Johnny Depp to Live with a Tribe

By Pau De ArcoHollywood hunk Johnny Depp will assimilate himself to have a realistic portrayal!

Johnny Depp, who is known for his versatile movie portrayals such as Edward Scissorhands, Willie Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of Caribbean-to name a few, is eager to start preparation for his role as Tonto in a Lone Ranger movie by shacking up with some real American Indians.

“Johnny has identified a tribe and wants to live with them as part of his preparation for the movie,” reveals a source close to the star.

“He wants to depict Tonto as a true Indian and not a cliché from an old Western. He’s ready to work and live authentically too. There will be no luxuries. He’s just waiting for the movie to get the go ahead.”
Comment:  This sounds like a Onion satire. I hope it isn't one.

Superficially, Depp's move sounds good. But here's why it isn't:

For starters, which tribe? There are 565 of them and they're all as different as European, Asian, or African countries. Tonto belonged to one tribe--supposedly the Apache--not all tribes. Unless Depp stays with some Apaches, he won't necessarily learn what he should.

Next, how long? A week? A month? I'd say a month is the minimum you'd need to start breaking down your preconceptions. True understanding probably would take years. I'm guessing Depp won't stay long enough to learn anything substantial.

The meta-message of Depp's announcement is this: He isn't a real Indian and he doesn't know anything about being a real Indian. He's tacitly admitting this by going to live with real Indians. Why not just hire a real Indian rather than go through this rigamarole?

Depp is taking a major role from a Native actor. He's putting on redface and planning an "authentic" minstrel show. He gets the wealth and fame while Native actors continue to languish.

For more on the subject, see Spooky Stuff in Depp's Lone Ranger and Depp to Brainstorm Tonto.

Steele's hypocrisy on racial slights

Steele demands and gets apology, while Natives await theirs

By Rob CapricciosoThe chairman of the Republican National Committee has demanded an apology for what he perceived to be a race-based slight, while failing to directly respond to a similar concern from Native Americans.

On Oct.5, during the first week of a new program on MSNBC, host Lawrence O’Donnell mentioned Michael Steele, the GOP leader, opining that he was “dancing as fast as he can” for his “master, the Republican National Committee.”

The parallels to slavery and racist overtones were apparent to many observers, and also apparent to Steele himself, who reportedly phoned O’Donnell the next day, requesting an apology.

O’Donnell took quick action, reporting to viewers Oct. 6 that he had received a call from Steele, who said the words “sort of stung.”

“I called him back immediately and apologized for using the word he found offensive,” O’Donnell said on his program. ”Those of us who are not descendants from slaves can never know the full impact of the word master in the ears of an African-American man.
But when the shoe was on the other foot:During a Jan. 4 appearance on the Sean Hannity Fox News program, Steele used the phrase “honest injun” to punctuate a point he was making about conservative ideals.

The words are widely seen as racist toward Indians, which many groups, including the Native American Journalists Association and congressional advocates, noted publicly at the time. And they demanded an apology.

But Steele was slow to offer amends, and his office did not return calls on the matter. When he ultimately responded, he parsed his own words, while calling on another politician to step down for using racially offensive words.

Fox News host Chris Wallace ended up asking Steele about the “honest injun” remark Jan. 10, noting that congressmen from both parties said that it is a racial slur.

“Well, if it is, I apologize for it,” Steele responded on the show. “It’s not an intent to be a racial slur. I wasn’t intending to say a racial slur at all.Conclusion:Steele’s conditional take on the phrase outraged some Native Americans, as they said he was qualifying his own racism, while hypocritically calling out someone for using a racist term.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Twain Invented "Injun"? and Calling BS on Steele's "Injun."

Rachel Zoe as an "Indian warrior"

Adrienne Keene brings this item to our attention in her Native Appropriations blog:

Rachel Zoe as a "Makeshift Indian Warrior"Add Rachel Zoe to the list of celebrities donning racial drag this Halloween. She posted this picture October 30th on her twitter account and blog with the tweet:

"headed out as a make shift Indian warrior! Happy almost Halloween! XoRZ"If you're wondering who Rachel Zoe is, here's the answer:

Rachel ZoeRachel Zoe is an American fashion stylist best known for working with celebrities, fashion houses, beauty firms, advertising agencies, and magazine editors. In 2008, the first season of her Bravo reality television series The Rachel Zoe Project debuted.Comment:  Needless to say, this "Indian warrior" is a stereotypical savage Indian.

This is almost a perfect example of what I talked about in Indian Wannabes = Celebrity Wannabes. A little-known "celebrity" tries to increase her fame by dressing up in a slightly transgressive outfit and sharing it with the world. "Look at me!" she's saying. "I'm an Indian! Isn't that so cool and hip and naughty of me?!"

For more celebrity Indian wannabes, see Kathy Griffin in a Headdress and Paris Hilton as a Sexy Indian. For more on the subject in general, see The Hipster Headdress Challenge, Headdresses Okay If They're "Controversial"?, and Why Hipster Headdresses Aren't Okay.

Below:  "I'm a dumb blonde...but I'm also an Indian warrior! How freakin' awesome is that?!"

"Reservation hotties" and "welfare chicks"

Members of aboriginal community voice concerns over pornographic websiteMembers of Winnipeg's aboriginal community are speaking out against a pornographic website featuring only native women. They believe the women featured on it are vulnerable and were targeted.

Lisa Michell of the Women's Memorial March says the site furthers stereotypes of aboriginal women. The site advertises "casino girls," "reservation hotties" and "welfare chicks."

CTV News is not naming the website.

The website's creator, Florida resident Shim Mekbeb, says it's a niche website and the girls are willing.Comment:  I don't think women should sell themselves for money, but that's a separate subject. The problem here is the porn site's stereotypes. "Casino girls," "reservation hotties" and "welfare chicks" all sound like variations of the Indian princess or squaw. The women are sexy like princesses but slutty like squaws.

And where did Mekbeb get the idea for this website? Gee, I can't imagine.

Paris Hilton as a sexy Indian
"Pocahontas" in Parenthood
Miss Universe Canada finalist in a headdress
Sexy "Indians" in hipster headdresses
"Sexy squaws" at Neon Indian concert

Etc.

For more on the subject, see Indian Women as Sex Objects.

Below:  "Lisa Michell of the Women's Memorial March said she believes vulnerable aboriginal women were targeted for the website."

Spencer to speak for NA Heritage Month

‘Twilight’ actor Chaske Spencer to speak Wednesday for Native American Heritage Month

By Maria LeoneChaske Spencer, known for his role as werewolf leader Sam Uley in “Twilight” will appear as part of Native American Heritage Month.

The Native American Community advocate and activist will speak at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Plachta Auditorium. The event is free.

Spencer will talk about empowering people to reduce poverty and create sustainable communities, said Steve Lewis, president of Program Board and Allegan junior.

“He will explain how we as a community can put forth the effort to make change in our global society as well as in our local society,” said Colleen Green, director of Native American Programs.Comment:  People like Chaske Spencer and Q'orianka Kilcher are using their fame the right way: to help people. That's what it's all about.

For more on the subject, see Chaske Spencer's Upcoming Project and Shift the Power Launch Party.

2010 election doesn't matter

An Open Letter to the White Right, On the Occasion of Your Recent, Successful Temper Tantrum[I]n the pantheon of American history, old white people have always been the bad guys, the keepers of the hegemonic and reactionary flame, the folks unwilling to share the category of American with others on equal terms.

Fine, so screw you then.

Because you’re a dying breed.

On the endangered list.

And unlike say, the bald eagle or some exotic species of muskrat, you are not worth saving.

In forty years or so, maybe fewer, there won’t be any more white people around who actually remember that Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best, Opie-Taylor-Down-at-the-Fishing Hole cornpone bullshit that you hold so near and dear to your heart.

There won’t be any more white folks around who think the 1950s were the good old days, because there won’t be any more white folks around who actually remember them, and so therefore, we’ll be able to teach about them accurately and honestly, without hurting your precious feelings, or those of the so-called “greatest generation”—a bunch of miscreants who saved the world from fascism only to return home and oppose the ending of it here, by doing nothing to lift a finger on behalf of the civil rights struggle.

So frankly, to hell with you and all who revere you.

By then, half the country will be black or brown. And there is nothing you can do about it.Plus my snarky comments during and after the election:Judging by the election results, the rally to restore sanity didn't work. :-(

At least Christine O'Donnell is gone. Bye-bye, nutcase!

I'm not too worried by the election. Once the recession ends and the Tea Party of No proves it has nothing, the voters will toss it out.

Election summary:  Fear restored. Sanity nowhere in sight.

I guess Obama should've let General Motors go bankrupt. Millions of people unemployed: That would've proved he was serious about fixing the economy. Yeah, right!

The Grand Old Party of No plans massive new giveaways to wealthy taxpayers and corporations. Call it teabagonomics.

"First they Trickle down on ya, then they Tea-bag ya. It's like some sick, raunchy Republiporn nightmare!" --Rob Fife

Teabagonomics:  "Let's give the country back to the people who created this mess. Maybe they'll do the opposite of what they did last time."

A news program just reported on moms turning to prostitution because of the economy. That's the power of free markets for you.

See, we don't need any of that welfare spending. Anyone who really wants to work can find a job!Comment:  Fortunately, as the headline says, this election doesn't matter in the long run. America's changing demographics will transform our white-ruled country into a multicultural one. The only question is how long it'll take. I'm guessing 20-30 years.

All the trendlines are pointing in the right direction. Youngsters who can't imagine how racist and sexist the country was will never return to their forefathers' ways. So we'll never go back to slavery or Jim Crow laws. We'll never reinstate discrimination against Catholics or Jews. Once we establish them, we'll never eliminate gay rights to serve in the military or marry.

For more on the subject, see:

Tea Party Guide to American History
Gray vs. brown Americans
What "I want my country back" means
Culture war over who's an American
Why we believe in Columbus

Genocide, Canadian-style

A history of missteps

By Brett Popplewell1876:  Parliament passes the Indian Act. A report that year explains the act’s purpose: “The aborigines are to be kept in a condition of tutelage and treated as wards or children of the State. Every effort should be made to aid the Red man in lifting himself out of his condition of tutelage and dependence, and that is clearly our wisdom and our duty ... to prepare him for a higher civilization.”

1920:  Duncan Campbell Scott, deputy superintendent of the Indian department from 1913 to 1932, proposes amendments to the Indian Act. “I want to get rid of the Indian problem,” he says. “Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic....”

1925-1951:  The government forbids Indians from forming their own political groups. It also bans powwows, sweat lodges and sun dances. The ban is not lifted until 1951.

1940s:  Inspired by what it has read about Canada’s Indian Act and its legal classification of “status Indians,” the South African government examines Canada’s Indian reserve system and later models elements of apartheid after the Canadian system.

1946-1948:  In order to sign on to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ottawa lifts bans on traditions such as potlatchs and powwows, as is the prohibition on alcohol on reserves.

1960:  Indians are given voting rights.

1969:  Pierre Trudeau sets his agenda for a just society. His minister of Indian Affairs, Jean Chrétien, drafts the “White Paper.” Its purpose is to make everyone equal under the law by abolishing Indian status, Indian reserves, Indian treaties, the Indian Department and the Indian Act. Indian chiefs across the country respond with “The Red Paper.” The status quo is maintained. Indian status is protected. Comment:  I don't know much about the specifics of Canada's Native history, so this is interesting. I particularly like the fact that Canada's reserve system was the model for South Africa's apartheid. And the fact that Indians weren't deemed good enough to vote until 1960. Canadian women got the vote in 1919.

All the negative acts here qualify as genocidal acts under the UN's definition of genocide. And this doesn't even go into the whole boarding-school tragedy, which was big in Canada.

This info makes previous postings on the subject--e.g., Europeans Taught Natives "Discipline, Order"? and No History of Canadian Colonialism?!--seem ironic. Canadians tried to obliterate Native cultures, but people are still defending them?!

Adam Beach in Hawaii Five-0

Monday's episode of Hawaii Five-0 (airdate: 11/2/10) featured Adam Beach. Here's the story:

Hawaii Five-0: “Ho’apono”--review

By Gerald SoNavy SEAL Graham (Adam Beach), suspected of killing his wife, runs from police and takes seven tourists hostage aboard the U.S.S. Missouri memorial, intending to force a search for “the real killer.” McGarrett sneaks aboard to negotiate with Graham while Danno, Chin Ho, and Kono investigate Graham’s claim that someone else killed his wife.

Graham had suffered from post-traumatic stress since his SEAL team was ambushed in Iraq and children were caught in the crossfire. He had a history of arguing with his wife and had stopped taking his medication, believing it was clouding his judgment. In short, Graham could have killed his wife and have no recollection of doing it. Adam Beach played Graham’s sympathetic, confused, and violent sides well.Comment:  Thankfully, Beach didn't play another cousin to Chin Ho and Kono. <g>

The episode didn't mention Indians or Indian lore, which is fine. It's not necessary in a quick-paced cop drama like this one.

Because of his character's PTSD, Beach got a chance to emote. I think he did a good job.

All in all, I'd say this was a better than average episode of Hawaii Five-0. More psychological tension, less nonstop action. It wasn't great, but it was definitely watchable.

For more on Hawaii Five-0, see Asians in Hawaii Five-0 Remake and Review of Hawaii Five-0 Remake. For more on Adam Beach, see Who Are the Great Native Actors? and Beach's Role in Cowboys and Aliens.

Below:  Graham Wilson (Adam Beach) holds Steve McGarrett hostage.

Henricus was no. 2

400th commemoration continues at Henricus Historical ParkHenricus Historical Park continues its 400th commemoration with the second major event in a series called “The Year of Henricus” with “Pocahontas and the Powhatan People” Nov. 6 and 7. Pocahontas lived and met John Rolfe at the Citie of Henricus, the second permanent English settlement in North America. Leaders of Henricus developed the first English hospital, chartered the first college in North America and established tobacco as the first cash crop in Virginia. This event examines the significant impact neighboring Virginia Indians had on the English colonists and explores the life of Pocahontas at Henricus.

Set among a recreated Arrohateck Indian village and English settlement, visitors to Henricus Historical Park are encouraged to step back in time and experience life in 1611 Colonial Virginia demonstrated by period-dressed interpreters. American Indian activities will include historical recreations of daily Virginia Indian life and scheduled ceremonial dance and music demonstrations. Visitors to the English settlement can meet John Rolfe and other colonists as they discuss the upcoming marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe.Comment:  Talking about no one remembering who came in second place! I don't think I've ever heard of Henricus. Jamestown gets all the publicity and Henricus gets none.

For more on the subject, see Pocahontas Bastardizes Real People.

Below:  Jamestown, not Henricus.

All about Jim Northrup

MN VOICES | Jim Northrup writes on the Rez Road

By Stephanie FoxFor more than 21 years, Jim Northrup has been one of the premier literary voices of the American Indian and the Midwest writers' communities. He is a playwright, a fiction writer, a newspaper columnist and teacher, but he calls himself a bullshitter--another name, he says, for a storyteller.

Northrup, 67, is best known by many as a poet and for his award winning syndicated column Fond du Lac Follies, published monthly in The Circle, The Native American Press, News From Indian Country, and the Daily Planet. His books include Walking the Rez Road, a collection of short stories featuring Viet Nam veteran Luke Warmwater as the main character, and Rez Road Follies.

His writing is filled with bone-dry and often pointed humor. Whether about his time in Vietnam, his run-ins with civil authorities to uphold treaty rights, his conflicts with tribal governments or his experiences with non-Indians who assume that he lives in a tipi, Northrup has a certain point of view, written to inflict a bit of discomfort to the comfortable reader.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.

Lost colony of Roanoke found?

The Lost Colony may now be found

By Erin James“Croatoan is not some mysterious word on a tree,” Dawson says, pointing to his own hand-drawn representation of the colony’s single clue. “Croatoan is a known place.”

Today, that place is called Buxton and the villages that border it to the south on Hatteras. Home to the Croatoan tribe for more than a thousand years, it’s a place Dawson knows well.

Dawson’s research has revealed an important fact that he thinks other historians have overlooked or dismissed as insignificant: Two tribes inhabited the land near the Lost Colony’s settlement--two distinct tribes with their own dialects, cultures and social hierarchies. Two rival tribes with polarized opinions of white settlers.

His research, combined with his intimate knowledge of Hatteras Island, has led Dawson to conclude that the Lost Colony must have abandoned its settlement on Roanoke Island, traveled south and eventually assimilated into the Croatoan tribe--all in an effort to escape the threat of the Secotan.

As history has given way to legend, Dawson believes the Croatoan have been denied their rightful place in American history as people who welcomed foreigners into their home.Comment:  For more on the subject, see European Invasion = Biological Warfare and Fort Raleigh in Time Team America.

Native landmark at Grand Canyon

Landmark-amphitheater dedicated at Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon Association and Grand Canyon National Park are set to dedicate a new rim-based amphitheater and landmark feature at Mather Point on the South Rim.

The landmark feature honoring Native American tribes affiliated with Grand Canyon National Park features a plaza with a meeting area for visitors walking to and from Mather Point. Stone slabs in the construction include etchings inspired by stories with input gathered from tribes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Hualapai Capital in Route 66 Guide and Hualapai Star in IMAX Film.

Powwow dance excludes unregistered Indian

An unregistered Indian describes what happened when she tried to dance at a Chickahominy powwow for registered Indians only.

Being a black Indian at a Chickahominy pow wow

By Shonda Buchanan[T]he angry man, and the other two flanking me, one in regalia with patient, sad eyes, and the other in street clothes, yellowish skin and dark sunglasses, made me suddenly realize that this was an Indian shake down.

“Didn’t you see our signs?”

“Where I come from,” I touched my heart in earnest, “everyone can dance during intertribal.”

“No,” he said. “You cannot.”

“Who are your council people?” I said. I could feel my chest tightening, and the tears came. “What are your names?” They said their names but in the heat and frustration, their names fell away.

“We are the council,” Tall Dark Sunglasses Yellow Skin said. “He’s on the council. I’m on the council. These are just our rules.”

“But those rules were set up by a white government that wanted to count and classify Indians. You’re holding me to the same standard?”

“This is what we do because the government tells us to,” Dark Sunglasses said.

“Wait.” I said. “You’re saying the government is here counting the Indians dancing in that circle?”

“Look,” Mr. Gruff Brown Skin said. “Everyone in that circle has registered and has their cards.”

None of my friends had tribal enrollment cards either. Were these Virginia Indians racist? Was I carded because I was the most visibly black, despite being adorned in a buckskin dress?

I felt my heart moving up into my mouth, swallowing the feeling that women from the tribe should have approached me, not men. Yet to be fair, I saw these council members’ point. I understand how this could be as frustrating for them as it was for me, an unknown woman who didn’t register as a dancer in their circle. Their fight to maintain their Indianness, to them, is on one level a way of protecting their heritage and culture, but on another level, it is highly exclusionary of those who are Indian without cards: black, white, Mexican.Some comments on this column:SC said yesterday at 5:17 AM

Those who are close to our Creator never behave that way. It says a lot about them.

PlainsNative said yesterday at 4:29 AM

Why is this Chickahominy tribe on the east coast having a powwow anyway? If they are so traditional they should really ban these powwows from their area and go back to whatever it is their ancestors used to do in the first place. I bet these guys have sweat lodges and are probably trying to get a sundance going and they probably think this makes them traditional. It doesn't. It makes them misguided and foolish.

risingsun-phillips said yesterday at 11:32 PM

I've lived on the East Coast for 27 years. When I first came here there were hardly any Native Americans. Now everywhere I look there are Natives or "Natives" trying to prove their "indian-ness" to the government. Yes a lot of them have a "verbal" history but no documentation. I was always told if they look black then they are black. In order to be recognized as a Native American you have to be able to prove your affiliation with a federally recognized tribe. I am a "card carrying" Native American and very proud to be one. If you can not prove your blood line, then sorry you will not be accepted as an Indian. That is just the way it is and it will probably stay that way. Get over it, and accept your own ethnic background. The African American heritage is just as rich with history, and traditions. Be glad of who you are, quit trying to take something that is not yours to take.

Quite One said yesterday at 8:01 PM

Welcome to the politics of the powwow arena. A lot of powwows are requesting for verification with enrollment cards. Why? Perhaps to keep out the “hobbyists,” the born again NDNs, wannabe NDNs, the white skinned NDNs, black skinned NDNs, and the NDNs of Latin America, out of the powwow arena. Stick to your own tribal culture, stomp dances and green corn ceremonies.

Winnebago Indian said yesterday at 7:59 PM

The Sioux people have a saying: "Mitakouye Oyasin. All my relatives. I would never prevent you from participating. We are all related.

Kish Beh said yesterday at 7:33 PM

Oh yes I am tired of the "I'm more NDN than you" BS. I have to say that I am two tribes and adopted into a third. My daughter is of three tribes and cannot "register" for none of them. Not even blood to declare for any. We are proud of our ancestry. We can trace my family and have photos. It is not right to deny a proud Native American. Whether or not they are mixed.

you find trouble if you look for it said yesterday at 7:16 PM

If you read the rules of the "powwow" they clearly state dancers must have a tribal ID. I would think since the author has a PhD in English she would be fully aware of the implications of her dancing without providing a tribal ID and was just trying to start trouble. The organizers of the powwow seem to be a rogue group of Indians that must have an issue with non tribal members coming to powwows. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the author being black but her not following the rules. Both sides seem to have some identity issues.

Lupa said yesterday at 5:27 PM

Yeah, all that's well and good but are those claiming NDN blood willing to go to a reservation and experience the results of white genocidal policies. Usually, these Johnny come latelys are not willing to fight for treaty rights, nor help with historical trauma that results in the most important issues as domestic violence, substance abuse, the overwhelming poverty and unemployment that is part of reservation life. They don't seem to want to know that part of being NDN, or do much of anything else that goes beyond vague, sentimental ideas of being NDN and just play dress up.Comment:  PlainsNative makes a good point about why the Chickahominy are holding a Plains-style powwow. True, it's a pan-Indian event, but sometimes it's a substitute for developing one's unique heritage. Don't hold a powwow to proclaim your "Indian-ness" when you could be working on your own culture instead.

Irony department: The Chickahominy may have CDIB cards proving their Indian blood--which is what we mean by registration. But they're not federally recognized, although they're trying to earn that status. Another tribe could hold a powwow allowing only enrolled Indians of federally recognized tribes. That would leave the Chickahominy out.

Of course, the Chickahominy shouldn't have singled her out because of her black skin. That's called racial profiling. If you're going to insist on cards, check everyone's card, not just the people who don't look "Indian."

The main issue

On to the main issue: whether to let Buchanan in. Buchanan may say she understands the tribe's position, but it's not clear that she really does. Alas, I'll have to side with the Chickahominy over her on this point.

I think Quite One and Lupa have the best arguments. Would any tribe accept me if I walked in and said my great-great-grandmother was a Cherokee princess? Then why should they accept Buchanan? Because she's more sincere than I am? Not a good basis to make decisions on.

Buchanan says she's assistant professor in the Department of English at Hampton University, of North Carolina and Mississippi Choctaw Indian ancestry. Okay, so go live and work with those Indians for a decade or two. Prove your interest in their lives and lifestyles. Then humbly ask if you can participate in an intertribal dance without a card and someone may say yes.

That's roughly what Tony Hillerman did before writing his Leaphorn/Chee mysteries. He proved his interest in his Navajo neighbors and earned their respect over time. He didn't just start writing about Indians because he felt it in his blood or whatever.

PlainsNative's statement about the Chickahominy applies to Buchanan too. If you feel the need to participate in a vision quest, sweat lodge, or powwow, what does that say about you? That you don't belong unless you look and act like a stereotypical Indian? I know many Indians who (probably) haven't been within miles of these "Indian" things, but they don't doubt their identity. They don't feel the need to dance to prove themselves.

For more on the subject, see my postings on black Indians and identity.

Kathy Griffin in a headdress

Kathy Griffin takes aim, fires

Nothing is sacred for the 'D-List' comedian, and that's the secret to her success. Her Bravo special airs Tuesday.

By Yvonne VillarrealThe flame-haired 49-year-old comedian known for her acerbic humor—and her Bravo series "My Life on the D-List"—holds a nebulous place in the celebrity pecking order. She's the star of a reality series in which she mocks stardom, while her own Hollywood life lends itself to plenty of material. Especially on this September day: Griffin was between two comedy sets at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, which has been edited down into the one-hour Bravo comedy special "Kathy Griffin: Whores on Crutches" that will air Tuesday.

"I'm not doing Caesars. Palace—that'd be too easy," she said backstage. "We're doing it Temecula style and, frankly, I deserve an Emmy for the drive alone. You can't come here unless you witness several accidents and get caught in several brush fires."In other words, Griffin hints that Indian reservations are remote and dangerous places.In Tuesday's special, Griffin warns, "I'm going to discuss things that should not be discussed in a tepee," with Bristol Palin, Paris Hilton, Tiger Woods and "The View's" Elisabeth Hasselbeck coming under fire.Stereotype alert! The Pechanga didn't use tipis.As Griffin analyzed her live set in retrospect, her brain was clearly moving at warp speed, pegging the opening—in which she appears with a Native American headdress—as "really strong cause it was visually funny and silly—it could be the commercial." But she admits she didn't hit her stride until much later in the act, when she blathered on about the VH-1 series, "The OCD Project."And:"If you'll excuse me, I have to put on my headdress," she said. "I bet Joan Rivers has never had to say that."Comment:  Anyone who isn't an ignoramus never had to say that.

Spare us any comments about how the headdress was part of Griffin's comedy routine. Or how she was satirizing our ignorance about Indians. I've already dismissed those excuses as invalid.

For starters, I'd place a large wager that she doesn't know anything about the Pechanga Indians. In particular, I'm betting she doesn't know if they wore headdresses or lived in tipis. If I'm right, that alone eliminates the "satire" argument.

As for the "part of the show/it's just a joke" rationalization, it doesn't work. Everyone who wears a headdress is "putting on a show" for the public. It doesn't matter whether they're professional entertainers or not. They're making a statement about something: that they think Indians are "cool," they consider themselves "tribal," or whatever. That's why we use the term "fashion statement."

What's the statement?

So the question isn't whether the headdress is meant to make a statement or not. It is. And the magical power of intent assures us that no one ever intends to mock or belittle Indians. We know that because they tell us so, and they would never lie.

What the headdress tells us about the wearer--that they're hip or ironic--is a secondary and unimportant message. What the headdress tells observers about Indians is the primary message. And that message is loud and clear: that all Indians are the same, like Plains Indians. That they're primitive people of the past who used to kill white folks and now have mostly vanished.

Whether you're a comedian, a hipster, or some other wannabe, your intent doesn't matter. Your secondary message--"look how clever I am!"--doesn't matter. What matters is the primary message you're sending to the public. And that message is stereotypical.

It's also arguably racist. You wouldn't dress up as an outdated black or Asian person, but you will dress up as an outdated Indian. Picking on one race to the exclusion of others is racism.

Did the Indians laugh?

Let's recall one more point. Griffin's audience included many Pechanga Indians. They didn't need to hear that most people have stereotypical views of Indians. That it's "ironic" that people think Indians wear headdresses. They're living proof of that.

Would you go in front of a black audience in blackface to make a point about blackface? Are blacks likely to consider that funny? No. Then why would you do the same thing in front of an Indian audience? Because you're an ignoramus, I guess.

From what I heard, some people in the audience were uncomfortable with Griffin's redface minstrel shtick. And understandably so. Whether she realized it or not, Griffin mocked Indians in front of Indians.

For more on the "it's just a joke" rationalization, see:

Why minstrel shows are wrong
Irish band is just harmless fun?
The Dudesons, Polish jokes, and minstrel shows
Dudesons too "stoopid" to matter?
Okay to stereotype in "satires"?

For more celebrities in offensive outfits, see Paris Hilton as a Sexy Indian and Khloe Kardashian in a Headdress.

Below:  "Comedian Kathy Griffin performs at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula." (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Who are the great Native actors?

On Facebook I reposted "We Can't Find the Talent" with some comments:Hollywood claims it wants good Native actors but can't find them.

All those great Native roles and no one to fill them? Yeah, right!Others chimed in:No kidding....They've been claiming that since the turn of last century!

Hahaha...what BS, can't find them...or don't want to pay them?

That's pure bullshit--they are either woefully neglected or outright rejected by Hollyweird....Who is the talent?

But someone asked a reasonable question:Do you know of any? Seriously, do you? I've been wondering about this myself. Who are the great Native actors/actresses?On the male side, Graham Greene, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig, Gordon Tootoosis, Russell Means, August Schellenberg, Gary Farmer, Gil Birmingham, Adam Beach, Michael Greyeyes, Nathaniel Arcand, Raoul Trujillo.

There you go. I challenged myself to come up with a dozen names without looking at any source. I.e., from memory only. And I did it.

Now that I've said that, some caveats:

1) I'm a poor judge of acting ability. I usually can distinguish only good, average, or bad.

2) Several dozen other Native movie actors get only small supporting roles and never have an opportunity to shine. If someone gave them a chance, they might be just as good as the leading men I named.

3) I believe there's a whole subculture of Native theater actors who usually don't try for movie roles. I know little about them. They also may be good as the leading men.

But if asked, most people probably would name at least 7-8 of the people on my list. Again, I won't swear they're the best. They're kind of a mix of best and most popular.

And the point...

The point isn't that they're great or worthy of Oscars. The point is that they're experienced and professional, with dozens of roles each. Any of them could step into a role and do a credible job.

This contradicts the Hollywood claim that producers can't find any Native talent. My answer is: Have you tried these 12 guys? And the second 12 guys on my list? If you've tried them all and they couldn't do the job, I guess you were right. But if you haven't tried them all, you're wasting our time with lame excuses. Try them first, then complain.

The same applies to the female side. I just did the male side to prove a point. Namely, that high-quality Native actors do exist.

For more on the subject, see Hollywood Ghettoizes Native Actors and "Bottom Line" Argument Is Racist.

Below:  Russell Means, actor.

Obama proclaims NA Heritage Month

Presidential Proclamation--National Native American Heritage MonthFor millennia before Europeans settled in North America, the indigenous peoples of this continent flourished with vibrant cultures and were the original stewards of the land. From generation to generation, they handed down invaluable cultural knowledge and rich traditions, which continue to thrive in Native American communities across our country today. During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor and celebrate their importance to our great Nation and our world.

America's journey has been marked both by bright times of progress and dark moments of injustice for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Since the birth of America, they have contributed immeasurably to our country and our heritage, distinguishing themselves as scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders in all aspects of our society. Native Americans have also served in the United States Armed Forces with honor and distinction, defending the security of our Nation with their lives. Yet, our tribal communities face stark realities, including disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, crime, and disease. These disparities are unacceptable, and we must acknowledge both our history and our current challenges if we are to ensure that all of our children have an equal opportunity to pursue the American dream. From upholding the tribal sovereignty recognized and reaffirmed in our Constitution and laws to strengthening our unique nation-to-nation relationship, my Administration stands firm in fulfilling our Nation's commitments.And:As we celebrate the contributions and heritage of Native Americans during this month, we also recommit to supporting tribal self-determination, security, and prosperity for all Native Americans. While we cannot erase the scourges or broken promises of our past, we will move ahead together in writing a new, brighter chapter in our joint history.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2010 as National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to celebrate November 26, 2010, as Native American Heritage Day.And here's government website dedicated to the month:

Native American Heritage Month

Comment:  Even though this is a presidential proclamation, it's still wrong to capitalize words such as "nation" and "administration." Sorry, Obama, but check your "Strunk and White."

For more on the subject, see History of Native American Heritage Day.

Below:  Obama by Bunky Echo-Hawk.

Inupiat extra in Everybody Loves Whales

Alaska seamstress lands role in whale movie

By Mary Beth SmetzerNorth Pole resident Janie Snyder was visiting her sister Rosabelle Rexford for Nalukataq, a spring whaling celebration in Barrow, when the unexpected happened.

The two 60-something sisters were out and about, having fun, chatting and greeting relatives and friends when they heard a voice behind them say, "There are the two we've been looking for."

Perhaps it was the sisters' colorful parkas or their comical antics that attracted a casting director to approach them for the film "Everybody Loves Whales," starring Hollywood starlet Drew Barrymore.

Whatever the reason, the sisters' excursion to watch a blanket toss landed them paying parts as extras in the film about Barrow's epic efforts in 1988 to free three gray whales from the arctic ice.A small example of why authenticity matters:"It's fun, fun, fun, especially when you correct a director three times," Janie said.

"I was being treated first class after that," she joked.

Janie's corrections dealt with the correct pronunciation of her Native Inupiaq language used in the film.

"Everything has to be said correctly," she said. "This film is for Barrow."What Snyder does in real life:Janie jokes about being a movie star, but she has long been famous for her sewing, comic wit, love of fishing, berry picking and laughing among her circle of friends.

"She is a woman who is full of energy and she takes great pride in her ability to sew beautiful kuspuks," said her Yup'ik friend Ida Alexie of Bethel. "She has great decorating skill for the trimming."

Janie uses the Inupiaq word atikluk, not kuspuk, for the summer parkas she is renowned for. She has won 15 consecutive gold medals at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics and has stacked up first place awards at the annual Open North American Native clothing contests and the Tanana Valley State Fair.Comment:  Snyder makes parkas for a living...but she's still far from the stereotypical Eskimo with igloo, parka, and dog sled. Like the Plain Indian stereotype, this stereotype needs to go.

For more on the subject, see Real Conflict in Everybody Loves Whales and Auditions for Everybody Loves Whales.

Hualapai capital in Route 66 guide

Hualapai Tourism a part of interactive travel guide programThe capital of the Hualapai Nation, Peach Springs, Ariz., is located on the longest remaining portion of Historic Route 66 and has been featured in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona’s new interactive travel guide the “Arizona Route 66 Passport.” The program encourages travelers to experience all the “Mother Road” has to offer. Visitors collect stamps from the Route 66 communities and attractions in order to learn about the area and receive rewards upon completion.

Peach Springs is a unique location on Route 66 because it is engrained with Native American culture and acts as a gateway for many of the Hualapai Tourism’s products including the only one-day Grand Canyon whitewater rafting trip, Hualapai River Runners, and Hualapai Lodge. Peach Springs is also the starting point for off-road tours, hiking, fishing and hunting permitted by the tribe. Peach Springs is two hours from the Hualapai’s Grand Canyon West, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which too is located on the reservation and included in the Passport.Comment:  For more on promoting Native tourism, see Four Corners on Geotourism Map and Chickasaw Tourism Center.

Comics, Columbus, and film festivals

Indian Comics Irregular #198:  Columbus Sinks, Comics Soar