Jemez cancels cultish Halloween

Slaying spurs Jemez Pueblo to cancel Halloween

Leaders suspect cult activity in grisly death

By Tom SharpeJemez Pueblo has banned trick-or-treating this Halloween over fears that a grisly killing there last month was caused by cult activity.

Jemez Pueblo Gov. Joshua Madalena said Tuesday that the ban was ordered "because of the violence that happened."

"That really made me and my Tribal Council and my religious leaders step back and take a look at where are we now," he said. "The religious leaders had told me that this (Halloween) is not a part of our culture. Many of them are older men and stated that, 'When I was young, we didn't have this. When did it start? And look at now, you know. We've lost control.'"

Last month, Lucas Michael Ray Steven Toledo, 22, of Jemez Pueblo was charged with stabbing to death Matthew Panana, 21, also of Jemez Pueblo, then trying to disembowel him.And:The governor said that when he was young, only children went trick-or-treating, but now some older people participate while intoxicated.

"We've made it a big deal, but our day that we're really respectful of is All Souls Day (Tuesday, also known as Day of the Dead)," he said. "That's something that's very traditional and very spiritual to the Jemez people, so that's something our elders and myself want to continue to focus on and not lose that connection."

A local, non-Indian pastor said he figured the ban on trick-or-treating was because Jemez Pueblo leaders "want nothing to do with Western culture or demonic activity. They're trying to keep that away during this time, so they're not going to have any kind of Halloween stuff."

But the pastor asked that his name not be published because it would cause problems for Indian churchgoers who told him about the ban. "People who come to church, they've got to keep it quiet there ... because they can't have Christianity there," he said. "There's a lot of fear in the people to not speak about different things."A few comments on this article:If they want nothing to do with Western culture, tribal members would have to cancel a lot more than Halloween, which at its best is an innocent celebration that most kids enjoy. What about Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, Christmas, July 4th, and Easter, to name a few Western holidays? While as an "Anglo," I don't think it's such a bad idea to eliminate some of these rather hypocritical celebrations, most 21st century Indians and non-Indians would not be willing to do that!

The tribal leaders show great courage in taking such an unpopular stand. I believe they are correct. The traditions of Native peoples are just as valid, in fact often more so, than those of non-Native cultures. A person can live with one foot in the native world and one in the non-Native, so long as he or she understands the differences. A valid example is the simple fact that most 'white man' medicines and medical procedures are tested on and developed for non-Native peoples. It is no wonder, then that Demerol has toxic side-effects with Natives, or that the rejection of prosthetic implants is higher in Natives than whites. Most 'Indians' that I know will spike a fever on a sterile saline IV. There are differences, and we should acknowledge and celebrate them.Comment:  Leave it to a pastor to demonize both Halloween ("demonic activity") and Jemez ("a lot of fear in the people"). Good job reinforcing the idea that white Christians are the norm.

For more on Native religion, see:

Shamans did it for sex and money?
Eagle rite = "satanic sacrifice"?
Native spirituality is "demonic"?
Native truth vs. Christian lies
Indian gods = space aliens

AIFI's 2010 nominees

The 35th Annual American Indian Film Festival® Announces American Indian Motion Picture Award NomineesThe American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) and title sponsor the Seminole Tribe of Florida are proud to announce the nominees for the 35th annual American Indian Film Festival. The awards will be presented at the annual American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show on Saturday Nov. 13 at 6:00p.m at the historic Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

The American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show (established in 1978) has recognized excellence in American Indian cinematic achievement, making the annual awards show one of the most prominent Indian country and Native cinema showcases.

Best Film

Of Mice and Men, Kyle Hudlin-Whelan, director

Two Indians Talking, Sara McIntyre, director

A Windigo Tale, Armand Garnet Ruffo, director

Best Director

Kyle Hudlin-Whelan, Of Mice and Men

Sara McIntyre, Two Indians Talking

Rodrick Pocowatchit, The Dead Can’t Dance

Jeremy Torrie, A Flesh Offering

Best Actor

Nathaniel Arcand, Two Indians Talking

John Cook, Of Mice and Men

Rodrick Pocowatchit, The Dead Can’t Dance

Gary Farmer, A Windigo Tale

Best Actress

Andrea Menard, A Windigo Tale

Kaniehtiio Horn, A Flesh Offering

Best Supporting Actor

Justin Rain, Two Indians Talking

Winter Fox Frank, Behind the Door of a Secret Girl

Stanley Wood, Of Mice and Men

Best Supporting Actress

Jani Lauzon, A Windigo Tale

Casey Camp-Horinek, Behind the Door of a Secret Girl

Comment:  Looks like the same half dozen films got all the nominations. None of them are getting much coverage in the mainstream media.

Ironically, the horror-oriented films probably have the best chance of breaking through to a wider audience. Sigh.

For more on the nominated movies, see Wendigo Movies in imagineNATIVE 2010 and Two Indians Talking Voted Most Popular. For more on the subject in general, see AIFI's 2008 Nominees and The Best Indian Movies.

Classmates thought Alexie would shoot them

Leaving reservation brought its rewards

Native American author tells CSU-Pueblo crowd about overcoming obstacles

By Gayle PerezAlexie spoke about his decision to leave the reservation school to attend a much more progressive high school in a bordering town.

He said on the first day, he was terrified of the "white kids" and they were terrified of him.

"They literally thought I was going to pull out a bow and arrow," he said. "We weren't human beings, we were Indians."

Now looking back on that experience, Alexie said crossing the road to get to that high school was his ticket to a better life.

"What I realize now is that road, that street was my Atlantic Ocean and that little white farm town school was my Ellis Island," he said.

"I was a first-generation immigrant into the United States, which is pretty funny because I am indigenous. I was an indigenous immigrant, which was pretty ironic," he said. "So I was an ironic, indigenous immigrant and that is what I still am."Comment:  Once again we see the direct link between Native stereotypes and tangible harm. Because of these stereotypes, Alexie says, white kids were terrified of him. We don't know exactly what the consequences were, but we can guess: some combination of bullying, taunting, and shunning.

Imagine how much worse it would be for a kid who wasn't as smart and funny as Alexie. Who couldn't handle himself in tense situations as Alexie probably did. This is one reason why Native kids give up and drop out of the system.

For more on the subject, see Stereotypes Teach Natives They're Inferior and Stereotypical Thinking Causes Racist Results.

Below:  "Author Sherman Alexie talks to a large audience Monday at Colorado State University-Puebloas part of the school's Distinguished Speakers Series." (Chieftain Photo/Chris McLean)

Native flute connects kids to culture

Native flute gives students a voice

By Cindy Yurth"I thought, 'God, someone's got to help these kids,'" he said. "'This is an epidemic.'"

It wasn't until the following day it occurred to Redhouse that the person to help those kids might be him. The Filipino/Navajo Tucson resident was scheduled to demonstrate the Native flute to an assembly at St. Michael Indian School.

"The kids were very responsive," he said. "I thought, 'We're going to have a Native flute class to connect kids with their culture.' All of a sudden, it seemed imperative."

Redhouse got the blessing of the school's administration, and now he travels between Tucson and St. Michaels, Ariz., to share his unique fingering system, which allows people to play a wider range of notes than is usually possible on the Native flute.Comment:  For more on the subject, see A Suite for Native American Flute and Concerto for Violin and Native Flute.

Below:  "St. Michael High School students, from left, Gerlyn Begay, Murvyn Hoskie Jr., Derek Davis, Xuxua Garnenez, and Robert Manygoats, prepare to play the Native flute Saturday at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock." (Special to the Times--Donovan Quintero)

Fasthorse wins NEA grant

Lakota writer wins National Endowment for the Arts Award

By Eva ThomasLarissa FastHorse, Lakota, is one of five writers to receive the National Endowment for the Arts 2010 New Play Development Program’s Distinguished New Play Grant. The grant will support the early stages of development for her play, “Fancy Dancer,” with the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis.

Working in close collaboration with the playwrights, the NEA grant funding will be used for development activities, such as dramaturgy, design workshops and consultations, read-throughs, public readings, workshop productions and open rehearsals.And:“Fancy Dancer” is based on FastHorse’s journey to become a professional ballet dancer. FastHorse, an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, grew up in South Dakota where she began her career as a professional ballet dancer before becoming a playwright.

“The play is auto-biographical,” FastHorse said. “I was encouraged to develop the play by the people at the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis who were interested in my experience as a ballet dancer. We want to develop the story and incorporate dance into the show.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.

Four Corners on geotourism map

National Geographic scouts Four Corners for geotourism project

By Jenny KaneThe map will be part of the publication's global geotourism project, a worldwide campaign to encourage sustainable tourism that also promotes a local sense of place. The map will pinpoint local accommodations, restaurants, attractions and must-have experiences.

"This will likely be one of the most monumental tourism efforts that the Four Corners will have seen," said Aztec Planning Director Roshana Moojen, noting that the publication's geotourism sector had never mapped such a large area.

The area, which will be known as the "Trail of the Ancients" will not necessarily be a bordered region, but instead a domain defined by attractions that exude the Four Corners culture. Eventually the points of interest will create a four-state scenic byway, Moojen said.Comment:  For more on the subject, see New Four Corners Monument and Indians in Top 50 Road Trips.

Below:  "Storm clouds roll over the hills at the Bisti Wilderness Area." (James B. Hale/The Daily Times)

Stephen's bigotry against Muslims

In last year's Educating Stephen About Islam, I tried to do just that: educate reader Stephen about Islam. Evidently it didn't take. Stephen continued to proclaim Islam a "religion of hate."

(To be clear, this posting refers to reader Stephen M., not blogger and reader Stephen B.)

In the comments to Indian Mounds in P. Allen Smith Gardens, Stephen essentially challenged me to prove his bigotry against Muslims. Ask and ye shall receive, buddy. Here are your quotes from Armenian and Indian Genocides:There are no inferior races but there are inferior cultures and religions; Islam is nothing more than a barbaric [culture or religion]. And frankly I'm sickened by Obama's 'respect' for a religion that preaches hatred, bigotry, misogyny and so on.Although you left out the word after "barbaric," it's clear what you meant. Islamic religion is barbaric and so is Islamic culture.

Islamic culture is a product of many forces besides Islamic religion. By saying the culture is inferior and barbaric, you're indicting more than just the religion. You're indicting the people and their social, economic, and political institutions. You're indicting everything they think and do.

To reiterate, if a culture is barbaric, the people who produced and practice it are barbaric. No other meaning is logically possible.Unlike Muslims the Norse didn't conquer because of religious beliefs but because they lived in misery.Here's evidence that you don't believe your phony distinction between Islam and its believers. As you just implied, Muslims conquer(ed) others because of their religious beliefs. Islam didn't conquer people in some abstract, philosophical way; the Muslims who practiced it did. According to you, Muslims are evildoers.

Islam infects Muslim world?I disagree as evidenced by those verses (only a few examples of how putrid Islam is) and what's currently going on in the Muslim world I'd say Islam is a serious problem.What is going on in the Muslim world, in your opinion? Democratic movements in places such as Iran and Egypt? Or more hatred and terrorism against the West? Let us know so we can see how biased you are.

If you were attacking only Islam, you wouldn't have used the phrase "the Muslim world." It's clear you think the Muslim world--i.e., the world's Muslims--is turning evil. Although a few Muslims may escape your scorn, you're basically indicting them all.So the 'Islam is alright it's just a few fanatics twisting it' myth is just that; a myth, Islam is a religion of hate.You don't believe "just a few fanatics" are twisting Islam. Then you must believe those who regularly practice Islam accept its message of hate. In other words, Muslims are hateful.

And not just a few of them. The opposite of "a few" is "most." If "a few fanatics twisting it" is a myth, then you believe most Muslims aren't twisting Islam. According to you, it's a religion of hate and they believe in its hatefulness.Hitler actually wished that Germany was Muslim rather than Christian (since it would have made the holocaust easier).Did you mean to write "Germany was Muslim" rather than "German was Islamic"? Once again you failed to distinguish between the religion and its believers. Hitler wanted to equate his country with the barbaric, hateful Muslim world and so do you. You agree with him that Muslims are basically Nazis.

More examples of Stephen's bigotry

In a recent e-mail, Stephen helpfully provided more examples of his bigotry against Muslims. First, when comparing the national aspirations of the Palestinians and America's Founding Fathers, he wrote:Apart from the fact that comparing the founding fathers to hamas goons is downright insulting....We were talking about all Palestinians, bright boy, not "Hamas goons." You're the only one who compared Palestinians to Hamas goons. That's because you're bigoted against millions of Palestinians whether they're part of Hamas or not.

And that's because you're bigoted against Muslims, not just Palestinians or "terrorists." To you, almost every Muslim and Palestinian is a gook goon.[T]here are already no shortage of Arab states that can easily accomadate the so called palestinians, do you really yet another Arab dictatorship?So the Palestinians will inevitably form another Arab dictatorship? Even though they have a quasi-democratic government now? Because that's what Arabs inevitably do: form dictatorships?

So you're bigoted against Arabs as well as Muslims, eh? No surprise there.[Y]es I am opposed to the existence of a palestinian state; merely because I have no desire for yet another Arab terroist state.Right, because Arabs inevitably form dictatorships and terrorist states. Because they're inherently evil, according to you.

Why would (a few) Palestinians continue terrorizing people after they get a state when a state is their primary reason for terrorizing people? Because they're inherently evil, according to you.

Muslims form terrorist states?

There's your bigotry for you. It lies in your failure to distinguish between Islam and its 1.3 billion adherents. According to everything you've said, you believe the vast majority of Muslims are as evil as their religion. All they want to do is live in dictatorships and terrorize the rest of us.'Palestinian' ideology isn't islamic at all it's secular; just like how the Ba'ath party and PLO was secular, so my objections to the palestinian movement have very little to do with religion.Apparently you believe Palestinians practice an "ideology of hate" as well as a "religion of hate." In other words, you're bigoted against Palestinians whether or not they're Muslim and Muslims whether or not they're Palestinian. Why doesn't that surprise me?

If Palestinians have a secular ideology that has little to do with Islam, why are they so filled with hate, according to you? Why are they goons and terrorists, according to you? Why are they incapable of forming anything but dictatorships and terrorist states, according to you?

Is it just an incredible coincidence that the Palestinians' "secular ideology" is exactly as hateful as Islam? That it leads to exactly the same dictatorships and terrorist acts? I'm stunned that two groups that don't overlap (secular Palestinians and religious Muslims who aren't Palestinians) have produced almost identical results.

Just a coincidence? Sure it is, bigot.

Incidentally, the questions above aren't rhetorical. If you're not too afraid, I expect you to answer them. While you're at it, try harder to disguise your bigotry, because it's virtually transparent now.

Questions Stephen can't answer

If you think I've misstated your position, feel free to clarify it. Here are some helpful questions to guide your "thinking":

If Islam is a "religion of hate," why are the vast majority of Muslims peaceful? Alternatively, if the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, how can you call Islam a "religion of hate"?

Roughly what percentage of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims a) hate the West, b) want to conquer or destroy the West? Don't bother with weasel-words like "some" or "many" unless you're as cowardly as you seem. If you don't know the answer, give me your best numerical guesses.

If Islam is different from Christianity, why did Europe and the US form "terrorist states" that killed, conquered, and enslaved the world's indigenous populations? If both religions are "terrorist," what's your excuse for singling out Islam? Because its practitioners are generally brown rather than white?

Whew. You've spewed a lot of bigotry for one comment and e-mail. I'm pretty sure you say equally bigoted things whenever you talk about Islam, Muslims, Arabs, or Palestinians. I'll be glad to post more quotes as needed.

I look forward to your clarification about which Arabs and Muslims are filled with hate and which aren't. Your estimate of how many Muslims believe in and practice their hateful religion. And your explanation of all the hateful acts of terrorism committed in the name of Christ. Good luck with your answers...you'll need it.

Relevance of this posting

With Muslims and the interfaith community center near Ground Zero in the news recently, this subject is especially timely. If anyone's wondering, here's why this subject is relevant to this blog:

1) We should fight racism and prejudice wherever they exist. People who are prejudiced against one group are usually prejudiced against others. For more on the subject, see Stereotypes Beget Stereotypes and Native Stereotypes Increase Other Stereotypes.

2) Stephen is using the same arguments against Muslims that his ancestors used against Indians. They're violent, they're barbaric, they're evil, they can't be reasoned with, they want to destroy us. This kind of thinking usually leads to a final solution: We must kill them before they kill us.

For more on Stephen's ignorance, see Educating Stephen About Israel's Occupation and Educating Stephen About Palestinians.

For more on the similarities between Muslims and Indians, see:

Bigots protest brown-skins on 9/11
Conservative bigotry against Islam
Muslim "tribes" = Indian tribes?!
"9/11 mosque" = "devil worship"
Yesterday's Cherokees = today's Muslims

For more on the subject in general, see Understanding Islam and Highlights of the US Report to the UN on Racism.

Terrorists oppose foreign occupation

What triggers the suicide bomber

Foreign occupation, not religious fervor, is the primary motivation behind this form of terrorism.

By Robert PapeIt has become a common refrain over the last several decades that religion, and Islam in particular, is the primary cause of suicide bombings. This is an easy, convenient and clear argument that fits with the United States' approach to the war on terror over the last decade.

There is just one problem with this argument: It's wrong.

Research I and my colleagues conducted at the University of Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism, in which we analyzed each of the more than 2,200 suicide attacks that have taken place throughout the world since 1980, shows that though other factors matter, the primary driver of suicide terrorism is foreign occupation.

In Lebanon, for example, of the 32 successful suicide attackers from 1982 through 1989 whose ideology was identifiable, 22 were communists and socialists with no commitment to religious extremism; five were Christian. Religion served as an auxiliary recruiting tool, but the root cause of the attacks was foreign occupation, and the attacks were designed to coerce the occupying forces—Israel, France and the United States—to withdraw.What the bomber said

Michael Moore takes the recently fired Juan Williams to task for misquoting Faisal Shazad, the Pakistani immigrant who wanted to bomb Times Square. Moore challenges Williams, who has denounced his firing as "political correctness," to report Shazad's motives for the planned bombing. Moore quotes Shazad:

Juan Williams Is Right:  Political Correctness About Terrorists Must End![Saladin] liberated Muslim lands... And that's what we Muslims are trying do, because you're occupying Iraq and Afghanistan... So, the past nine years the war with Muslims has achieved nothing for the U.S., except for it has waken up the Muslims for Islam. We are only Muslims trying to defend our people, honor, and land. But if you call us terrorists for doing that, then we are proud terrorists, and we will keep on terrorizing until you leave our land and people at peace.And:I want to plead guilty, and I'm going to plead guilty 100 times over, because until the hour the U.S. pulls its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, and stops the drone strikes in Somalia and Yemen and in Pakistan, and stops the occupation of Muslim lands, and stops killing the Muslims, and stops reporting the Muslims to its government, we will be attacking U.S., and I plead guilty to that.And:Everyone knows the current situation of Muslim World... Friends with peaceful protest! Can you tell me a way to save the oppressed? And a way to fight back when rockets are fired at us and Muslim blood flows? In Palestine, Afghan, Iraq, Chechnya and else where.Comment:  We hear constantly from right-leaning Americans that terrorists "hate our freedom." These know-nothings generally have no basis for their claims. They make them up out of thin air.

The terrorists' motives are actually specific and clear. We know this because we've interviewed many of them and know what they think. What they're fighting against is the occupation of Muslim territory: by the United States, Israel, and repressive Muslim regimes.

This American propaganda process is extremely similar to the one employed against Indians. We also demonized them as savages and barbarians who had no concept of culture, religion, or government. People refused to believe that Indians might have an understandable desire to protect their homelands from foreign occupation. To us they were predatory animals with no goals except raping, pillaging, and killing.

In particular, we demonized Indians whenever they attacked "innocent" settlers. We treated these attacks as the equivalent of terrorist bombings. And they were equivalent, in a sense. Indians were not trying to destroy the Euro-Americans' freedom or way of life. They were trying to end the foreign occupation--to force the invaders to leave.

If we had captured and interviewed the Indians who committed "massacres," I wouldn't be surprised if they said the same thing. "The white man takes our land and resources. They kill us with their guns and invisible bullets [disease]. Their god will allow them no rest until they have conquered us. Therefore, we will keep on 'terrorizing' them until they leave our land and people at peace."

For more on the subject, see Inside the Terrorists' Minds and Understanding Islam.

Oprah to visit Aboriginal rock art

Oprah to sing the praises of ancient Aboriginal rock art

By Lindsay MurdochOne of the destinations of Oprah Winfrey's Australian tour is stunning Aboriginal rock art that has been seen by only a few non-indigenous people.

Plans are being made to show Winfrey's worldwide audience a centuries-old Aboriginal shelter in a remote part of the Northern Territory's west Arnhem Land.

Discovered only three years ago, the site provides a fascinating insight into one of the world's oldest living cultures.

Since Winfrey announced last month that she would celebrate her farewell season by bringing The Oprah Winfrey Show to Australia, she has spoken of her wish to learn about Aboriginal people and their culture.Comment:  For more on related subjects, see Aborigines Want Uluru Closed and Quileute Chairwoman Visits Oprah.

Below:  "The Aboriginal artwork in remote Arnhem Land."

Two Alexie books for "One Philadelphia"

2 by Sherman Alexie chosen for 'One Book' in Philadelphia

By Michael D. SchafferThe "One Book, One Philadelphia" project, which aims to promote literacy and bring the community together by suggesting one book for all Philadelphians to read, is recommending two for the 2011 program.

Both come from American Indian author Sherman Alexie, and both have won major literary awards.

Mayor Nutter announces the selections Tuesday morning at the Free Library of Philadelphia, which sponsors "One Book, One Philadelphia" in conjunction with his office.

One of the books is War Dances, a collection of short stories and poems published last year and winner of the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

The other, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a novel for teens published in 2007, won a National Book Award.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Teachers Protest True Diary Censorship and True Diary Chosen as One Book.

4th-grade Pontiac's Rebellion video

Pontiac's RebellionI helped direct and edited this dramatic 4th grade representation of Pontiac's Rebellion. This was part of the Lainsburg series of short films about Michigan.

Comment:  The Indians wrapping themselves in Navajo-style blankets is definitely phony. The "bare-chested brave" look may well be phony. But this 4th-grade video doesn't make the same mistakes of countless adult productions. To be specific, it doesn't substitute generic Plains Indians for Pontiac's Ottawa Indians.

For more on the subject, see Native Videos and Cartoons.

AIM's first film festival

AIM Film Fest Best Doc 'Hawaii, A Voice for Sovereignty'The long awaited efforts to bring the American Indian Movement (AIM) International Film Festival to San Francisco was finally held on Monday and Tuesday, October 11 -12, 2010. The film festival, the first hosted by AIM-WEST, an affiliate organization in the bay area, ended on a high five, or hang ten, whichever! It was also deemed an important educational alternative to the stories typically associated with Columbus Day and what it means to Indigenous Peoples throughout the Americas during this period. The Best Documentary Award that was selected by the judges committee went to “Hawaii, A Voice For Sovereignty.”

The AIM film committee wishes to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this event. We especially took advantage of the this year’s occasion which coincides with the United Nation’s theme of “Indigenous Peoples and film making” declared at the 2010 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples held in New York. We are optimistic this can become an annual film festival.Comment:  For more on Native film festivals, see IIIRM Festival Honors Charlie Hill and Blown Away at imagineNATIVE 2010.

2008 Stereotype of the Year loser

Stereotype of the Year loser

Comanche Moon:  Rangers, Tramps, and Thieves

Stereotype of the Year dishonorable mention

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

These entries "win" for propounding ugly stereotypes in a popular medium with a lot of visibility and a long shelf life.

Felicia's choices

For another viewpoint, here are the choices by editorial assistant Felicia Wetzig:Loser:  "Buffalo Bill and the Indians on the Beach"

Although it also serves on a somewhat positive note since the AIM and SKINS members present were able to use the situation educate people, overall it was an exhibition of white arrogance and ignorance on the part of the artist.

Thom Ross’s website about the show:

From September 5-14 the show brought in around 40,000 visitors.

"Ross's work is always based on historical facts, though the focus of the work is always much more concerned with the mythic elements then historical accuracy."
Always based on historical facts but more concerned with mythic elements? You can’t really have both since the two are often contradictory.

The newspaper article got mixed reviews from the public but most of them were praising the exhibit.

Some of the more interesting comments:

clevenger (7:05 AM on September 6, 2008) Cool, but it would have been cooler to have 100 actual Indians on 100 actual horses. That would have scared the crap out of people.

Impeach_Bush (7:17 AM on September 6, 2008) a tribute to a working sustainable society we cut down like weeds because they got in the way of our greed.
Dishonorable Mention:  Campbell Brown slams Indians

This is still one of my top picks because it happened on CNN, I would think that Campbell Brown is typically someone who is generally trusted and influential and expected to have her story straight.

Comanche Moon was also one of my top choices, but once I looked into it I found that it didn't seem to go over too well in general; even critics who are fans of this type of western gave it poor reviews.

Brian Lowry from Variety called it "tedious, at times cartoonishly bad."

Paul Mavis from DVDTalk: "Potential for tit-for-tat fairness in exploring the complicated motives of brutality on the frontier between the white man and Indians is ultimately tossed away for easy, one-sided condemnation. Worst of all for a Western, Comanche Moon is terminally slow and drawn out."

James Plath of DVD Town: "With so much caricature, it's no surprise that the leads are also tinged with hokum."

Comment:  For more on the subject, see November-December 2008 Stereotype of the Month Loser and the Stereotype of the Month contest.

Below:  A bucking bronco...indoors! Wes Studi shows how wild Indians can be in Comanche Moon.

Teabaggers are mad...now

Were You Mad When...?After the 8 Years of the Bush/Cheney Disaster, Now You Get Mad?

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy and push us to invade Iraq.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us. You didn't get mad when we spent over 800 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn't get mad when Bush borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 presidents combined.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars in cash just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when Bush embraced trade and outsourcing policies that shipped 6 million American jobs out of the country.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when Bush rang up 10 trillion dollars in combined budget and current account deficits.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.

You didn't get mad when we gave people who had more money than they could spend, the filthy rich, over a trillion dollars in tax breaks. You didn't get mad with the worst 8 years of job creations in several decades.

You didn't get mad when over 200,000 US citizens lost their lives because they had no health insurance.

You didn't get mad when lack of oversight and regulations from the Bush Administration caused US citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values.

No...you finally got mad

When a black man was elected President and decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick.

Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, and the worst economic disaster since 1929 are all okay with you, but helping fellow Americans who are sick...Oh, Hell No!!Comment:  This posting sums up the hypocrisy of Tea Party supporters nicely.

For more on the subject, see Teabaggers = Constitutional Hypocrites and Tea Party Guide to American History.

Quileute exhibit says "We're not werewolves"

EXHIBITION:  Quileute separate fact from fiction for ‘Twilight’ fans

By Kara BriggsThe exhibition, “Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves,” is meant to provide a counterpoint to the popular “Twilight” series of books and movies, which fictionalizes the Northwest tribe and its origins. When the first movie came out in 2008, the Quileute’s one-square-mile reservation in a remote part of coastal Washington state instantly became a worldwide destination for tween fans.

But real Quileute have nothing in common with the werewolves that the movies interpret them to be, as 1,600 people who crowded into the Seattle museum this summer to see the tribe’s teens and adults perform their ancient wolf dances soon learned firsthand.

“After ‘Twilight’ came out, I got my ears pinned back by some of our elders,” said Ann Penn-Charles, a Quileute, who dances and shares her culture with her tribe’s youth. She is known as Miss Ann. “They said, ‘How dare they portray us as werewolves? That’s so disrespectful. I want you guys to go represent us the way we Quileute are meant to be.’

“When you get directives from the elders like that you have to honor them. A lot of our youth were like, ‘We’re not werewolves.’ We have been here since the beginning of the flood. Our kids are like, ‘Man, we’ve got to show it.’”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Fans Still Ignorant About Quileutes and Quileute Exhibit at Seattle Art Museum.

Below:  "Quileute children point and observe in delight as three pods of whales approach the beach during the Quileute’s Calling the Whales ceremony. The Quileute Tribe’s reservation is on the Pacific Coast of Northwest Washington state." (Chris Cook/Forks Forum)

IIIRM festival honors Charlie Hill

Tribal nations sustained by arts

By Carol BerryFrom the wit of Wisconsin Oneida comedian Charlie Hill to documentaries on tribal traditions to the film “Reel Injun” and analyses of Canadian Arctic policy, the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management’s Seventh Annual Indigenous Film & Arts Festival displayed the wealth of narrative and visual art that sustains tribal nations.

The art and films “demonstrate why it is that after decades of programs of extermination and assimilation, American Indians, Maori, and other Native peoples stubbornly persist as strong political, social and cultural entities,” said Mervyn L. Tano, IIIRM president and Jeanne M. Rubin, IIIRM general counsel and film festival director.

Hill was paid tribute by an honor song in a ceremony for his “lifetime of work promoting positive images of Native peoples and bridging cultural differences through the healing power of humor.” Among many sponsors of the honoring ceremony were the University of Colorado, Native American Rights Fund and Council of Energy Resource Tribes.

The comedian joined Neil Diamond, Canadian Cree from Waskaganish, director of “Reel Injun,” to discuss the film’s use of humor and irony as it presented non-Natives’ depictions of Natives during the film industry’s 50-year evolution toward movies that originate and are produced within the Native community.Comment:  For more on the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management, see PEACE PARTY vs. Toxic Waste. For more on Native film festivals, see Blown Away at imagineNATIVE 2010 and Two Indians Talking Voted Most Popular.

Indian "dogs" at Christmas tree farm

US says Indians harassed at Christmas tree farm

By Victor MoralesThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing a Christmas tree farm, alleging that the racial and sexual harassment of two Mixtec Indians from Mexico occurred and was unchecked by the farm management for nearly three years.

The supervisor of the Mixtec men allegedly made derogatory comments about their Indian ancestry, calling each of them a “damn Indian dog” and “scabby dog” and restricted them from speaking their native Mixtec language because it “sounded ugly,” according to a complaint filed on Sept. 24 in federal court.Comment:  Nice to see the Christian spirit of Christmas at work at this farm. Will this outrage all the conservative Christians who defend the sanctity of their holiday? No...you can bet that approximately zero of them will speak out against this violation of their religious principles.

This incident reminds us of the store signs that used to say "No Dogs or Indians." It also reminds us why it's wrong to portray Indians as dogs or wolves. Comparing people to dogs is an insult, obviously.

For more on Indians as dogs, see Aztec Animals in Chihuahua and Chihuahua Movie Is Stereotypical.

Teabaggers = Constitutional hypocrites

America’s Holy Writ

Tea Party evangelists claim the Constitution as their sacred text. Why that’s wrong.

By Andrew RomanoContemporary Constitution worshipers claim that they’ve distilled their entire political platform—lower taxes, less regulation, minimal federal government—directly from the original text of the founding document. Any overlap with mainstream conservatism is incidental, they say; they’re simply following the Framers’ precise instructions. If this were true, it would be quite the political coup: oppose us, the Tea Party could claim, and you’re opposing James Madison. But the reality is that Tea Partiers engage with the Constitution in such a selective manner, and for such nakedly political purposes, that they’re clearly relying on it more as an instrument of self-affirmation and cultural division than a source of policy inspiration.

In legal circles, constitutional fundamentalism is nothing new. For decades, scholars and judges have debated how the founding document should factor into contemporary legal proceedings. Some experts believe in a so-called living Constitution—a set of principles that, while admirable and enduring, must be interpreted in light of present-day social developments in order to be properly upheld. Others adhere to originalism, which is the idea that the ratifiers’ original meaning is fixed, knowable, and clearly articulated in the text of the Constitution itself.

While conservatives generally prefer the second approach, many disagree over how it should be implemented—including the Supreme Court’s most committed originalists, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Thomas sympathizes with a radical version of originalism known as the Constitution in Exile. In his view, the Supreme Court of the 1930s unwisely discarded the 19th-century’s strict judicial limits on Federal power, and the only way to resurrect the “original” Constitution—and regain our unalienable rights—is by rolling back the welfare state, repealing regulations, and perhaps even putting an end to progressive taxation. In contrast, Scalia is willing to respect precedent—even though it sometimes departs from his understanding of the Constitution’s original meaning.And:Tea Partiers tend to sound more like Thomas than Scalia. Every weekday on Fox News, Glenn Beck—“the most highly regarded individual among Tea Party supporters,” according to a recent poll—takes to his schoolroom chalkboard to rail against progressives like Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt. “They knew they had to separate us from our history,” he says, “to be able to separate us from our Constitution and God.” In Beck’s view, progressives forsook the faithful Christian Founders and forced the country to adopt a slew of unconstitutional measures that triggered our long decline into Obama-era totalitarianism: the Federal Reserve System, Social Security, the graduated federal income tax. True patriots, according to Beck, favor a pre-progressive vision of the United States. When Nevada Senate nominee Sharron Angle says we need to “phase out” Social Security and Medicare; when Alaska Senate nominee Joe Miller asserts that unemployment benefits are “unconstitutional”; when West Virginia Senate nominee John Raese declares that the minimum wage should “absolutely” be abolished; when Kentucky Senate nominee Rand Paul questions the legality of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; when Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann claims that Obama’s new health-insurance law violates the Constitution; and when various Tea Party candidates say they want to repeal the amendments that triggered the federal income tax and the direct election of senators—this is the vision they’re promoting. At times, the Tea Party can seem like a popularized, politicized offshoot of the Constitution in Exile movement.Comment: Scalia's willingness to bend his "principles" for the sake of precedence just means he's more hypocritical than Thomas. Thomas may be a porn-obsessed liar, but at least his judicial views are consistent. Stupid and wrong, but consistent.

Here's how to tell if teabaggers are sincere about wanting to return to the original Constitution. Tell them the following:Some Founding Fathers said President Jefferson didn't have the constitutional authority to execute the Louisiana Purchase. Therefore, let's go back to a "limited" Constitution and give the land back to the Indians. Is that okay with you, teabaggers? That is what you believe, right?If you're not clear what the Founding Fathers thought about the Louisiana Purchase, here's some info:

Louisiana PurchaseJefferson disliked the idea of purchasing Louisiana from France as that could imply that France had a right to be in Louisiana. Jefferson believed that a U.S. President did not have the authority to make such a deal: it was not specified in the Constitution. He also thought that to do so would erode states' rights by increasing federal executive power.

The American purchase of the Louisiana territory was not accomplished without domestic opposition. Jefferson's philosophical consistency was in question because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution. Many people believed he was being hypocritical by doing something he surely would have argued against with Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists strongly opposed the purchase, favoring close relations with Britain over closer ties to Napoleon, believing the purchase to be unconstitutional, and concerned that the U.S. had paid a large sum of money just to declare war on Spain. The United States House of Representatives also opposed the purchase.Like Scalia has done so often, Jefferson violated his principles for the sake of expediency. A strict interpretation of the Constitution would invalidate the Louisiana Purchase. So teabaggers who want to undo Social Security and the income tax should denounce the Purchase also.

More decisions to invalidate

Heck, the Marshall trilogy of Supreme Court cases are the essence of overreaching judicial activism. These cases fabricated the concept of Indian tribes as "domestic protected nations" rather than foreign nations. This fabrication was based on another fabrication, the Doctrine of Discovery, which said Indians didn't own the land they owned.

So believing in a limited Constitution also means restoring full sovereignty to Indian tribes, treating them as foreign nations, and permitting them to negotiate treaties with the US again. Am I right, Con Law experts? Yes, I think I am.

When the first teabagger says he's willing to return to an 18th-century view of the Constitution--which would mean invalidating the Marshall trilogy, the Louisiana Purchase, and other anti-Indian decisions--then I'll believe he's sincere. Until then, every teabagger who claims to believe in a "limited" Constitution is some combination of liar, hypocrite, and idiot.

For more on the subject, see Tea Party Guide to American History and What "I Want My Country Back" Means.

Below: The unconstitutional expansion of US borders.

The magical power of intent

Intent!  It’s Fucking Magic!

By GenderBitchToday, someone said a slur. It actually doesn’t matter what slur it was, because you see, he didn’t intend to hurt anyone and therefore it couldn’t possibly be a slur. Much like how intent magically protects the actions of all privileged fuckjobs, intent means that anything you say, no matter how many groups it hurts, what awful views it enables, no matter what systemic bigotries it props up through the usage of language that enforces social concepts that crush a marginalized group, it mystically negates all of that.

So say, if you make a bunch of racist jokes, instead of contributing to the systemic oppression of POC, the bewitching might of Intent (I’m capitalizing the I now, to give it proper respect as a primary element) spreads out, blocking every single person from fully hearing the awful racist shit you just said, further preventing them from internalizing it and using it to justify actions. It also prevents it from creating an environment where racist behavior is seen as more acceptable, by twisting the very threads of fate there as well! And, the best part? If you say it in earshot of someone who’s offended or hurt by it, the occult powers of Intent change everything! Now, instead of hearing a hurtful slur or sentiment that reminds of past abuses at the hands of privileged fuckjobs, the marginalized person in question only hears the beautiful natural sound of birds chirping. Or whale noises! Because you see, Intent is just that powerful. It literally keeps anyone from getting hurt by your fuckery!Comment:  We hear the "intent" excuse constantly from defenders of TV shows such as The Dudesons, comic books such as SCALPED, Halloween costumes, hipster headdresses, sports mascots, etc. Amazingly, a stereotyper's intent turns a offensive stereotype into a harmless image. It's magic!

Take Birth of a Nation, Gone with the Wind, or Amos 'n' Andy. Critics have denounced them for their offensive portrayals of blacks. But the creators didn't intend to offend anyone. Therefore, these productions aren't racist or stereotypical. The critics must've been imagining things.

In fact, racism and stereotyping basically don't exist. How do we know this? Because almost no one intends to be a racist or stereotyper. And how do we know that? Because they told us so. "I didn't mean to offend anyone"...so voilá, the offense magically disappears. Except for a confessed criminal, perhaps, no one has ever done anything wrong.

For more on the subject, see Why Minstrel Shows Are Wrong and Stereotypes as Mental Maps.

Streep and Momaday narrate Bandelier film

Meryl Streep, N. Scott Momaday Donate Talents For Film on Bandelier National Monument and Jemez MountainsWhat national park could refuse the star power of an Academy Award or Pulitzer Prize winner? Not the folks at Bandelier National Monument, who were able to get Meryl Streep and N. Scott Momaday to provide narration for a film on the monument and the Jemez Mountains.

The film, Sky Island, was written, produced and directed by National Park Service and Harpers Ferry Center filmmaker John Grabowska. It is intended for national PBS broadcast in 2011, but a short version of the film premiered in Bandelier's new theater this past August.

The film, according to Mr. Grabowska, traces and describes the interesting landscape of northern New Mexico, where a range of mountains rises up from the high desert. The volcanic Jemez Mountains, which cover about 1,500 square miles, are isolated from all other ranges--an island in the sky, surrounded by a desert sea, he said. Bandelier National Monument, meanwhile, is encompassed in this rise from the Rio Grande to Cerro Grande.

Sky Island "profiles this enchanting landscape and our place within it, with dramatic climate change effects already altering the desert and alpine ecosystem," said Mr. Grabowska.

I visited Bandelier National Monument several years ago. Here's the scoop on it:

Bandelier National MonumentBandelier National Monument is a 33,677 acres (13,629 ha) National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Bandelier was designated a National Monument on February 11, 1916, while most of its backcountry became a "designated wilderness" in October 1976. The National Park Service co-operates with surrounding pueblos, other federal agencies and state agencies to manage the park, which receives 300,000 visitors annually.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.