It's crazy to think that this will be my last blog post for this class and that the semester is over. This semester totally just flew by! I can honestly say that I have enjoyed coming to this class every day. I enjoyed all of the conversations that we have had, I enjoyed all of the books and pieces that we had to read, and lastly and most important, I enjoyed learning so many new things, and changing my view on things.
When we started the class, I too had the stereotypical opinion of Native Americans. The whole feathers, headbands, and of course Pochantos. Where would we be without her? But throughout this semester, all of the pieces that were read and all of the discussions that we have had have taught me that I really did not know anything about Native Americans.
I am so glad that I had the opportunity to take this class. This class has really opened up my eyes and has educated me so much. Every time that I would see "Navajo style jewelry" in a store I wouldn't think anything of it. Now, I am actually appalled at the discrimination that is right in front of everyone's faces, but no one sees it. I really wish that people would stop living by the whole ignorance is bliss reasoning and open their eyes to see what is really out there.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
My Take on Everything You Know About Native Americans is Wrong
I just realized that I have yet to blog about the awareness event that we did the other week. Let me just start out by saying that I was so amazed and happy that everything went so well and that everyone was so willing to participate and help educate people that were unaware of Native Americans. Secondly, I was so happy that people got something out of the event. They learned information that they probably would'v never known if they didn't come to the event.
I was honestly shocked with how little people knew of Native Americans. I mean looking back to the first day of class I did not know quite that much either, but now that I do, I want to actually tell people and let them know all of the things that this class has taught me. And that is why I am so glad that we did that event, because it truly did educate people and helped them see that everything you know about Native Americans is wrong. The event helped prove a point that no matter what color your skin or hair is, no matter how short or how tall you are, you could be a Native American. I think the event really opened up the eyes of the people that came, and I just hope that they too share the knowledge that they gained from coming to the event and educate other people. I hope that they help them see that Native Americans are not just stereotypes or people that have disappeared.
I was honestly shocked with how little people knew of Native Americans. I mean looking back to the first day of class I did not know quite that much either, but now that I do, I want to actually tell people and let them know all of the things that this class has taught me. And that is why I am so glad that we did that event, because it truly did educate people and helped them see that everything you know about Native Americans is wrong. The event helped prove a point that no matter what color your skin or hair is, no matter how short or how tall you are, you could be a Native American. I think the event really opened up the eyes of the people that came, and I just hope that they too share the knowledge that they gained from coming to the event and educate other people. I hope that they help them see that Native Americans are not just stereotypes or people that have disappeared.
Is the new Tonto Jack Sparrow?
I think we have all heard what I'm about to blog about, but just in case you didn't I'll let you know about Johnny Depp. I don't think that I know one person who doesn't know who Johnny Depp is, but I digress. So, Mr. Depp is one of the stars in the remake of the movie The Lone Ranger. Can anyone guess who he is going to be? You guessed right...he is going to be Tonto. Now, the article that I recently read, "Johnny Depp's Explanation of Tonto Costume Both Clarifies and Muddles", is not about Johnny Depp actually playing Tonto, but it is about the outfit that he chooses to attire himself in. I will put a link of the picture below, but let me tell you, it is definitely out there. The articles explains that, "...many people were puzzled.The bird on the head, the white face paint, the black vertical lines, the bandanas, the bird on the head—Indian and non-Indian movie followers wondered whether they were looking at a colossal misfire of a costume or something incredibly authentic that had been all but forgotten."
There is a comment that he looks like he is playing his character of Jack Sparrow. Now, one is to ask, why would he do this? This costume is so outrages. Depp states that, "“It just so happened Sattler had painted a bird flying directly behind the warrior’s head. It looked to me like it was sitting on top. … I thought: Tonto’s got a bird on his head. It’s his spirit guide in a way. It’s dead to others, but it’s not dead to him. It’s very much alive.” So what Depp did was look at a painting by a non-Native man, and took his idea that this man has made up in his head. Sattler has been noted for saying that the image was painted was completely thought of by himself.
There is a comment that he looks like he is playing his character of Jack Sparrow. Now, one is to ask, why would he do this? This costume is so outrages. Depp states that, "“It just so happened Sattler had painted a bird flying directly behind the warrior’s head. It looked to me like it was sitting on top. … I thought: Tonto’s got a bird on his head. It’s his spirit guide in a way. It’s dead to others, but it’s not dead to him. It’s very much alive.” So what Depp did was look at a painting by a non-Native man, and took his idea that this man has made up in his head. Sattler has been noted for saying that the image was painted was completely thought of by himself.
So now the current question is; why would Mr. Depp wear this ridiculous outfit when he knows that it is completely outrages and not Native American at all? You would think that this man would actually do some research and try to do things accurately.
Why Doesn't Every Tribe get a Settlement?
In the article, "Round Valley Tribes Receive $8.5M in Renumeration From the United States". The ICTMN Staff writes about how on April 25, 2012, it was announced that the Round Valley Indian Tribe will receive $8.5 million. The article goes on to say that they are receiving this money because, "The historic settlement involving the Tribe – a Confederation of the Yuki, Concow Maidu, Little Lake, Pomo, Nomlaki, Wailaki and Pit River tribes – pertains to mismanagement of tribal lands, resources and monies dating back to 1856, when the Round Valley Indian Reservation was first established in Covelo, California."
“'Our people have historically endured irreparable trauma from the theft of our lands, the atrocious abuse of our ancestors, and the desecration of our traditions,” Tribal Vice President Joe Dukepoo said the release. “This is not a ‘true’ settlement because it does not include payment for all of the wrongdoing to us and our ancestors – such harms simply cannot be quantified. But it is an honorable effort by the United States to reconcile with the Tribe and to resolve our trust grievances dating back 156 years. In that way, the settlement is a significant milestone between Round Valley and the United States."
I have two opinions on this matter. I personally think that it is great that the Native American's are finally be recognized for all of the pain and suffering that they have gone through. I think that is a great step for the future. However, I do not understand how only some tribes got money, and other tribes did not. What qualified the tribes that got the money? What was different from those tribes to all the other tribes? What I just do not understand is why give all this money to some of the tribes, instead of giving a decent amount of money to all of the tribes in the United States? Like I said, it just doesn't make sense to me. I think that is a step in the right direction, but there are still a lot of steps that need to be taken.
“'Our people have historically endured irreparable trauma from the theft of our lands, the atrocious abuse of our ancestors, and the desecration of our traditions,” Tribal Vice President Joe Dukepoo said the release. “This is not a ‘true’ settlement because it does not include payment for all of the wrongdoing to us and our ancestors – such harms simply cannot be quantified. But it is an honorable effort by the United States to reconcile with the Tribe and to resolve our trust grievances dating back 156 years. In that way, the settlement is a significant milestone between Round Valley and the United States."
I have two opinions on this matter. I personally think that it is great that the Native American's are finally be recognized for all of the pain and suffering that they have gone through. I think that is a great step for the future. However, I do not understand how only some tribes got money, and other tribes did not. What qualified the tribes that got the money? What was different from those tribes to all the other tribes? What I just do not understand is why give all this money to some of the tribes, instead of giving a decent amount of money to all of the tribes in the United States? Like I said, it just doesn't make sense to me. I think that is a step in the right direction, but there are still a lot of steps that need to be taken.
Keeping the Cherokee Language Alive
The last article that I read, "Kansas Head Start Teaches Cherokee Language", is obviously about an elementary school that is teaching children how to speak in Cherokee. The reason that they are doing this is because, "We have to incorporate another language and since the majority of our students are Native American and Cherokee, we decided that that would be the most appropriate to teach,” teacher Nicole Everhart said. They have been dong this since 2006, and currently they are teaching 17 students to speak Cherokee; 15 of which are Cherokee.
Cherokee Nation citizen Helen Ketcher has been coming in and teaching the children how to speak Cherokee. She states that, “This is my heritage and I like to keep it going for some of the kids,” she said. “I know some of the kids probably don’t get to hear that at home anymore, so I just try to get that in there for them.”
Geronimo-Terrorist or Warrior?
I don't know if all of us are aware of this or not, but it was almost a year ago that a Navy SEALS team had found Osama Bin Laden and killed him. While this was a huge victory and celebration for Americans, there was some feelings of resent and hurt from the Native Americans. In the article, "Revisiting Osama Bin Laden's Death, One Year Later", discusses the "harsh reminder of the continuous treatment towards Native Americans." Again, I know that we have talked about this is class before, but just as a little reminder, here is why the Native Americans are upset. They are upset because when Bin Laden was found in killed, Barrack Obama received a message containing, "Geronimo-EKIA". This means, "Geronimo, Enemy killed in Action."
Obviously, this something that Native Americans were extremely offended about. Needless to say, this caused a huge uproar because Geronimo was NOT a terrorist. In their minds, Geronimo, the leader of the Chiricahua Apache, who lived from 1829 until 1909, was not a terrorist like bin Laden. In resisting American advances into Apache territory in the 1800s, he was protecting his Indian relatives and community against the true terrorists—colonists and pioneers who were stealing land, water and other resources that rightfully belonged to Indians,” Indian Country Today Media Network reported on May 11, 2011."
Clearly, someone who was in the military would use the name Geronimo in text of a terrorist, because Americans assume that he was a terrorist. In actuality, he was a leader and a role model to Native Americans. He was someone who stood up for them and fought for them. But to Americans, he is considered a "terrorist" because he fought against us.
This is obviously wrong on so many different levels. This is offense to the Native Americans because the Navy SEALS are taking the name of someone is was and still is a warrior to them, and using it in the form of a terrorist. “I was pretty surprised. We typically stay away from issues relating to Geronimo especially. It’s kind of a custom. There started to be a groundswell of opposition, and I felt that as leader of the tribe—the successor to the tribe that Geronimo was in—we needed to say something,” he said. “We wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him for an apology. That’s really it. It was unfortunate. We also proposed at [National Congress of American Indians] this past November a resolution that asked the federal government not to use Native icons, names or representations for their military actions until they have a consultation process with the tribes…We were surprised and disappointed.”
It is also extremely surprising that they never received an apology about this issue. The point of this is, when are Native Americans going to be treated like actual people-like actual humans, and like actual Americans? The fact that people just think and assume that nothing is wrong with this is extremely racist and demeaning.
Obviously, this something that Native Americans were extremely offended about. Needless to say, this caused a huge uproar because Geronimo was NOT a terrorist. In their minds, Geronimo, the leader of the Chiricahua Apache, who lived from 1829 until 1909, was not a terrorist like bin Laden. In resisting American advances into Apache territory in the 1800s, he was protecting his Indian relatives and community against the true terrorists—colonists and pioneers who were stealing land, water and other resources that rightfully belonged to Indians,” Indian Country Today Media Network reported on May 11, 2011."
Clearly, someone who was in the military would use the name Geronimo in text of a terrorist, because Americans assume that he was a terrorist. In actuality, he was a leader and a role model to Native Americans. He was someone who stood up for them and fought for them. But to Americans, he is considered a "terrorist" because he fought against us.
This is obviously wrong on so many different levels. This is offense to the Native Americans because the Navy SEALS are taking the name of someone is was and still is a warrior to them, and using it in the form of a terrorist. “I was pretty surprised. We typically stay away from issues relating to Geronimo especially. It’s kind of a custom. There started to be a groundswell of opposition, and I felt that as leader of the tribe—the successor to the tribe that Geronimo was in—we needed to say something,” he said. “We wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him for an apology. That’s really it. It was unfortunate. We also proposed at [National Congress of American Indians] this past November a resolution that asked the federal government not to use Native icons, names or representations for their military actions until they have a consultation process with the tribes…We were surprised and disappointed.”
It is also extremely surprising that they never received an apology about this issue. The point of this is, when are Native Americans going to be treated like actual people-like actual humans, and like actual Americans? The fact that people just think and assume that nothing is wrong with this is extremely racist and demeaning.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Artifacts Coming back to the Cherokees
Recently, I read an article entitles, "Cherokee Museum Acquires Rare Artifact". Clearly, this is about a Cherokee Museum receiving an artifact that had originally belonged to them. This artifact is "a sash approximately 4 feet long and 4 inches wide made of cloth and decorated with beadwork." The Staff at the Cherokee Phoenix News goes on to explain that said stash was, "...in the possession of a family in North Carolina since the 1820s and is believed to be Cherokee." The article then goes on to explain that, even though the pricing of the sash was not stated, the museum along funded the purchase for this artifact, along with the help from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
Ken Blankenship, the MCI Executive director, stated that, "This may be the most important acquisition the museum has made in the 25 years I've been here." Also, the MCI Educational director Barbara Duncan stated that this sash,"This is a rare example of Cherokee beadwork at the time it was changing from the straight lines and white beads of the 18th century to the filled-in, colorful scrolls and flowers of the 19th century bandolier bags."
The Staff of the Cherokee Phoenix News went on to report that the family that had owned this sash before, the Cole family, had taken such great care of the artifact. It is also stated that they were, "...willing to have it come back to the Cherokees."
Clearly, this is a great thing not just for the Museum for the Cherokee Indians, but for the Cherokee's as well. This is a good thing that they are finally getting some of their ancient artifacts back. This sash will not only help educate those that come to the museum, but it will help educate other Cherokee's that were unaware of this artifact. This artifact can be used to study the way that the sashes were made. This sash can help educate Cherokee's as to what their past was. This sash is something that was so rare, and now that they finally have it back, they will be able to study it, make replicas of it, and learn from their past.
However, there is one negative statement that comes to my mind. Why is it centuries later that the Cherokee's are finally getting back their belongings? Yes, the phrase, "better late than never" is true here, but it just goes to show you that people are still holding on to the Cherokee's past, and not letting them have it. This is just yet another way to control the Cherokees.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)