Native Americans: Facts, Fiction, & Legacies

This blog works to break the "one story" often heard about Native Americans. My hope is to bring truth, awareness, and an overall better understanding of Native American culture to tumbr-ers everywhere.

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The Pop Culture Problem

We can agree that society's view of Native Americans is flawed at best. Why did it end up like this? Where did all these terrible, stereotypical misconceptions come from? One answer is pop culture. 

Pop culture can be thanked for a huge portion of the stereotypes surrounding this culture. There have been several instances recently that really inspired me to write this post. They all have to do with well-known people and companies objectifying Native Americans.

My first topic: music artists. The band No Doubt created waves over the last month with the release of their "Looking Hot" music video. After an uproar from the Native American community who was RIGHTLY offended, the band took the video off of YouTube. I was able to still find it, and you can view it here: http://www.slack-time.com/music-video-15474-No-Doubt-Looking-Hot. 

The Video features Gwen Stefani acting as an imprisoned Indian. The theme of the video is apparently the "Wild West,", and Gwen is playing the "helpless," sexually objectified (and platinum blonde??) Indian. Come on, how could the band possibly know this might come off as offensive? 

Well, let's see...maybe because they're imitating a culture (horribly imitating, at that) that is STILL around and LIVING today! 

In response to the controversy, the band stated: 

"As a multi-racial band our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration for other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history.

Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realize now that we have offended people. This is of great concern to us and we are removing the video immediately. The music that inspired us when we started the band, and the community of friends, family, and fans that surrounds us was built upon respect, unity and inclusiveness.

We sincerely apologize to the Native American community and anyone else offended by this video. Being hurtful to anyone is simply not who we are."

So what do you think of the apology? I think it's pretty phony (and not to mention, forced.) What if a smaller group of Native Americans expressed dissatisfaction with the video and the media hadn't gotten involved? Would the band have apologized? I doubt it. Also, the apology follows more of a "we're sorry we hurt them, but..." theme. There really isn't a "what we did was wrong" vibe to the apology at all. And I also think it's a little ridiculous that they consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, so they thought it was OK. I think, firstly, if you have to consult with a race to see if what you're doing is offensive, it is PROBABLY OFFENSIVE. Secondly, I doubt you have any "Native American friends" and I doubt you talked to anyone worthwhile at the University of California, because no one in their right mind would tell you what you did isn't offensive. What if we switched the video up? What if Gwen was dressed as a Jewish person, and the cowboys were Nazis? Would that be OK? Would it be OK if you spoke with Holocaust experts at the University of California first? No way! 

In addition to the "Looking Hot" video, there was another big controversy in pop culture recently. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show aired last night. However, it was taped in advance and what you saw isn't everything they originally intended to put in the airing. Check out this picture of one of the models sporting the "sexy Indian" vibe in a headdress: http://d22r54gnmuhwmk.cloudfront.net/photos/8/ca/sm/RLcaSMsNlkQfTFU-556x313-noPad.jpg. 

Here's the apology from the company: 

"We are sorry that the Native American headdress replica used in our recent fashion show has upset individuals. We sincerely apologize as we absolutely had no intention to offend anyone. Out of respect, we will not be including the outfit in any broadcast, marketing materials nor in any other way."

In my opinion it's pretty similar to the No Doubt apology. They're both sorry for offending (the sincerity is up to you), but neither will admit it did something wrong. 

I could go on and on, and make this post about the endless misdoings of pop culture. It's everywhere. I challenge all who read this to take a second look when they see Native Americans trivialized in pop culture. After all, there's a lot more to the culture than "Looking Hot." 

For more information on misconceptions and stereotypes, check out this really informative article by Walter C. Fleming: http://www.jcu.edu/education/ed350/Myths%20and%20Stereotypes%20About%20Native%20Americans.pdf.

I would also like to recommend a great novel by Leslie Marmon Silko called "Ceremony." It's one of the most famous pieces of Native American literature, and it gives a really interesting perspective on Native People and White people and the two cultures' roles in the world. You can find the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Ceremony-Contemporary-American-Fiction-Leslie/dp/0140086838.

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Modern Issues & Modern Stories

One important factor in recognizing that Native Americans are still around and active in today's society is acknowledging some of the accompanying issues. All too often the issues and struggles in this culture are the only modern thing recognized, so I hesitated doing this post (especially since a big part of my blog is breaking stereotypes). However, I decided the issue I'm focusing on in this post is too important to ignore. 

I'm focusing on an issue that is close to home for me (I live in Nebraska). You likely haven't heard of a small town in Nebraska called Whiteclay. Most haven't, as the town is located in a more desolate area of the state and only has a population of 14 people. So, what kind of Native American-related issues could possibly happen in a small, unincorporated village?--

The answer: more than you could imagine.

Here's a little more background information. Whiteclay, NE is just a few miles south of the Pine Ridge Reservation, which has a varied population somewhere between 17,000 and 40,000 people. Pine Ridge is a dry reservation, meaning that alcohol sale, possession, and consumption is illegal. 

The tiny town of Whiteclay has four liquor stores. Roughly 11,000 cans of beer total are sold in these stores on a daily basis. Just like on Pine Ridge, it's also illegal to consume alcohol in Whiteclay. So with only 12 residents total living in Whiteclay and a law preventing anyone from legally consuming alcohol in town, why the hell does this unincorporated village need FOUR liquor stores?--

The answer: greedy liquor store owners.

There have been numerous movements and proposed legislation to shut down these liquor stores, but somehow these liquor store owners still receive liquor licenses to take advantage of Native Americans from Pine Ridge suffering from alcoholism. Never mind the fact that these liquor store owners are knowingly selling alcohol that they know will be consumed either in Whiteclay or on the Pine Ridge Reservation (illegal). Never mind the fact that these owners are known for selling to minors, accepting sex for alcohol, and accepting food stamps for beer (all ILLEGAL). 

These store owners are taking complete advantage of vulnerable Native Americans who need help to treat alcoholism instead of four liquor stores two miles away from their home on the reservation. Some argue it's an individual's choice to consume alcohol, but what about the effects this alcoholism has on the children who are helpless? What about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? What about alcohol-induced domestic violence? What about humans helping other humans out? These Native Americans are PEOPLE; they're people who need our help, not alcohol they can buy with food stamps. 

I highly recommend watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDAdhOxuTwk. It's a documentary titled "Battle for Whiteclay." It's a really great overview of the issues surrounding this town and it also illustrates the attempts at legislation to correct the problem. 

I wanted to share this modern issue with you because it's something very local for me. I live in Eastern Nebraska, probably about 300 miles from Whiteclay, but it's something terrible happening in the state I love and call home. I'm a bit ashamed to admit I didn't know about this issue before we discussed it in my Native American Literature class. After I watched the above video, I immediately called home to ask my parents (also native Nebraskans) if they knew about this issue. Their knowledge was lacking as well, and they usually know everything happening around the state. I am hoping to spread the word not only around Nebraska, but around the whole nation. I think knowledge is the first step to action and change. 

So tell your family, tell your friends, and tell your government officials it's time for something to change in Whiteclay. No excuses! 

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On a bit lighter note, I have another suggested reading related to modern issues in Native American culture. It actually takes place in the 1980s, but I still consider it modern. The novel, "The Lesser Blessed" by Richard Van Camp is an incredible and quick fictional (but all too real) read. For a quick synopsis check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDAdhOxuTwk. The book can also be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/Lesser-Blessed-Richard-Van-Camp/dp/1550545256.

All information and facts taken from:

http://boldnebraska.org/what-is-whiteclay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDAdhOxuTwk

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Thanksgiving: The Holiday Exposed

In honor of Thanksgiving this week, I'm devoting a post to the holiday. In relation to Native American culture and history, a discussion of the holiday can get pretty controversial. My goal is to do my best to explain why you should celebrate the holiday, but also to give you ways to do it respectfully and with humility. 

Over the past few weeks I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving, which for a college student means many things. I get three days off of school, plus the weekend; I get to see my family, including extended family that I only see a few times a year; and I get to gorge myself on a smorgasbord of food. Naturally, this is something I look forward to every November with little thought. However, this semester I've had mixed feelings about the holiday. 

I'm enrolled in a Native American literature course this semester which includes an overview of Native American history and culture. This class continuously opens my eyes to the harsh truth of what has happened to these people...including the faux Thanksgiving tradition that we prefer to believe because either we're ignorant or because it's more pleasant than the truth. 

So what really happend in Plymouth on the first Thanksgiving? There are varying stories, but I'll give you the summary of what I've learned though class and my own research. Basically, the Puritans arrived on the East Coast tired and starving. They had no idea how to farm in the Americas. The Indians, particularly the Wampanoag tribe, assisted the Puritans by feeding them and teaching them to grow their own food. Squanto, a Wampanoag, was especially helpful to the Puritans because he knew some English. The first Thanksgiving was actually a celebration of the Wampanoags signing over their land rights to the Puritans. The tribe supplied all of the food for the feast. The Wampanoags believed that by giving there would be enough resources for everyone; they were indeed a truly selfless tribe. 

The Puritans didn't see the Natives as their friends. They instead saw them as instruments of God put in place just for their assistance and survival. These two cultures couldn't have been any more different. Although the Indians continuously gave and gave to the English, they were paid back with nothing. Within decades the only thing the Native Americans received was exposure to diseases that would almost wipe them out completely. 

*[If anyone has any further information on the first Thanksgiving and the truth, I would love to hear it. This is my understanding of the topic, but I know this was centuries ago and it's difficult to know what exactly happened. I gathered my information from the website http://www.alternet.org/story/4391/thanksgiving%3A_a_native_american_view and from what I've learned in class.]

So fastfoward back to the present, and my dilemma about this week's holiday. I have been contemplating my feelings a lot lately. The conclusion I have come to is that it's OK to celebrate the holiday, and more so than just OK, we should celebrate and give thanks for everything in our lives. However, it's so important to know the truth and be informed. We are all legacy holders; we don't have to spend out time feeling continuous guilt over what was done to this culture, but we need to acknowledge it and admit to ourselves what the truth is. After everything Natives have been through, it's the least we can do. Another thing is to spread the truth when possible. No, it may not go over well at Thanksgiving dinner with 20 family members around the table. Yes, we all have that close-minded uncle or super traditional grandma that may never change his or her mind, but that doesn't mean it stops there. Just because you won't be able to convince everyone doesn't mean that you can't successfully inform SOMEONE. If you approach the subject with maturity, poise, and intelligence, people will listen to you, I promise! 

I highly encourage you to take a look at the website article by Jacqueline Keeler that helped me compile my Thanksgiving overview, http://www.alternet.org/story/4391/thanksgiving%3A_a_native_american_view. I found it informative and interesting at the same time. Another really good article can be found at http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/39579/. It's a resource that focuses on teachers and ways they can present information about Native Americans accurately and appropriately in the classroom. However, I think it's a really good resource for everyone wanting to know how to approach a culture that may be unfamiliar respectfully. There's nothing wrong with admitting you're ignorant about a culture if you're seeking the truth about it. However, acting like an expert about a group of people you know nothing about is when it's insulting. 

To end my Thanksgiving exposed entry, I'm going to list 10 things I'm thankful for. I realized that many years I don't even stop to think about this. So, in honor of my new view of this holiday, here are my ten:

1. My family and friends, who support me always.

2. My opportunity to go to the college of my choice, and to study English, the major of my choice.

3. My comfortable lifestyle, including, by not limited to: my apartment, my car, living in Lincoln, NE, and always having everything I need (food, clothing, etc.)

4. My health.

5. Having more than I need, including things like a cell phone, a laptop, a TV, and other things that aren't necessites. 

6. My experience growing up on a farm, which taught me important values and allowed me to develop unique hobbies. 

7. My step-dad. I think he deserves his own point because, unlike my biological family, he doesn't have the obligation to be so wonderful to me. He treats me as his own daughter, and has probably played the biggest role in my development as an adult. 

8. My opportunity to take a course on Native Americans, which has completely altered my mindset and made me a more informed individual. 

9. The few, but incredible people I have met during my 2 1/2 years of college, including coworkers, friends, and teachers. I haven't met as many people as I imagined, but the ones I have met are such amazing, genuine people I wouldn't change a thing.

10. The fact that I get to participate in the internship of my dreams next semester, and then study abroad in the Czech Republic next summer. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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My instructor showed my Native American Lit class this photo since Thanksgiving is coming up. I think she put it well by saying that our vacation time away from school, time with family, and the food had heavy costs. 

I don't think we should spend Thanksgiving feeling guilty necessarily, but the history needs to be acknowledged rather than ignored. 

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"The Rez" in Lincoln, NE

I have lived in Lincoln, NE for the past 3 years attending college, and I grew up less than an hour from town. Lincoln and the University of Nebraska are commonly associated with one thing: Nebraska Cornhusker football. This brings me to my focus for this entry: "The Rez." 

If you asked around campus, almost every student would know what you're talking about if you mentioned "The Rez." The Rez is the location of the Indian Center (a name far less known) and it's a beloved tailgating and drinking spot of football fans on Saturdays in the fall. Football fanatics, particularly students (many underaged), pack a cooler and head to the Rez to socialize and drink before and during the Husker football games. However, not many know a thing about the Rez or what its purpose actually is. 

This brings me to my favorite theme breaking the "one story": Native Americans are still around and practicing their cultures today! The Rez (which I will refer to as the Indian Center for now on, as that is its name) is a functioning center of resources and culture for Native Americans in Lincoln. It's far more than a building with a large lot with room for drinking. 

The Indian Center's mission, as stated on it's website (indiancenterinc.org) is "to provide value to the Native American community by creating and obtaining programs that empower self-sufficiency and positive quality of life standards in individuals and families." 

The Indian Center is extremely active in conserving Native American culture by holding events such as Pow Wows and the sale of Indian Tacos, as well as meetings and other community events. It also offers numerous resources such as access to education services, housing, careers, jobs, and many others. 

The fact that a center like this exists and offers so many programs and events just reaffirms the fact that Natives are still around and active in society today. They aren't gone, and neither are their traditions. I strongly encourage you to check out the Indian Center's website www.indiancenterinc.org to see everything the center does. There is a great photo gallery showing the culture in action. 

I also would like to recommend another one of my favorite pieces of Native American literature. "Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question" by Diane Burns is a poem about being a Native American living in the modern world where people think you're "extinct" and brand you with stereotypes. In the poem, Burns goes back and fourth conversing with someone she just met who tries to relate (unsuccessfully) to being an Indian and asks a series of ignorant questions. The poem (as well as 777  other pages of Native American literature) can be found in an anthology titled "Native American Literature" by Lawana Trout. Here is a link to the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Native-American-Literature-An-Anthology/dp/0844259853.

The Indian Center in Lincoln, NE is just a small source of Native culture still in action today in the United States. 

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A humorous portrayal of something that is too true in our society. I love this because the Native man is dressed just like any regular person (breaking the "one story") while the white sports fan is dressed in an over-the-top fashion. 

Not to mention the fact that it mocks the use of Native Americans as sports mascots. It's hard to believe that a country that prides itself on racial equality still allows its beloved sports teams to be so demeaning. 

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Vine Deloria, Jr. and his book Custer Died for Your Sins

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What is the "One Story" Anyway?

I have decided the best way to start a blog of this sort is with the appropriate background information. Start by asking yourself a simple question: What do I know about Native Americans? 

If you're anything like I was before beginning a course specializing in Native Americans, the answer to this question is probably "not a whole lot" whether you want to admit it or not. This is where the theme of the "one story" comes in. It's what a majority of us know; it's a story reinforced by our educational system, holidays like Thanksgiving and Columbus Day, and pop culture. We cannot necessarily blame ourselves for this ignorance, but we can seek change and enlightenment on the subject. So, what does this "one story" consist of, anyway?

Well, the answer is a combination of many things:

-Native Americans are no longer here; they were in the past, they had intriguing traditions, and they left behind some "cool" things (like  beaded fanny packs available at your local Urban Outfitters). 

TRUTH: Native Americans are still very much around in the United States today! They are people just like you and I working to make a living and raise families. True Native culture still exists, too, and things like beaded fanny packs from Urban Outfitters are mere mockeries of a resilient and beautiful culture. 

-Native Americans all follow the same traditions, including language and beliefs.

TRUTH: There were over 500 tribes originally living and thriving in the U.S., with completely different languages and traditions. This being so, the tribes in America today are completely diverse. 

-All Native Americans wear feathers, beads, and animal hyde.

TRUTH: Many of the outfits made of these elements are for traditional ceremonies or were just worn in the past. Natives are regular people that dress like anyone else. 

-Native Americans are alcoholics.

TRUTH: Some Native Americans suffer from alcoholism, the same way some Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics struggle with alcoholism. Alcoholism is a disease that has nothing to do with the Native American ethnicity, and certainly does not characterize it. 

The "one story" doesn't stop here at all, but this clears up a few all-too-common misconceptions about this culture. For a more extensive view of the "one story," I encourage you to watch the following video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/aaron_huey.html

Another great resource by the great Native American writer Vine Deloria, Jr. is "Indians Today, the Real and Unreal," part of his larger book Custer Died for Your Sins. In it, Deloria states,

"Our foremost plight is transparency. People can tell just by looking at us what we want, what should be done to help us, how we feel, and what a "real" Indian is really like... Unfulfilled expectations cause grief and we have already had our share."

I highly recommend this piece; it is an enlightening read. It is both informative and entertaining. The entire collection can be purchased on Amazon for a reasonable price here: http://www.amazon.com/Custer-Died-Your-Sins-Manifesto/dp/0806121297

The part of the "one story" that I am most passionate about breaking is the misconception that there are no more Native Americans in the U.S. today. Keep an eye out for my future posts dealing with this issue, specifically. 

Information gathered from:

http://www.shadowwolf.org/misconceptions.html