Thrilled to be Chief

New Chief Illiniwek portrayers announcedLogan Ponce is the latest Chief Illiniwek, and likely will be the second in a row who never gets to perform the famed halftime dance at University of Illinois events.

Ponce, a junior from St. Charles majoring in general engineering, was announced as the 37th Chief Illiniwek on a rainy Monday morning in front of the Alma Mater statue on campus. UI sophomore Rob Zaldivar of Palatine was announced as assistant Chief Illiniwek.

The two were selected this past weekend by the Council of Chiefs, a group of former chiefs, following a weekend audition in Gibson City.

The UI officially retired the Chief in 2007.Comment:  Ponce talks about how he and his fellow students are happy to see him assume the Illiniwek role. What he doesn't talk about is how Indians feel about the Chief. Like a typical Euro-American, the only thing that matters to Ponce is what he wants.

For more on the subject, see Team Names and Mascots and The Big Chief.

Unrepentent claims disputed

A followup on defrocked United Church minister Kevin Annett and his documentary Unrepentent.

Truth and Native Abuse

How one man's wild claims threaten success of Truth and Reconciliation.Annett is interviewed sympathetically on CBC's As It Happens, and it is commonplace for journalists to report Annett's claims unchallenged, no matter how bizarre, and without first inquiring into his history of allegation-making. His documentary film Unrepentant has earned favourable reviews in such "progressive" Canadian journals as Briarpatch. It has won awards at independent film festivals in New York and Los Angeles.

This matters.

It matters because the story of secret residential-school mass graves is an urban legend.

For years, RCMP investigators have been chasing down these stories and they always come up with nothing. But they persist, like the alligators in New York's sewers.

Vavoom in Felix the Cat

A correspondent notes the appearance of Vavoom the Eskimo in the old Felix the Cat cartoons:I think Vavoom was in many episodes. If I recall correctly, he was friendly enough, wore his parka all the time, had a face devoid of Inuit stereotype features, and only spoke one word, the "Vavoom" that was a sort of super-hero type power. Not much in the way of stereotype, in my judgment.Comment:  Hmm. Vavoom wore a parka in all weather like a coat of fur. He didn't utter a word except a nonsensical battle cry. How exactly was he different from, say, an animal that also roars? Was he really any better than Little Hiawatha or the Go-Go Gophers?

Note another thing these characters have in common:  they're little. They're smaller than humans and, in Vavoom's case, smaller than a cat. What does that say about Natives? That they're safely presentable only if they've been rendered harmless--i.e., shrunk and neutered.



For more on the subject, see Eskimos:  The Ultimate Aborigines.

Magazine controversy continues

My previous posting on Redskin magazine continues to draw comments. Readers seem unwilling to accept that "redskin" is as offensive as other pejoratives.Because you resorted to name-calling again, throwing out more offensive words aimed at me and my two daughters, I've got one for you: dick.And:Wow I don't know about you but these are harsh words, pretty ignorant if you ask me and I would say possible lawsuit material too. I can see you trying to make your point, but out of frustration you target children? Preposterous!!Feel free to check out their arguments and my counterarguments.

In the same posting, I also help Russell Bates with his obvious learning impairment:To reiterate, the magazine's name is Redskin, not Red Skin. Every poster in this thread has confirmed this point by calling it Redskin, not Red Skin. Learn to freakin' read so I don't have to keep helping your with your sadly deficient English skills.For some recent postings on the problem with "redskin," see Redskins, Brownskins, or Blackskins and Colusa Drops "Redskin."

Bugs Bunny in A Feather in His Hare

I believe Warner Bros. has deleted all the Looney Tunes cartoons from YouTube, but at least one is still available on a Russian video site.

How stereotypical is this cartoon? Well, the "brave" operates out of a teepee, practices scalping, and talks like Tonto. Bugs calls him "Apache" and "Geronimo," but he calls himself the "last Mohican." About the only nonstereotypical attribute is that the Indian wears glasses.

Bugs Bunny--005--A Feather In His Hare

Another debate on SCALPED

"I can understand your criticism that there is nothing ennobling about his story, but do all stories dealing with native peoples need to be ennobling?"

Warner Bros. cartoons featuring Indians

A useful page lists all the animated Warner Brothers cartoons between 1937-1960 depicting Indians. Thanks to correspondent DMarks for bringing this to my attention.

Creative Spirit goes green

The third annual effort to introduce Native filmmakers to Hollywood and vice versa is underway. Creative Spirit is once again seeking scripts for its short-film competition.

Call for Short Scripts from Native American Screenwriters for 3rd
Annual Script-to-Screen ShootoutThis year, Creative Spirit is going green. "We're looking for stories about the environment and ecological concerns," says James Lujan, director of InterTribal Entertainment. "Because of the cultural and spiritual relationship that American Indian tribes have with the planet, we feel that Native American storytellers and filmmakers have valuable contributions to make to the global discussion on the issues that affect and threaten the eco-system."

But before you think Creative Spirit is getting too politically correct, think again. The competition is also seeking scripts that fall under the category of what can best be described as grindhouse. "Think B-movie," says Lujan. "We want scripts that reflect the sensibility of the low-budget genre films of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. These were movies, probably best epitomized by the Roger Corman factory, that didn't cost much to make but made a lot of money because they were fun, thrilling and had the air of forbidden fruit. I think one of the reasons that Native American filmmakers haven't had mainstream commercial success is that they still haven't figured out the formula for making the kinds of movies that mass audiences want to see. I think that learning from the success of the B-movie is a good place to start."

The Creative Spirit judges will choose a winning script in each category, the writers will be brought to Los Angeles September 20-28, 2008, and will participate in the making of the film with other Native filmmakers and industry professionals for three days of shooting, three days of editing and a world premiere screening in Hollywood the evening of Sept. 27.

Submission deadline is June 17, 2008.Comment:  You can see trailers and clips from the first four Creative Spirit films below.

Hummingbird fights fire

A new book combines Native storytelling, manga-style artwork, and essays from Nobel Peace Prize winners from Tibet and Kenya. That's multiculturalism in action.

Here's the description from the publisher's website:

Flight of the Hummingbird
A Parable for the Environment

By (artist): Michael Nicoll YahgulanaasThe hummingbird parable, with origins in the Quechuan people of South America, has become a talisman for environmentalists and activists who are committed to making meaningful change in the world. In this inspiring story, the determined hummingbird does everything she can to put out a raging fire that threatens her forest home. The hummingbird—symbol of wisdom and courage—demonstrates that doing something is better than doing nothing at all.

The parable is embraced by two of the world’s most influential leaders: Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner from Kenya who launched the Green Belt Movement, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has spoken widely about his commitment to preserving the environment. This courageous little book features artwork by internationally renowned artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. His distinct and lively Haida Manga style engages perfectly with this inspirational story that encourages every individual to act on behalf of the world’s limited and precious resources.Comment:  Also check out Yahgulanaas's online portfolio of art.

Revolution in Native film?

Producer Profile:  James LujanIn the film capitol of America, just getting a start can be an obstacle too difficult to overcome.

Los Angeles has long been the epicenter of film production in the United States. James Lujan, a longtime Angeleno by way of New Mexico, dedicates his time to helping Native Americans involved in the film industry crack into the business. Lujan, 39, (Taos Pueblo) is the planner and director of Intertribal Entertainment at the Southern California Indian Center. Lujan, who has done films on New Mexico’s UFO fascination, “High Strange New Mexico,” and participated in Sundance Film Festival’s Native Screenwriter’s Forum, develops the programming and direction for multimedia initiatives and provides training and employment opportunities for Native Americans in the film industry.The revolution is coming, says Lujan:If Native Americans can create films that resonate with non-Native audiences, he feels there is no reason why Native films can’t cross over to the mainstream. This would create greater revenue for other Native films while at the same time giving the Native people a stronger voice, something Lujan hopes will happen in the near future.

“I sense there is going to be a sort of revolution in Native film coming soon,” Lujan said. “Based on the amount of talent that’s coming out, there is something building that is really going to break within the next five years.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Notable Native athletes

Along with its list of 100 amazing Indian discoveries, the Fall 2004 issue of American Indian included a spread on some of the greatest Native athletes.

Winning Ways

Native American athletes have accomplished some of the most impressive feats in sports history.

Jim Thorpe
Big Hawk Chief
George Armstrong
Fred Sasakamoose
Louis "Deerfoot" Bennett
Ted Nolan
Louis Tewanima
Waneek Horn-Miller
Notah Begay
Marvin L. Camel Jr.
Naomi Lang
Tom Longboat
Billy Mills
Sonny Sixkiller
Bryan Trottier

Dr. Quinn on the rez

Actress Jane Seymour films drought project on Navajo NationThe Navajo Nation is a long way from the set of "Dancing with the Stars."

That didn't stop actress Jane Seymour, who danced on the reality show's fifth season last year, from donning her jeans and boots Monday and trekking across the desert near the Shiprock pinnacle.

Seymour is the narrator for a documentary on the water crisis in the Southwest set to air on public television this fall.

"The water problem in the American Southwest is real, and it needs to be told," Seymour said on camera, with the famous rock in the background. "In today's modern world, water has been taken for granted, and we've lost respect for it."

Burial ground in Diff'rent Strokes

In what you talking about, ... Oswegos? the Brady Braves blog describes an episode of Diff'rent Strokes in which "Arnold goes on a hunger strike to protest construction on one of Drummond's sites, which may be a Native American burial ground." The blog says the show contains a "whole lotta stereotypes, including several enacted by the 'chief'" played by Ned Romero.

For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

"American Indian" vs. "Native American"

In News Tribune Country, we pay attention to languageThe page proof used the term Indian Country, which recalled the thoughtful e-mail that began that previous correspondence.

“I find it astonishing that you would allow your editors, reporters and writers to use the seriously out-dated term ‘American Indian’ versus ‘Native American,’” he said, referring to a story in mid-April about Nisqually Tribe members teaching tribal songs and dances to public school students.

“We don’t see headlines saying Barack Obama attended a ‘colored’ or ‘Negro’ church,” he continued. “American Indian was considered old and even insulting as far back as the ’80s. A change would help the News Tribune seem more modern and in touch.”

The writer said he has a friend who’s a member of a Northwest tribe. He said that although she wasn’t offended at the term American Indian she thought most members of her tribe would be.Why the "thoughtful e-mail" was dead wrong:We use the term American Indian for several reasons. One, it’s what the federal government uses (the Bureau of Indian Affairs, for example) and it’s the legal term used in most treaties and contracts.

Two, it’s what The Associated Press Stylebook (the Bible for language usage by most of the news media) uses. The stylebook also allows use of the term Native American when used by a speaker or in the name of an organization. Most all news copy comes to us using American Indian.

There’s also common usage. The Smithsonian named its relatively new museum the National Museum of the American Indian. Russell Means, the famous Indian activist, has been quoted as saying he prefers the term Indian and abhors the term Native American.

Means is not alone. A Census Bureau survey (1995) showed more Indians preferred the term Indian (50 percent) to Native American (37 percent). And journalist Charles C. Mann noted in the appendix to his 2005 best-seller, “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus,” that virtually all the native people he met in researching the book referred to themselves as Indians.Comment:  Forget the NMAI. We probably could find 100,000 tribal, governmental, and nonprofit organizations named for Indians. And forget Charles Mann. Anyone who knows Indians knows they call themselves Indians.

Really, how ignorant do you have to be not to have heard of the American Indian Movement, the American Indian College Fund, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Gaming Association, or the Indian Country Today newspaper? Indian, Indian, Indian, Indian, Indian.

And what about the dozens of tribes whose name includes the word "Indian"? For instance:

Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Ak Chin Indian Community
Alturas Indian Rancheria
Aroostook Band of Micmac Indians
Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Bay Mills Indian Community
Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians
Big Sandy Rancheria of Mono Indians
Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians
Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony
Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians
Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians
Caddo Indian Tribe
Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians
Cahto Indian Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria
Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians
Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians
Barona Band of Mission Indians
Catawba Indian Nation
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria
Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation
Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians
Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians
Colorado River Indian Tribes
Cortina Indian Rancheria of Wintun Indians
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians

And that's only the A-C portion of the alphabet.

Did anyone tell these Indians that they've erroneously called themselves "Indians"? Is it just a coincidence that not a single Indian tribe has the term "Native American" in its name? No.

In short, it would be more correct to call the "thoughtful" e-mail thoughtless. The e-mailer didn't have a clue what's acceptable or unacceptable in Indian country (not "Native American country").

For more on the subject, see "Indian" vs. "Native American."

Imperialism based on language

May I Suggest ... 'Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery,' by Steven Newcomb"Pagans in the Promised Land" (186 pages, Fulcrum Publishing) is a powerful book. Read it and you'll understand how this dominating mentality influences U.S. domestic and foreign policy today.

The colonizers were very aware of the power of words as a tool of subjugation. Newcomb quotes 15th century Spanish grammarian and rhetorician Antonio de Nebrija, addressing Queen Isabella: "Your Majesty, language is the perfect instrument of empire."Some examples of how language shapes thought:Early Supreme Court decisions related to land ownership refer to Indian nations as "tribes," a lesser political unit than "nation"; to Indians as "heathens" and the colonizers as "Christian people"; to America as a "discovered" land and to its original inhabitants as having "diminished" rights because of that discovery.

Newcomb reveals that not much has changed in America's religious/ethnocentric view of indigenous peoples. In one example, he cites a 1987 report by the U.S. State Department titled "History of the Doctrine of Tribal Sovereignty," submitted to the United Nations Social and Economic Council.

In the report, "Indian" is repeatedly spelled "indian," with a lowercase "i," although "Federal Government" is capitalized. The implication is clear, Newcomb writes: The United States "exists up, or on a higher plane in relation to Indian nations, and that Indian nations are down in relation to the United States."

In the same way, Newcomb views the word "tribe" as a "very problematic term," a demeaning term used by governments as a technique of political subjugation. A "tribe" ranks below a "nation," significant considering the U.S. government continues to exercise plenary, or absolute, authority over indigenous people and their own governments, he said.Comment:  This is what the stereotype issue is all about, and why it's so important. Every time we refer to Indians as "Redskins" or "Warriors," or depict them as chiefs or braves, we're marginalizing them as primitive people of the past. If they're safely ensconced in the mists of time, we don't have to deal with them as modern-day people with modern-day problems.

How many times have we heard people say that they didn't know Indians were still around? Or that they thought Indians all lived in tipis? This continuing ignorance of the diversity and complexity of Indian life is a fundamental issue in Indian country today.

If we Americans see and hear no evil, we don't have to act upon it. We don't have to acknowledge the treaties we've broken, the land we've stolen, the children we've kidnapped. We don't have to address the poverty, crime, and hopelessness we've allowed by not funding necessary government services.

This is why I keep harping on the stereotype issue. I bet Steve Newcomb would agree it's worth harping on.

Redskins, Brownskins, or Blackskins

An imaginary discussion about choosing a mascot for a new football franchise:

Tim Giago:  How Native people feel about mascots“I like the idea of the color of a person’s skin as a mascot. But the Washington team already laid claim to the skin of the Native Americans so that leaves whiteskins, blackskins, yellowskins and brownskins. That’s a pretty wide choice, but we must take into account the marketability of that skin. Now the Redskins can market tomahawks, war bonnets, painted faces and ponies. That’s a big market. What could you use to market say whiteskins? Not a damned thing that I can think of. I mean what makes a whiteskin unique? See what I mean boys,” the GM says.

Every executive in the room scratches his head. “I can see possibilities with brownskins. Like we could have the fans dress in sombreros and serapes and bring on a mariachi band to play Mexican music. Yellowskins would also present some good ideas. I can see fans dressed in silk robes and sporting those conical hats the Chinese peasants wear and maybe have our version of Oriental music chiming around the field,” the GM continues.

“But the most promising of all skin mascots has got to be the blackskins. Now just think of the many ways we can market and honor the black people. I can see it now. Our fans will be painted in blackface and wearing Afro-wigs. They could wear dashiki robes and instead of a tomahawk, they could be waving spears in the air,” the GM said with a satisfied grin. “Wouldn’t black people all across America consider this one of the finest honors that we could bestow upon their race?” Chimed in the other executives clapping their hands together, “I am so sure that this would be such an honor to them. We vote in favor of ‘Blackskins’ as our mascot. And just think of the many possibilities the music presents; war chants, drums, a choir, it gives us chills just thinking about it. We could make the Redskins look like pikers.”Comment:  The "blackskin" argument is an old one, but it's rarely been presented this well.

Any questions about why "redskin" is a poor choice for a sports team mascot?

Battles fought with art

May I Suggest ... 'Visions for the Future: A Celebration of Young Native American Artists, Vol. I,' by the Native American Rights FundThe artistic and political heirs to Fritz Scholder and T.C. Cannon have been found by the Native American Rights Fund and collected into the book "Visions for the Future: A Celebration of Young Native American Artists, Volume I."

This catalog is a compilation of work that was displayed for NARF's inaugural Visions for the Future art show in Boulder, Colo., in November 2006, and contains statements from each artist featured within the catalog.

Each of the Native artists, ranging in age from 18 to 35, reflects the mission of NARF, which is to "focus on the modern-day battles and issues of importance to today's Native Americans and the generations to come."

This catalog blends the weapons of these "modern-day battles" for these artists, which uses not only art, but also hip-hop music to express viability for these issues for both Native and non-Native audiences.

Pope doesn't admit guilt

Benedict XVI:  Reflections on the pope's visit to AmericaOthers said the pope seemed to be casting blame on early American colonists without taking responsibility for historical actions taken against American Indians by the Catholic Church and other Christian religious leaders during the so-called New World era.

"In one sense, what the pope said was right on," said Robert Miller, a professor of law at the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. "But on the other hand, it totally ignores the history of the church and its historic role in colonization."

"His comments could lead one to believe that the Holy See's historical legacy had nothing to do with the injustices he referred to," said Steven Newcomb, co-director of the Indigenous Law Institute and author of the new book, "Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Those Evil European Invaders.

NIGA celebrates cultures

Celebration of indigenous culture tops NIGA conventionSongs, dances, stories and seemingly endless amounts of gourmet food prepared by Native chefs-in-training were showcased at the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation's Celebration of Native Culture--the kickoff event for the National Indian Gaming Association's 17th annual "Indian Gaming '08" trade show and convention.

The celebration took place April 20 in the Presidential Ballroom of the five-star US Grant Hotel and featured performances from the Choctaw Nation Dancers of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; the Native American Dance Group of the United Tribes Technical College of Bismarck, N.D.; the Samala Singers of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians; the Yaw Tei Yi Tlingit dancers from Juneau, Alaska; the Acoma Intercultural Dancers of the Pueblo of Acoma; and the Southern California Intertribal Bird Singers.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Facts About Indian Gaming.

Indian actress in Broadway hit

Kimberly Guerrero performs in Broadway smash hitGuerrero's friends have to come to see her because she can't leave the city--she's performing in "August: Osage County," a Broadway play written by Tracy Letts that was supposed to end mid-April, but is such a smash hit it's been extended until the end of the year.

Guerrero, Colville/Salish-Kootenai/Cherokee, plays Johnna Monevata, a young Cheyenne woman who is hired by the patriarch of a dysfunctional family--a poet and academic--to cook and care for his drug-addicted cancer victim wife, a spiteful, miserable character who slurs and staggers through the story lashing out at everyone around her.Some background on Guerrero:A native of Oklahoma and a graduate of the University of California-Los Angeles, Guerrero is an award-winning actress who has appeared in numerous films and television projects including "Hildalgo," "Barn Red," "The Sopranos," "DreamKeeper," "Charmed," "Escanaba in da Moonlight," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Northern Exposure" and "Naturally Native." She appeared on the soap "As the World Turns" and played one of Jerry's girlfriends on the popular "Seinfeld" episode "The Cigar Store Indian."

For the past 14 years, Guerrero has spent her time off the set with her husband, music producer Johnny Guerrero, on reservations or at urban Indian centers working with the Akatubi Film and Music Academy, a nonprofit digital film and music academy that has trained hundreds of underprivileged Native youth in filmmaking and music recording.Why Indians are sometimes stoic:"When I was in my early 20s, I had an adopted grandfather and I asked him, 'Why is it that some Indians, when they're around people they're not comfortable with, don't look them in the eye?' And he told me, 'When you look a white man in the eye, you're either going to remind him of what he's done and he'll feel guilty, or he'll feel angry, and neither of those two things do you want for your white brother. If he feels guilty, it's bad for him; if he feels angry, it's bad for you,'" Guerrero said.

"This is what my grandfather told me that his grandfather told him. We were here when they came, we're here now, and we'll be here when they go, and that's why we keep our eyes down, unless you've found a person that you can trust and you're not going to make them feel guilty or angry. Then you can engage in a conversation."Comment:  Wow. Has an Indian actor ever appeared in a legitimate Broadway hit? Not that I know of.

For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.

Native cooking at the US Grant

Food for ThoughtI overheard someone say, "Have you tried the food? It's out of this world."

Correction: It was out of Indian Country, via the cookbook of Mark Kropczynski, the French-trained executive chef of The US Grant, a downtown hotel owned by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.

All the ingredients, Kropczynski explained, came from tribes or Native-owned businesses. For example, the Native wild rice came from the Red Lake Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota, and the buffalo ribeye from Pride of the Little Rockies, a smokehouse on Montana's Fort Belknap Reservation.Chefs in TrainingFar from home on the Navajo reservation, four culinary arts students made their largest cooking debut for hundreds of hungry strangers at the five-star US Grant hotel.

The beginning students traveled 730 miles from Crownpoint, N.M., to downtown San Diego to share their culinary skills at Sunday's Celebration of Native Culture, which kicked off the National Indian Gaming Association's 17th annual meeting and trade show.

"I've worked for the biggest restaurant in New Mexico, but this is pretty big for me," said Travis Freeland, 23, one of the four students chosen from Navajo Technical College to participate in a "mini internship" during the four-day convention.

Dillinger's Menominee moll

'Enemies' actress learns from Menominees

Cotillard plays role of woman who grew up in NeopitAn Oscar-winning actress who will play John Dillinger's girlfriend in the movie "Public Enemies" has visited the Menominee Indian Reservation to gain insight into her character.

French actress Marion Cotillard will portray Evelyn "Billie" Frechette, who grew up in Neopit. Frechette met Dillinger in a Chicago dance hall in 1933. They traveled together for six months until her arrest in 1934. She spent two years in prison.People & Events:  Evelyn "Billie" Frechette, 1907-1969Evelyn "Billie" Frechette was born in 1907 to a French father and a Native American mother. She lived on the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin until the age of 13. For four years, she attended a boarding school for Native Americans in Flandreau, South Dakota. When she was 18, Frechette moved to Chicago, where she worked as a nursemaid and waitress. Frechette married Welton Sparks, who was sentenced to prison in 1933 for committing a mail robbery.

Frechette later told True Confessions magazine that as result of her husband's incarceration, she had a "blurred attitude toward life." In November 1933, she met John Dillinger at a dance hall.

White Shamans at film fest

Rochester Native American Film Festival

Documentaries address Native issues"An Evening of Short Documentaries" promoted a series of long conversations between local filmmaker Torry Mendoza, Mescalero Apache, and audience members at St. John Fisher College March 28. The event was part of the Rochester Native American Film Festival and featured a screening of five documentaries, including "Plastic Warriors" by Amy Tall Chief, "The Border Crossed Us" by Rachael J. Nez, and "White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men" by Terry Macy and Don Hart.More on "White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men":"White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men" addresses the commercialization of Native traditions in non-Native society. The film was edited to present the interviews in a conversational nature. For example, Natives and non-Natives discussed the idea of receiving a Native name. A non-Native's answer was immediately followed by a Native's answer. Although the two were filmed separately, it looked like they were speaking directly to each other. This method highlighted the differences in beliefs in a humorous manner.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Indian Wannabes and "Funny" Indian Names.

NCAI denounces radio jocks

NCAI President Joe Garcia Statement on Recent Insensitive, Racist Remarks by Radio DJs"The National Congress of American Indians condemns the racist and inflammatory remarks made recently about Native people on local radio programs in Raleigh, North Carolina and Anchorage, Alaska. These ignorant and hurtful comments have no place on America's airwaves.

As is the case when comments like these are made, someone will inevitably come to the defense of those who made them asking where our sense of humor has gone. I have yet to hear from an American Indian or Alaska Native who sees humor in these insulting and derogatory remarks. The perpetuation of inaccurate and demeaning stereotypes has profound negative consequences for Native people and simply cannot be tolerated.

Osage Nation Heritage Trail Byway

Byway Dedicated:  U.S. Highway 60 gets ‘scenic’ designationVisitors from across the state descended on northeast Oklahoma yesterday to participate in the unveiling of the state’s newest scenic byway.

The portion of U.S. Highway 60—stretching west from Bartlesville, through Pawhuska, to Ponca City—debuted as the “Osage Nation Heritage Trail Byway” on a sunny Saturday afternoon. All three communities shared in the celebration.

More pix from NIGA

Adam Beach and Ben Nighthorse Campbell head the list of celebrities who appeared at this year's NIGA convention. Check out these pix of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the trade-show floor.

SLIDESHOW:  Indian Gaming '08 Convention and Trade ShowImages from the April 23, 2008, opening of "Indian Gaming '08," which showcases more than 500 vendors and exhibitors representing all aspects of the gaming and hospitality industries in San Diego.

100 Amazing Indian Discoveries

"100 Amazing Indian Discoveries" is an illustrated list of Indian achievements from the Fall 2004 issue of American Indian, the magazine of the National Museum of the American Indian. In turn, the list was adapted from the book American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Invention and Innovations (Facts on File, 2003).

Know How

Over the centuries the Americas' First Nations advanced societies used their ingenuity to make discoveries which vastly improved the quality of our lives.

Abacus
Camouflage
Astronomical observatories
Chewing gum
Books
Geometry
Compulsory education
Dental inlays (tooth fillings)
Toothbrushing
Anatomical knowledge
Antibiotics
Cataract removal
Surgery
Hemostats
Trephination (brain surgery)
Prescriptions
Anesthetics
Syringes
Asepsis
Public health
Quarantine and isolation
Holistic medicine
Sunflowers
Zucchini
Avocados
Pineapples
Vanilla
Blueberries
Cashews
Beans
Popcorn
Herb gardens
Peppers
Corn syrup
Potato chips
Freeze-drying
Instant foods
Peanuts
Maple syrup
Pumpkins
Tomatoes
Blue-green algae
Chocolate
Tobacco
Cotton
Aloe vera
Botanical gardens
Black walnuts
Strawberries
Potatoes
Plumbing
Shampoo
Latex
Deodorants
Sunscreens
Daily bathing
Detergents
Fishhooks
Copper metallurgy
Soldering
Annealing
Colanders
Vulcanization
Mouthwash
Needles
Suspension bridges
Oil wells (petroleum)
Ecology
Cedar shingles and siding
Adobe
Gold plating
Metal foil
Concrete
Asphalt
Soil rotation
Fertilizer
Irrigation
Carpentry techniques
Forest management
Stonemasonery techniques
Straight pins
Parkas
Briquettes
Hammocks
Ponchos
Weaving techniques
Umbrellas
Calendars
Disability rights
Ball games (basketball)
Flotation devices (wetsuits)
Lacrosse
Hockey (shinny)

For some reason there are only 93 items in the purported list of 100. Here are a few more items to round out the list.

Canoes
Kayaks
Toboggans
Snowshoes
Sunglasses
Plant hybridization
Quinine
Coca
Personal freedom
Women's rights
Egalitarian democracy
Written constitution
Federal system of sovereignty

Note:  Although the article's subheading claims these discoveries have improved our lives, only some of them came directly to us from Indians. Others were developed independently in the "Old World" and came to us through Europeans.

For more on the subject, see The Myth of Western Superiority and Multicultural Origins of Civilization.

Below: The pyramid at Chichén Itzá.

Croatians unclear about Indians

VIDEO:  Native Americans Want Independence

We are a minority in our own land, slaves of the white, underestimated and despised, said the greatest native American leader."We are a minority in our own land, slaves of the white, underestimated and despised. They keep us locked in reservations like some sort of animals, they loot our land and children. Nothing has changed in the past 150 years," said the greatest Native American leader from the time of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, Russell Means, who added that America will live again when the European spirit in it dies.

By death of European Spirit, he means that America has to put more attention to the spirit and culture of the natives, who are turned to the human being and its spiritual perfection, and not material like the European spirit promotes.And:Russell Means is gathering all Native Americans and is trying to give them back that spirit which they had once. And he succeeds. The Lakota, who are about 20 thousand, have unanimously decided to retreat the signature from the truce agreement signed in 1890 in Washington.

"We urge all American Indians to do the same in their reservations, and we invite all those who want to come and live with us. They will be tax freed, we will live with the earth, praise the human spirit, we will get off from the law of the government," said Means, and the Lakota’s project confirms how serious his intentions are.Comment:  Russell Means the greatest Indian leader since Sitting Bull? The Lakota have agreed unanimously to secede from the US? Uh, no. The first claim is extremely doubtful and the second statement is flatly wrong.

For more on the subject, see The Republic of Lakotah.

Litefoot's Native Green Energy

Litefoot carries green message of hope

Litefoot to visit Rosebud Sioux ReservationWhen Litefoot, a member of the Cherokee Nation, meets with reservation youths, his message will not only address the social issues facing Native American children but introduce them to the promising future of renewable energy, Fast Horse said. The increasing interest in renewable energy is expected to create three million new jobs, he said.

Among his many talents, Litefoot is an entertainer, speaker and a successful businessman. One of his many enterprises is Native Green Energy, which is marketing low-cost wind turbines.

San Manuel tackles Darfur crisis

The Stars Come Out to San Manuel Casino to Support Darfur Relief

World Series of Poker(R) Champion Annie Duke and Academy Award Nominee(R) Don Cheadle Host Star Studded Event to Raise Awareness for the Darfur Crisis in AfricaOn Thursday, May 8, professional Poker player Annie Duke and Academy Award nominee(R) Don Cheadle will be onsite at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland. They will be hosting a celebrity Poker tournament and exclusive VIP after party to raise awareness and funds for the Ante Up For Africa project with proceeds going to the Not On Our Watch Project.

(NOOW), which was founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt, has embarked to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. The group has adopted the crisis in Darfur, Africa, as its inaugural campaign. Drawing on the powerful voices of artists, activists and cultural leaders, (NOOW) generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the vulnerable, marginalized and displaced.

"The crisis in Darfur is an issue very close to my heart," said the organization's co-founder, Don Cheadle. "San Manuel understands the severity of this crisis and is helping us use the popularity of Poker to spread the word."

Irene Bedard as Jean DeWolff

You don't see or hear modern-day Indians much on Saturday morning TV. Here's a nice bit of nontraditional casting for Irene Bedard, best known as the voice of Pocahontas.

Jean DeWolffJean DeWolff is a Marvel Comics supporting character of the comic Spider-Man. Having experienced a problematic childhood, she was a tough, unrelenting police captain for the NYPD and Spider-Man's useful ally. She notably preferred a retro style, preferring clothing and cars from the 1930s era.

She was killed by her ex-lover Stan Carter, aka Sin-Eater, in the story arc suitably named "The Death of Jean DeWolff." After she was killed, Spider-Man discovered that she kept a collection of photographs of him and of the two of them together. (One of them originally featuring the Black Cat, had been altered to remove the Cat from the image.) This implied that her feelings towards him were warmer than she generally indicated, leaving Spider-Man somewhat dejected after he searched her apartment.

Jean DeWolff appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Irene Bedard. She is shown to be partnered with Stan Carter.Comment:  For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

Skeletal chief in Family Guy

Family Guy is "an American animated television series about a dysfunctional family that lives in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island." In a 2001 episode titled "Ready, Willing, and Disabled," Peter participates in a groundbreaking ceremony. He unearths a skeleton wearing a full-length chief's bonnet. The skeleton comes to life and begins chasing everyone.

A Plains Indian-style chief in Rhode Island. Who looks and acts evil because, well, all Indian burial grounds are cursed. Ri-i-ght.

Indians apparently have a stench of malevolent mysticism about them that lasts forever. They're born dark, mysterious, and scary and they continue that way after death.

Swastikas = mascots at UND

UND looks into ‘hate incidents’The UND chapter of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority was put on a yearlong probation last week for hosting a party where sorority members and guests dressed in caricatured American Indian clothing and painted their faces and bodies red.

In late March, less than a week after news of the Gamma Phi party first became public, North Dakota State University’s Saddle and Sirloin agriculture club was roundly criticized for a skit they performed at the school’s Mr. NDSU pageant. In that skit, a white student wore blackface and an afro wig, portraying Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, while a female student, dressed as the Web video personality Obama Girl, gave him a lap dance.

More than 20 swastikas and other racist symbols have been found on the campus of St. Cloud (Minn.) State University since mid-November.

In a letter to UND administrators, Weinstein linked the West Hall and Noren Hall swastikas with the Gamma Phi Indian party, suggesting that the UND administration had compromised its moral authority by defending for so long the school’s Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo, viewed by many as a symbol of prejudice.

“This is just the latest of a long series of incidents that makes me ask whether UND is capable of being a positive and moral force for the future,” he said in a statement.Comment:  Boy, there sure is a lot of racism in North Dakota...!

For more on the subject, see Team Names and Mascots.

Realizing dreams with Irene

Irene Bedard was at NIGA in San Diego to promote Dream Potential: Inspiration for Native Youth--a nonprofit organization she founded. Her goal is to focus on the positive aspects of Native youth while tackling the problems they face. She plans to do this by several means:

1) Establishing programs at Native schools to mentor and encourage children with role models and celebrities. As Bedard wrote in a handout, "Celebrity impacts native youth and opens [doors] immediately."

2) Holding conferences for the performing and media arts.

3) Shooting documentaries on Native kids and their unique perspectives.

4) Implementing a one-year college prep school that teaches acting, screenwriting, songwriting, camera work, and related fields in the performing and media arts.

At the convention, Bedard was raising awareness and, just as important, money for her endeavor. At her booth, she signed and sold copies of her DVDs and photographs. Anyone interested in helping Dream Potential can contact her at irene.bedard@gmail.com.

P.S. For a picture of Bedard at her booth, look under Day 3 of my Pix of NIGA 2008.

America the primitive tribe

Here's an article from Steven Pressfield, whose "articles on tribalism have been widely circulated throughout the military community." Pressfield is supposedly describing indigenous tribes, but it sounds more like Bush's faith-based administration, Rumsfeld's "see no evil" military, and the torture regimes at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay to me.

The Last Honorable WarIn Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, occupiers of the West are confounded by a state of mind that is utterly alien to their notions of liberality, inclusiveness, progress. The tribesman's mind is ancient. He is a warrior whose code is not law (which may yield change by reason or persuasion) but honor, which is eternal and absolute. The tribesman's code mandates revenge for any affront to pride; his memory is not years but centuries. Dissent is heresy to the tribal way of thinking; compromise is weakness. The tribe is perpetually at war with all other tribes. It reveres the past and is insular, impenetrable, implacably hostile to outsiders. The tribal mind is immune to the charms of "freedom," which it perceives as a threat to piety and to family cohesion, to tradition, lore and all that the tribesman holds dear. The tribesman's resolve is ineradicable. He will hate you till hell freezes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Dubya-Speak:  Justice Means Killing People, Prison Abuse Shows America's Values, and The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel.

Native agriculture on dollar

Standing Bear won't be on Sacagawea coin in 2009Instead of selecting a specific leader to honor, Mint officials chose to give the first design the theme of Native agriculture, a Mint spokesman said Wednesday.

A description of the design, called a narrative, was presented to a citizen advisory committee that will make recommendations to the Mint.

The narrative, which will guide selection of the eventual design, described the importance of agriculture to Native people and to early colonists.

“From Jamestown and Plymouth Rock, to later methods for sustaining crops, it is widely accepted that colonists would not have survived in the New World without the support and knowledge gained from Native American agricultural techniques,” the narrative reads.

Play comments on globalization

'Oh, that's what I wrote'

Playwright uses satire to address marketing of aboriginal cultureDrew Hayden Taylor describes his play The Berlin Blues as a sheer celebration of the aboriginal sense of humour, with no socially redeeming qualities whatsoever.

The L.A. Times disagrees.

"When the show premiered last year in Los Angeles, the L.A. Times said it's a Native reaction/comment on globalization," said Taylor in a recent interview.

"I read that and thought oh, that's what I wrote."Comment:  For my review of The Berlin Blues, see Welcome to Ojibway World.

Indians MIA at Newseum

Missing in actionDuring a media preview, Indian Country Today found exceptionally few representations of the Native press, especially in comparison to the museum's presentations focused on other minority media in the country.

Among the findings:

* The only examples of Native newspapers in the entire museum are located in pull-out drawers on a museum wall focused on the history of the U.S. and world press. Fewer than five Indian papers out of hundreds of historical U.S. publications are featured on the wall.

* Large displays highlight hundreds of contemporary world and foreign language newspapers, TV and radio shows, and Web sites, but no current tribal or national Native newspapers, Internet news sites, or broadcast endeavors are mentioned.

* No more than nine Native journalists, both historic and contemporary, are featured in displays and electronic exhibits at the museum. Scores of black, Latino and Asian journalists are featured, as are thousands of white journalists.

* Seven of the approximately nine Native journalists featured can only be found in an electronic names database.Comment:  The author of this article e-mailed me about interviewing me, but didn't follow up.

As always, we should note that Indians make up only about 1% of the US population. We'd need more information before we could say with certainty that the Newseum has excluded Indians. For instance, if a display contains 495 non-Native newspapers and only five Native newspapers, that's arguably a fair representation of Native newspapers. The proportion of Native newspapers (1%) would be roughly equally to the proportion of Natives in the population.

For more on the subject, see Native Journalism:  To Tell the Truth.

Why Beach left SVU

If you watch Law & Order: SVU, you can guess why Adam Beach is leaving after one year. You can see that the writers weren't giving him any juicy storylines. That he was competing for screen time with Ice-T and Richard Belzer, the show's longtime supporting characters. That the show was basically wasting his talents.

The scuttlebutt at the NIGA convention in San Diego, where Beach co-hosted the Wendell Chino Humanitarian Award dinner, confirmed what you might've guessed. SVU wasn't using Adam sufficiently and that wasn't going to change. So he's moving on to bigger and better (or at least better) things.

Which begs the question of why Dick Wolf hired him in the first place. If you're going to add a movie star to your cast, shouldn't you give him a prominent role. Shouldn't you reduce or eliminate other roles so you can feature your big-name actor?

It's as if Wolf wanted make himself and his network feel good by hiring a Native actor, but didn't want to actually change the show to make a Native character work. Which mirrors his approach in his production of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. "Let's do the right thing by hiring Native actors, then tell the story from a non-Native perspective."

For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

Native boxing network

Fight for survival

Indian boxers looking for bouts"We want to get Native boxers into Native casinos," Ray Hawk commented, "so they can make a living as well as anybody else."

That's one of the primary goals of Native American Warriors Pro-Boxing Network, a relatively new organization based in Fort Thompson on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation.

Lester Thompson Jr., chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, pointed out that NAWPBN is creating economic opportunities for tribal members here and elsewhere and developing a sense of pride for American Indian culture. A number of the fighters are from this reservation in the poorest county in the country, where jobs are scarce and where money earned from boxing can be extremely important. Other boxers are enrolled members of the Ojibwa, Chippewa, Hidatsa, Nez Perce and Mandan nations.Comment:  Hmm. Should a boxer really be wearing a chief's feather bonnet? Doesn't this diminish or negate the idea that this regalia is sacred or at least special?

Potawatomi references in golf course

Golf club shares history of Potawatomi cultureSometimes the references to Potawatomi narratives or to local history are so subtle that it is uncovered only in the name of the hole or in the yardage books.

Two holes reference the turtle, including the signature island green on the 15th hole. Some holes reference the three-tribe alliance of the Potawatomi, Ottawa and Ojibwe, the Three Fires Council. The 10th tee box features a flame for the Potawatomi role as "Keepers of the Fire." The final hole, named for the seven grandfathers of traditional narrative, has seven bunkers.

Pix of NIGA 2008

Pictures of the 2008 National Indian Gaming Association convention in San Diego. Featuring slot machines, the PECHANGA.net staff, and the next governor of California?

NIGA--Apr. 21, 2008
NIGA--Apr. 22, 2008
NIGA--Apr. 23, 2008

Day 3 at NIGA

Not much of note happened on our third and final day at NIGA in San Diego. We staffed the booth four hours, had a late lunch, and headed home. I heard multitalented athlete Bo Jackson was in the house, but I didn't see him. Hulk Hogan had a booth near ours, but as far as I know, he never showed up.

From Alexie to Romano

Indian Comics Irregular #169:  The State of the Native Arts

Day 2 at NIGA

On the way to the convention, Victor Rocha and I ran into Kevin Gover, director of the National Museum of the American Indian. Gover's an old friend of Victor's; I think he was at Victor's wedding. I met him several years ago, but he didn't remember me.

I spent most of the day manning the PECHANGA.net booth on the convention floor. My only celebrity sighting during that time was Irene Bedard, who walked by our booth twice. I later learned that she had her own booth just down the aisle, so I stopped by and chatted with her for a minute. (More on that later.)

After the floor closed, we went to a vendor party on a terrace overlooking the harbor. There we saw Attorney General Jerry Brown, the former "Governor Moonbeam." Victor asked Brown if he was running for governor again, and Brown said something positive like, "Well, why not?"

Among the semi-celebrities at the party were actress Kateri Walker and rapper Litefoot along with lots of tribal leaders.

Next we headed for the Wendell Chino Humanitarian Award dinner, where we saw Adam Beach. Turns out Beach and Bedard were the co-hosts of the event, reprising their friendship in Smoke Signals. Jerry Brown gave the keynote speech and talked about the need for Native values to help solve our problems.

Chairman Bobby Salgado of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians received the Wendell Chino award. When the formalities were over, Earth, Wind, & Fire entertained the crowd. It was amusing to see such tribal leaders as Richard Milanovich (Agua Caliente), Anthony Pico (Viejas), and Mark Macarro (Pechanga) dancing to the music.

Indians keep protesting Dumas

Protesters keep heat on radio showAbout 30 people showed up at the State Capitol on Monday to say they're not letting up the pressure on G-105 and "Bob and The Showgram" for offensive comments about American Indians.

Speakers called for the firing of the popular morning-radio- show crew and a boycott of the show's advertisers. Attendees held signs saying "Stop Hate Media" and "I am not a stereotype."

The protest drew mostly younger Indians, who disagree with the leadership of the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.Lumbee Tribe Wants G105 Advertisers To Switch StationsLumbee Tribe members and other supporters gathered outside the North Carolina State Capital Monday to protest and send a message to those who advertise with G105.

"We are asking the advertisers to stop funding and bankrolling this bigotry,” Jacobs said.

Some advertisers have already taken action. The UNC Pembroke Campus, located in an area with a Rich Lumbee Indian history, pulled its ads from G105 as did Anderson Homes.

Adam's next moves

Beach leaving Law and Order: SVUOne upcoming project is a movie called Paper Games, to be shot in either Winnipeg or Vancouver this summer, in which he plays a hit man.

Beach is also launching an Internet television talk show on aboriginal issues. The show will be shot with two cameras out of his home.

Also on his to-do list is a movie about Louis Riel. He would like to turn it from a regional story into an international one, "if it’s done right."

Off to San Diego

I'll be attending the National Indian Gaming Association's annual convention in San Diego Monday through Wednesday. No doubt I'll be hobnobbing with the stars--e.g., Adam Beach, Hulk Hogan, the Sopranos cast--again. Stay tuned for my NIGA reports and pictures.

Victor Rocha and I are staying at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina next to the convention center. We walked over to pick up our badges and met a few semi-celebrities on the way: comedian Charlie Hill and musician Keith Secola, and Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Charlie Colombe. Victor knows them but I don't, although I've met and interviewed Charlie Hill before. Anyway, I shook hands with them all.

We had dinner at Kemo Sabe, a Thai restaurant combining Asian and Southwestern food. The restaurant's name was ironic considering that Cadillac Jack, a slot-machine manufacturer, was hosting us and a group of Southern California Indians. Also ironic was that the specially printed menu included an appetizer made of "squaw bread." The Cadillac Jack rep said he'd fix the menu by tomorrow.

Adam Beach and his Seminole girlfriend Summer Tiger, who's three months pregnant, joined us for dinner. Afterward we gave Adam and Summer a ride to their hotel. We'll probably see more of them tomorrow.

Racist article of the year

'Most racist' article attacked Native peoples in ParaguayThe Most Racist Article of the Year Award for 2007, given by the human rights organization Survival International, goes to a Paraguayan newspaper that published an editorial describing Native people as "a cancer" and as having "filthy habits." Indigenous advocates also point to economic aspects and severe oppression as being parts of the reason for the media attack.

SI's award is a new feature of its "Stamp it Out" campaign, which aims to challenge racist depictions of tribal people in the world's media. The winner, La Nacion of Asuncion, received a certificate March 21, inscribed with a quotation from Lakota Sioux author Luther Standing Bear: "All the years of calling the Indian a savage has never made him one."The details:The targets of the article's vitriol are mainly Ava Guarani people who ended up living in a public park in the capital city of Asuncion for nine months, between January and September of last year. According to activists and attorneys involved in the issue, this group of families and others were supposed to be able to move into territory purchased for them--after their ancestors were forced off much of the same land--but problems have arisen in finishing the purchase arrangement.

These details did not appear in the editorial, titled "Indians in Uruguay Square," published in La Nacion Sept. 13, 2007.

"A Neolithic Indian camp right in the city center is unthinkable, but there it is, like a dangerous cancer, spreading bad smells, destruction and contamination," wrote Osvaldo Dominguez Dibb, author of the editorial and owner of La Nacion and the new Crowne Plaza Hotel in Asuncion. "The city's being punished for no reason, and it shouldn't have to pay for it. The Indians have to learn to live like people, or get back to the jungle."

Simultaneously racist and sexist

The contretemps over the Woody and Wilcox show continues. An op/ed puts the DJ's comments in context, showing how it's part of a long history of marginalizing Native people.

Someone explain the humor in brutalizing Native womenOn April 9, one of the radio personalities on the "Woody and Wilcox" show on KBFX 100.5-FM, made brutally offensive racial remarks on the morning show. The two were bantering about what it means to be a real Alaskan. One asked the question "Have you ever made love to the Yukon River or peed in a Native woman?"

How often have you heard a sentence that is simultaneously that racist and that sexist? This was hate speech, amusing and encouraging to bigots. Some listeners were shocked; but many Natives, while sickened, thought it was all too typical of Alaska's race relations. Thankfully, we live in a country that does not put people in jail for what they say; but it is also true that we do not have to tolerate vulgar race-baiting over the public airways, which belong to all of us.Why it matters:Amnesty International has noted "sexual violence against indigenous women is the result of a number of factors, including a history of widespread and egregious human rights violations against indigenous peoples in the United States. ... Indigenous women were raped by settlers and soldiers in many infamous episodes ... Such attacks were not random or individual; they were tools of conquest and colonization."

Alaska ranks No. 3 among all 50 states in terms of racial and sexual violence against Native American women; and now we can understand one part of why the numbers are so bad here. It's because many Alaskans actually like this kind of "humor" because it mirrors their own private feelings about an entire racial group--and about women in general. The Klan has its n-word; neo-Nazi groups tell Auschwitz jokes; and here in Alaska, Woody and Wilcox think that brutalizing Native women is funny.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Highlights of the US Report to the UN on Racism.

Indians as energy barons

Why tribes may be key players in eco-energy

Native Green Energy sees vast potential in installing wind turbines on Indian reservations.An effort to transform American Indian tribes into the world's new energy barons is being nurtured at a company founded by a Puget Sound region Indian.

Native Green Energy, formed in October, is building wind turbines and delivering them to Indian tribes that will use the energy to power their own reservations and will sell energy to nearby cities and other governments.

"This is a great source of economic development, and it increases our sovereignty as tribal nations," said Gary Davis, a Seattle-based Cherokee Indian and co-founder of Native Green Energy.

Native fashions and models

Native American fashion show a hit from get-goFashion designer Dorothy Grant's scarves, jewelry, leather handbags and clothing designs ranged from casual to elegant-evening, and from conservative to flamboyantly and many were sold on the spot.

Some of her designs were subtly embellished with art that reflected her Native American art heritage, as well as experiences in Alaska and Canada.

The lovely, local Native American models looked terrific in Grant's designs, strutting the catwalk with smiles and curves instead of frowns and angles. They were Millie Browne, Diana Richards, Ashley Prieto, Cierra Teel, Kelly Teel Berry, Rita Harvey and Summer Alexander, joined by William Beyal, the only "rooster in the hen house."

One year and out for Beach

Adam Beach leaving 'Law & Order: SVU'Adam Beach is departing NBC's crime drama "Law & Order: SVU" at the end of the season.

Beach joined Dick Wolf's crime drama last fall under a one-year deal, which had an option for a second. The two sides have decided not to exercise the option.Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.

Luuna coming to America

A fixture in Belgian comic books is coming to America: Luuna, a Native American "princess" who looks like a sex object.

Tokyopop Debuts Line of Color Graphic NovelsNext year, American manga publisher Tokyopop will launch Tokyopop Graphic Novels, a line of full-color books featuring manga-influenced art and stories by artists from all over the world. Books published under the Tokyopop Graphic Novels imprint will be formated in a larger, 7x10 trimsize with full color illustration. The books will average about 120 pages and cost between $12.99-14.99. The manga house plans to release about a dozen of these graphic novels into the market starting in February of 2009 with the program growing gradually over the years.

Luuna, a book previously published in France by Soleil, is a coming of age story about a Native American princess who is learning how to deal with an ancient curse and her position in her tribe. The first of three volumes also comes out in March 2009.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.

What are kids learning?

Sanfacon:  Indian mascots perpetuate national disgraceWhat are today's students learning about U.S. history and what are they learning about real, living American Indian people? Do today's students believe that American Indians receive a free college education from the government? That all Indians are well compensated by casino revenue? That American Indians don't pay taxes? Is the only thing they are being taught about American Indians is it is OK to stereotype them as sports mascots?

"Professional teams like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins do it. Why can't we?" This is an extremely narrow view of what has long been a national disgrace. We are teaching America's children nothing substantive about American Indians. But who is to blame?

Ozians just like Indians

In A Barnstormer in Oz, Philip José Farmer gives us a "realistic" Oz tale in which America's military is poised to invade Baum's magic kingdom. Here's how one Amazon.com reviewer describes it:
The Not-so-wonderful Land of Oz, July 10, 2000
By Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania)

This book's subtitle unabashedly proclaims it to be "A Rationalization And Extrapolation Of The Split-Level Continuum", a bit of obfuscation which prepares us for this attempt to bring logical scientific analysis to the astounding world of Frank L. Baum's beloved Oz books. Whether such a thing should actually have been attempted is clearly a matter of taste, but it seems likely that fans of the Baum books who also enjoy science fiction will find this novel an amusing blend of wild fantasy and desperate rationalization. The hero is Hank Stover, a World War I veteran flier and barnstormer (and coincidentally, son of the legendary Dorothy), who flies his Jenny (a Curtiss JN-4H biplane) into a mysterious emerald haze and comes out in the wonderland described by his mother many years before.What's interesting is how Farmer identifies America's invasion of Oz with Europe's invasion of America. Here's Glinda the Good Witch discussing the problem with Hank:She paused, looking as if she were contemplating the past. Then she said, “It was very fortunate that neither you nor your mother were carrying any diseases when you came here. But I know that these foulnesses sicken and kill many of you. And if these are brought in, well...”

She grimaced as if she were seeing visions of hell.

“My people would be defenseless. They would be swept away by the thousands, perhaps all or almost all would die. Be honest, wouldn't that happen?”

Hank thought of the American Indians who had died from the diseases contracted from the whites. He thought of the Polynesians who had been struck down by tuberculosis, smallpox, scarlet fever, and syphilis when the whites came.

“I don't think they'd be wiped out. Your Witchness,” he said. “But the results might be horrible. Devastating.”But that isn't the only problem the Ozians face. As Glinda explains:“There is more than disease to it. Even if there were none, you people would destroy our society. You'd bring in your religions, your customs, your institutions. You'd change us for the worse.

“And we have so much gold and silver, so many precious stones. Your greed would ravish the land. But, in order to make your piracy lawful, to make the robbery accord with your images of yourself as honest and lawful and God-fearing, you'd find a pretext for declaring war on us. You'd send in your armies and conquer us. Then you'd start the rape.”Comment:  Yes, if Oz were real and America could invade it, I bet that's what would happen.

As for the rest of the book, it's full of interesting ideas--some better than others--but the execution is only average. Rob's rating: 7.0 of 10.

For more on the subject, see The Indian-Oz Connection.

The scoop on TRICKSTER

TRICKSTER is a graphic novel-style anthology of Native trickster tales created primarily by Native writers and artists. In an exclusive Q&A interview conducted by e-mail, writer/artist Matt Dembicki and publisher Christian Beranek give us the inside story on their project.

Let's start with a brief description: What is TRICKSTER?

MD:  Trickster is a comics anthology, comprising more than 20 Native American trickster stories. Each story is written by a Native American storyteller and illustrated by a comics artist of the writers' choosing. The stories cover a range of trickster types—from the more well-know creatures, such as the rabbit and coyote, to less-known characters, such as raccoons and personified spirits such as Moshup—as well as types of American Indian tribes and geographic area.

What's your motivation for doing TRICKSTER? What objectives do you hope to achieve?

MD:  The premise is to compile some wonderful Native American stories into one book so the general public can appreciate stories unknown to many of them and to renew a general understanding and appreciation of the Native American culture.

For the rest of the interview, go to Q&A on TRICKSTER. See also this Trickster sneak peek.

For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.

Long runs and walks

76-year-old Sioux man to run Boston Marathon"We really pushed it," said Dan Eastman, who, with his wife, was able to secure a last-minute bib number with the Hopkinton Athletic Association. Like other association runners, the money Emmett Eastman has raised will go to charity.

"That's what Emmett is all about," Joan Quinn Eastman said.

He will also be running in memory of his friend Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, who died from leukemia complications in December. Westerman, a Dakota musician and activist, also played the character Ten Bears in the movie "Dances with Wolves."

When the race is over, the 76-year-old will rejoin the Longest Walk II, a group that is crossing America on foot asking that sacred American Indian sites be protected.

It is Emmett Eastman's fourth transcontinental journey, having participated in one before the 1996 Olympics to promote American Indian health and culture, one to draw attention to national conservation efforts, and one to have the Olympic medals of American Indian Jim Thorpe reinstated after he was stripped of his amateur status years earlier.

Tired of racism deniers

Kate Harding analyzes the Vogue cover featuring LeBron James as King Kong and makes some important points about racism. Anyone who participates in Indian mascot debates has heard these arguments before.

Racism FatigueSome people, though, are still not only not getting it, but insisting that those of us who do get it are hypersensitive, overreacting, “looking for racism everywhere,” etc.–the usual, in other words. For the most part, I can just roll my eyes at that, because it’s all so familiar. Anything short of someone saying on national TV, “If you see a black man, you should shoot him in the face, and let me be perfectly clear that I mean you should shoot him in the face because he is black,” might not be racism after all, because some white people can’t see it. And if not all white people can see it, then the benefit of the doubt should automatically go to whomever made the racist statement/took the racist action/produced the racist image, not to the people identifying it as racist–because there is NOTHING WORSE IN THE WORLD than being a white person unfairly accused of racism! You lucky people of color have NO IDEA how horrible that is!Why it's important to tackle subtle problems such as an "inoffensive" mascot or magazine title:

It’s all important, from the most subtle instances to the most blatant and institutionalized.

And it can be especially important to talk about the subtle things, because that’s where privilege reveals itself most clearly. Any white person who’s neither an idiot nor an asshole can see and deplore the racism in, say, this image. But we can’t all see it in the Vogue cover. So when we start talking about the Vogue cover as part of a long tradition of racist imagery that casts African-American men as aggressive apes, we get a much more useful conversation going. Instead of just a bunch of white liberals saying, “That’s horrible!” and a bunch of white supremacists saying, “No, it’s right on!” we get to see all the grey areas of privilege brought out in the open: those of us who try to be anti-racist and educate ourselves accordingly but still missed the racism there until it was pointed out to us; those of us who sorta see it once it’s pointed out but still think people are making a mountain out of a molehill; and most importantly, those of us who missed it in the first place and, on the basis of that, continue to insist it is not there.

Comment:  For more on racism and white privilege, see Systemic, Not Aberrant.

Casinos promote culture

Indian tribes change the script with Arizona resorts

Communities showcase their heritage through story-telling, art, craftsIt's tough to grow up as the perpetual bad guy. From kids' games to cowboy movies, the Indians have always been portrayed as the villains.

However, two tribes in the Phoenix/Scottsdale region have changed the script, successfully showcasing their heritage at two first-class resorts.What the Gila River Indian Community offers at Wild Horse:Wild Horse is home to all the amenities that you would expect from an upscale destination. It boasts two golf courses (the Cattail course hosted the Nationwide Tour from 2003 to 2005), four riverside pools plus a 35-metre waterfall, a spa, tennis courts, conference centre, equestrian centre and a half dozen restaurants including Kai, a AAA Five Diamond dining room. Right around the corner from the resort is a casino run by the tribe. (The resort made headlines this winter when the New York Giants made Wild Pass their home away from home during Super Bowl week.)

What makes the place unique, though, is the Indian ownership and influence. Members of the tribe greet visitors at Wild Pass's front entrance, the public spaces and rooms are decorated with the works of dozens of Indian artists, ingredients used at the Wild Horse restaurants come from nearby fields farmed by the tribe and treatments at the spa are based on tribal remedies. At night, during the winter, a tribe member gathers visitors around a roaring fire and tells stories based on Indian history. Tribal members fill the management trainee positions.Comment:  For more on the benefits of casinos, see The Facts About Indian Gaming--Benefits.

Pope mentions Natives

'Americans . . . a people of hope'Here are excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI's homily Thursday at Nationals Park:

Americans have always been a people of hope: Your ancestors came to this country with the expectation of finding new freedom and opportunity. . . . To be sure, this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves. Yet hope, hope for the future, is very much a part of the American character.Indians respond:National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Joe A. Garcia welcomed the comments and recognition from the Holy Father. "This is an historic moment for Indian Country," said Garcia. "I commend Pope Benedict XVI for making this bold, and very true, statement with the world watching. Native people have suffered greatly since the arrival of European settlers as they were displaced and then later subjected to U.S. government policies of termination and assimilation."Comment:  As brief as these remarks were, they're better than the pope's previous utterances on Natives. See Pope Insults Indians and Another Insult from the Pope for more information.

Why Gorby spoke

What was Gorby doing at Hard Rock?In a pre-speech news conference chronicled by my colleague David Fleshler, Gorbachev had kind things to say about the Castro brothers and Cuba’s communist revolution and unkind things to say about the United States’ hard-line position and ongoing embargoes with the island.

This isn’t what you usually hear from visiting dignitaries in South Florida. Talk like that around Miami 15 or 20 years ago would have triggered demonstrations and boycotts.

As change continues to unfold in Cuba, with Raul taking power, it’s logical that U.S. businesses position themselves for the future. Especially if a Democrat who’s willing to ease the embargoes is elected president.

Maybe the Seminoles envision the day when Havana once again becomes a tourist destination with casinos. And maybe Gorbachev can be an envoy who helps them get an inside track in expanding there.

Walrus stomachs and porcupine quills

Native Anew

Contemporary Indian works get the spotlight in an enormous show at the Tucson Museum of Art"Guarded Secrets," 2005, is a collection of tubular stomach parts, bristling with sharp quills. Shaded in delicate ambers and coppers, with sharp black tips topping the white quills, it's piled on a pedestal in Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation, the enormous show of contemporary Northwest and Pacific Indian works at the Tucson Museum of Art.

The piece embodies numerous influences all at once. An Arizonan might be inclined to see it as an assemblage of prickly cactus parts, alluding to the artist's years in the desert, and serving, maybe, as a metaphor of psychic alienation. A Native Alaskan might meditate on the place of the walrus and the porcupine in traditional life. And an urban hipster will relish the artist's daring to declare these animal parts to be art.

Baby Jesus in cleats

Low-key hero

Dedication, work ethic key to Ellbury's successThe New York Times had no problem calling Jacoby Ellsbury, then a mid-season recruit, the future of the Boston Red Sox.

Just this week, the Boston Globe practically pleaded with management to put him on the field full time.

In a recent issue, Men's Vogue called the first Navajo to play Major League Baseball, "Baby Jesus in cleats."

And through it all, Ellsbury, the 24-year-old outfielder born to a Navajo woman and her bilagaana husband, doesn't do what you would expect. He does not cheer on his own greatness in confident enthusiasm, nor does he dismiss the claims with exaggerated modesty.

Medicine man saved thrash band

Native-American healing and a Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist rejuvenate metal thrashers Testament"I believe 100 percent that [Native American medicine] cured me," says Billy, who was moved to rediscover his roots. "That's what got me through. It was definitely a very spiritual, enlightening time of my life."

The sickness helped heal his band. Friends held a benefit concert to offset a mountain of medical bills. Souza and Skolnick rejoined their old bandmates, performing as Legacy. Billy performed a song at the end, and the vibes were good. Skolnick rejoined in 2001, to rerecord classic songs with modern production on the First Strike Still Deadly album. A European promoter lured the remaining Legacy-era players back into the fold for one show in 2005, which turned into a tour. Momentum carried into talks of a new record.

New Indian beer

Shades of Crazy Horse Malt Liquor! Someone hasn't gotten the message that it's not politically correct to use Indians to sell beer.

Koff Beer INDIANKoff Beer commercial featuring 3 Native American Indians to introduce new beer.

Comment:  This ad uses what appear to be Indians in Plains clothing. The main actor looks like David Midthunder, who was the only good Indian in Comanche Moon. I'm guessing the Indians are speaking Lakota or another Native language.

Other than the whole concept of naming a beer after Indians and using Indians to sell it, this ad is relatively innocuous. But that's a big "other than."

More on Koff Indian beer:

Koff IndianKOFF Indian Beer has joined the KOFF tribe. It is a barley beer with cornstarch syrup added during the brewing process. A balanced, aromatic and full-bodied lager that is at its best in good company and sociable surroundings.KOFF Wild IndianOk, this is the latest idea from Sinebrychoff (owned by Carlsberg): "Let’s take an old beer brand from the 1990’s and promote it as easy to drink festival beer." "Wild Indian" was the first corn beer in Finland 15 years ago (this one is propably with different recipe). Maize beer doesn’t sound very good marketing idea in Finland, where Bud has had quite bad reputation in the 2000’s. It pours golden with lots of CO2 and has small white head which fades away. Corn is evident in the nose as well some papery and skunky notes. Soft malty, a bit sweetish flavor. Propably corn softens this beer, although it is more on malty side. Light palate of course. Sweetish malty aftertaste. Clean and harmless summer drink.Comment:  Now we're getting into problem territory. Calling it "Wild Indian" and putting a chief on the label is stereotypical. Implying that Koff will make you as "wild" (and drunk) as an Indian is arguably offensive.

For related arguments, see Beer Company Suggests Atlanteans Built Wisc. Mounds and Paris Strip Club with Nude Dancers Named After Crazy Horse.

Obama responds, Clinton doesn't

Opinion:  By now candidates should be clear on Native issuesWhen I started making calls to Obama campaign organizers about his Native policy agenda, I was quickly invited to interview attorney Keith Harper, a Native policy adviser who has been with the Obama camp for the past 14 months of the 15-month-old campaign.

Campaign organizers also arranged for an interview with Obama’s chief of staff, Pete Rouse.

Finally, an interview was scheduled with Obama himself when he spoke in Missoula.

But when I contacted Clinton organizers about her Native policy platform, the reaction was slow.

I asked if she had a senior policy adviser. I was told yes--but no name was offered.

It seemed a great secret. I asked several people, including some of Clinton’s staunchest Native allies in Montana. No one knew if she had a Native policy adviser.

Finally, a spokesman told me to expect a call from Arlan Melendez, chairman of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony in Nevada. The call arrived two hours before my deadline.

Indians play Sasquatch prank

Hays comes alive with Bigfoot rumorsSeveral people had spotted strange, very large prints in the snow and dirt—some marred with blood and hair—around the powwow grounds where Fort Belknap tribal members hold dances every summer.

Armed with only a camera, Horseman and two friends last month bravely headed into Mission Canyon, a mile south of Hays.

What they found surprised even the grizzled investigator. On the south end of the canyon park, some 25 prints were spotted in a 75-yard stretch. The prints looked like giant handprints, with fingers a good 4 inches longer than Horseman's.The mystery solved:Pressured by the Tribune's staff of investigative reporters, Anthony Shambo spilled that the trickster was his brother, Reno Shambo, who intended to simply pull a prank on his young son.

"He brought it up to me two weeks before it happened," Shambo said Wednesday. "I kind of laughed at him and said nobody's going to believe that."

Reno Shambo, a coyote hunter, had cut the large prints out of 2-by-4s and strapped them to his feet.

Double-talk from Obama?

Indian Voters Send Obama and Black Caucus Message:  Get Off Our Back!Native Americans across the country are getting fed up with the double talk coming from presidential candidate Barack Obama saying he supports the sovereign status of tribal governments while supporting the Congressional Black Caucus on several bills that include terminating federal recognition of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation.

The Native American Housing and Self Determination Act provides Federal assistance for Native American tribes while also recognizing their right to tribal self-governance. Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. This is where political double talk gets it's meaning. While campaigning, Obama tells Native Americans he supports their full sovereignty tribal nation rights while supporting the CBC blocking funding and calling for the termination of an Indian Nation.Comment:  Just because Obama is a member of the caucus doesn't mean he supports or even knows about their actions. I'm guessing he's a little preoccupied with running for president to think about the Cherokee right now.

For more on the subject, see The 2008 Presidential Campaign.

What Gorby said

U.S. mistaken to demonize Fidel Castro, Gorbachev says at Hard Rock appearance

Former Soviet leader speaks at Hard RockFormer Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev spoke Wednesday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, where he accused the United States of demonizing Fidel Castro and failing to appreciate what Castro accomplished for Cuba.

Exactly what brought Gorbachev remained unclear, since he's not on a speaking tour. He said he came at the invitation of the Seminole Tribe, which owns the entertainment complex, and a tribal council member issued a written statement expressing pride in hosting the former Soviet leader. The week before his talk, a Hard Rock Live newspaper ad gave Gorbachev billing equal to Paul Anka and Eric Clapton but lower than Larry the Cable Guy. The tribe gave away tickets.And:Gorbachev said the United States botched the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, appearing only interested in seizing political advantage and continuing to spread money to defense contractors.

"The U.S. government made a big mistake from the breakup of the Soviet Union," he said. "At that time the Russian people were really euphoric about America and the U.S. was really number one in the minds of many Russians."

2008 Lacapa winner

Veronica Tsinajinnie named winner of 2008 Lacapa Spirit PrizeThe Lacapa Spirit Prize is proud to announce its 2008 winner. Named for Michael Lacapa, renowned children's book illustrator and writer who died in 2005, the award honors the legacy of his artistic vision and talent for storytelling. This prize acknowledges great books for children that best embody the spirit of the peoples, culture and natural landscape of the Southwest. Books published in the two years prior to the award are eligible for consideration.

The 2008 Lacapa Spirit Prize for Narrative was awarded to "Jóhonaa'éí: Bringer of Dawn," written by Veronica Tsinajinnie, illustrated by Ryan Singer and published by Salina Bookshelf Inc.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.

Protesting in Beijing and Vancouver

First Nations eye 2010 Olympics as protest targetCanada’s top native chief says the Vancouver Olympics are a potential target for First Nations protest much like Beijing has been a flash point for Tibet supporters.

Phil Fontaine said today that native leaders will use whatever chance they can, including the 2010 Winter Games, to focus governments on aboriginal poverty.

Thousands of Canadians who’ve marched in support of a free Tibet should be “outraged” by abysmal native conditions in their own country, he said today.

Films from Sheephead Films

Shonie De La Rosa recently sent me a compilation DVD of his Navajo-based films. I've mentioned some of them before, but here they are in one place.

The Last Great Hunt



A comedic short that stereotypes the early Native American with the eagle cries, flute music, war paint, and feathers we've come to expect from Hollywood. (Discussed in Dime-Store Indian vs. Stuffed Bunny.)

Al'keme 1345



Addiction is a painful disease no matter what the addiction may be. Through music and symbolism, this film follows one mans journey back to reality. Featuring the music of Keddah.

Mini-review by Steve Weiss of the Heard Museum:Lots of symbology and pharmaecuetical references. Kind of like a student music video, but with a really interesting consistent look...in the midst of the Navajo Red Rock country, they shot in a washed out black and white that made the landscape more ugly and blasted than warm and romantic. Showing a classic Navajo sand dune and then systematically destroying it, running across, tumbling down.

There was an anti-beauty to the filmmaker's message I found innovative.Mile Post 398--Official Trailer



Mile Post 398 captures the essence of surviving day-to-day in the Navajo Nation as the demons of drink pound on the door. Ever since best friends Cloyd, Jimmy, and Marty were young, an alcoholic haze has surrounded them. Now Cloyd faces his last chance to break the chains that bind him. Will he let his past lead him astray again, or will he choose to save himself and his family? (Discussed in Mile Post 398 Debuts, Mile Post 398 Is Reality, and A Perfect Native Film?)

Yellow Dust



When the Navajo emerged into the 4th World, the Holy People gave them a choice between two powders: a yellow dust from the rocks and the pollen from corn. The Navajo chose corn pollen. The Holy People were content, but they warned the Navajo to leave the yellow dust in the ground. If it were ever disturbed, they said, it would bring evil.

Mini-review by Steve Weiss of the Heard Museum:Well executed cross-editing of archival footage of nuclear testing and uranium mining tailings and mine sites. Perhaps a little longer than needed, and best explained as a subject by the filmmaker after the screening. One of the better explanations of the festival.Also on the DVD:

Irrelevant Static
Director: Shonie De La Rosa
Experimental Short
Running Time: 36 min

Ed, who lives in seclusion, has lost his wife and son to a super strain of tuberculosis unleashed by terrorists that has killed millions around the globe. Ed has contracted the deadly disease, but continues to go about his day-to-day routine in his home with only a radio as his only connection to the outside world.

Rob's mini-review:  A Navajo man coughs up blood while the radio goes on about terrorism, biochemical warfare, and homeland security. I thought this film would draw a connection between foreign terrorism against the US and US terrorism against Indians, but it didn't. I was left pondering what it meant, if anything.

Considering that nothing much happens, I'd say Irrelevant Static is too long at 36 minutes. A film 1/6th the length probably would've been better.

Plus another film from Sheephead Films:

D.C. Navajo



A short film about a graphic artist trying to collect his pay from the Navajo Nation's Washington DC office. (Discussed in Navajos Try to Censor Satire? and Shirley Laughs at D.C. Navajo.)

For more on Sheephead Films, visit its official website. For more on Native films in general, see The Best Indian Movies.

Another stupid radio jock

Following shock-jock Bob Dumas's insulting comments about the Lumbee, another radio DJ has made another offensive remark about Natives.

Radio show comment about Native women fires outrageDriving to her job in Anchorage that morning, Davis said she laughed as the two men discussed the car accidents around the city, and joked about how you weren’t a real Alaskan unless you’d crashed at a busy intersection.

Later, one of the DJs on the classic rock station tried to make a play off an old Alaska saying, and asked, “Have you made love to the Yukon and peed in a Native woman?” Davis said.

“I was horrified," said Davis. "I was completely shocked, it took a long time to sink in, then I got to work and I sat down at my desk and cried. It’s such a degrading thing to say. It’s incredibly insulting."Public uproar leads to DJs' suspensionFor a week, outrage built across the state. A state legislator spoke against it on the floor of the House of Representatives in Juneau, and it came up Tuesday night at the Anchorage Assembly meeting. School Superintendent Carol Comeau and Mayor Mark Begich publicly condemned it. The Alaska Federation of Natives issued a statement comparing the hosts to embattled shock jock Don Imus. Several people called on advertisers to cancel their contracts.

On Tuesday afternoon, KBFX owner Clear Channel Communications suspended Woody and Wilcox "indefinitely' and ordered them to attend sensitivity training.

"We are confident that what was said was an isolated incident, and it in no way reflects the views of KBFX station personnel," read a statement posted on the station's Web site.Apparently the show is more sexist than racist:The Fox is the third most-popular morning drive-time radio show in Anchorage among men age 25-54, according to Arbitron ratings from fall 2007. The station plays metal-infused classic rock.

The station clearly targets men, though women call in on occasion.

The morning talk is laden with innuendo, crude humor and porn references. The station's Web site features a "Babe page" with galleries of scantily-clad models spraying each other with garden hoses and straddling guitars. The site's motto is "Surfing the Web with one free hand."Below:  Michelle Davis.

Glasnost comes to casino

Hard Rock gambles on Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev, former head of the Soviet Union, will deliver a lecture on peace at an unusual venue: the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.Gorbachev is popular among top Seminole tribal leaders.

"As the former leader of the Soviet Union, he's been an enormous figure in the world. Mikhail Gorbachev is living history. Hosting him at the Seminole Hard Rock is quite an honor for us," said Seminole Tribal Council representative Max Osceola in an e-mail response to The Miami Herald.

Gorbachev's one-hour lecture will be held Wednesday night at Hard Rock Live! at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood, beginning at 7:30.

Ryan Rogers, spokesman for the Seminole Hard Rock, said the Seminole Tribe, owners of the casino, invited Gorbachev because his message of political reform, peace and environmentalism is popular among Seminole leaders. He wouldn't disclose his speaking fee.Comment:  Whether this lecture sells out or not, it's a testament to the power of Indian gaming to transform the cultural milieu. How often did former world leaders visit Indian reservations before the advent of gaming...never?

N.M. marketer of the year

Ad campaign pays off

Santa Ana Star Casino wins Marketer of the YearThe Santa Ana Star Casino, a tribal enterprise of the Santa Ana Pueblo, is the first New Mexico casino to win the coveted Marketer of the Year award for 2007 given by the New Mexico chapter of the American Marketing Association.

The casino won in the Integrated Marketing Campaign category for its "This is MY Casino" marketing campaign.

"As the first casino in New Mexico to receive this honor, Santa Ana Star Casino is thrilled to be named a Marketer of the Year award for 2007," said Scott Eldredge, director of marketing for Santa Ana Star Casino, in a press release. "This is an incredible honor for the casino because we truly work to make Santa Ana Star Casino 'YOUR Casino' by developing and incorporating many of the promotions and programs requested by our guests."Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Facts About Indian Gaming.

Gateway to Hopiland

Hopi Village Working On $92M Tourist DrawA Hopi village is developing a $92.5 million retail, lodging and commerce center that tribal officials hope will help capture millions of tourist dollars.

Named the "Gateway to Hopiland," the project in the Upper Village of Moenkopi will include a 100-room hotel and conference center, fast-food restaurants, a grocery store, art gallery and a building that could serve as a university branch on 72 acres across the highway from Tuba City, which is on the Navajo Nation.

Notably absent is a casino--the Hopi have consistently rejected gambling enterprises on their reservation.

A $6 million travel center with a car wash, gas station, convenience store and tax-free tobacco is already being built. More than 1 million drivers a year pass by the area, which is on U.S. 160 about 50 miles north of Flagstaff.Comment:  Having driven by this location at least twice, I'd say the travel center is a good idea. For a traditional people like the Hopi, I'd say avoiding a casino is also a good idea.

Native werewolves in X-Files

A good summary of an X-Files episode from a blog on Dana Scully:

List of MOTW charactersLyle Parker, played by Ty Miller in the episode Shapes (The X-Files). He was a man who was attacked by what appeared to be a werewolf on his family's ranch near an indian reservation in Montana. His father shoots the animal only to find a dead native american upon closer inspection. The son survived the attack only to fall victim to lycanthropy himself leading him to kill his father when the change later overcomes him. Mulder comes to believe the "skinwalker" legend as described to him by the local shaman and later shoots and kills the beast when he and Scully are attacked back at the ranch.

Morongo hosts Steve Spitz

Live cooking show at Morongo CasinoUniversal Columbia Entertainment LLC, parent company of "Live with Steve Spitz," announces 24 appearances and tapings live from the Morongo Casino in Palm Springs.

Spitz, host of "Live with Steve Spitz," "Intoxicating Cuisine with Steve Spitz" and "Living Better with Steve Spitz," along with the casino and Gene Pietragallo Jr., CEO of Tourism TV, will begin production, live from the Morongo Casino, April 16-18 and April 21-23.

Review of AN INVITED THREAT

I've said before that I think you can make almost any subject into an interesting comic book. But I doubt I would've thought of this approach for diabetes.

Here's what AN INVITED THREAT is about:

The Healthy Aboriginal Network: Non-profit promotion of health, literacy & wellnessIt’s about a young boy and what he likes to eat more than anything--junk food. His family exercises and they eat together at the table, but they don’t always have time to prepare a healthy meal, so they rely on prepared foods. And it’s about someone who has the ability to change the dietary habits of his people--the local store manager. The story was focus group tested with youth and health professionals for its ability to convey the idea of what is, and what is not, healthy food.Year End PDF Catch-Up Reviews Page–2007 EditionAn Invited Threat is a diabetes “Public Service Announcement” (PSA) comic aimed at the Aboriginal communities of North America and, like its predecessor Darkness Calls (a suicide prevention comic) it is quite good. DC was a bit more subtle in its storytelling, but Threat is powerful in its message and not too preachy (again, a bit more than DC, but still not bad). The three-member family that writer/artist Steven Keewatin Sanderson focuses the story on go through a series of visions that show them the consequences of their dietary choices in a way that makes it personal for each person. When the mother gets a look at her future son and how the father/town general store manager learns his particular lesson elevate the book to well above forgettable--which most Public Service Announcements are. There are some parts I disliked--the look the menace in the mothers vision was hard for me to take seriously, especially knowing how well the creator can write the subtler parts of his stories.

I think An Invited Threat, Darkness Calls, and the third book in the series On the Turn, a gambling addiction comic book are all very good and deserver a wide readership. I don't know much about Steve Sanderson, but I hope we hear more from him soon.Rob's review:  Dennis, Diane, and Ricky are a middle-class Aboriginal family on a reserve in central Canada. They're thoroughly modern. Dad owns and operates a convenience store. Mom works on a business proposal with a computer and cellphone. Son stares blankly at the TV and absorbs too many commercials.

They attend a tribal meeting where a diabetes expert raises the issue of eating better. She notes that Dennis's store sells unhealthy food. He feels singled out and put upon.

As they leave the meeting, a man they don't know suggests they need to look at the issue from a fresh perspective. They decide to walk home even though it's beginning to snow. As the snowfall increases, they're separated and each has a vision.

Ricky finds himself in a cartoon world of sugary junk-food mascots where everyone urges him to eat. Diane finds herself in an operating room with a buzz saw-wielding monster who wants to amputate her legs. Dennis finds himself in a traditional village where the hunters unaccountably bring rotten meat.

The strong points

The comic really hits the message home. I wouldn't call this a PSA, since it's a full-fledged story with characters and plot. It's an issue-oriented work of fiction, not a documentary.

Steve Sanderson's writing and art are getting more assured, and this is only his second comic that I know of. He's definitely a rising star and one to watch. He may be the best Native comic-book artist since Ryan Huna Smith.

There are no obvious mistakes or stereotypes. The characters are regular people who live in a house with windows and furniture, wear t-shirts and baseball caps, and eat pizza. Even the mysterious Indian wears a fleece-lined jacket over a flannel shirt.

A few caveats

The story doesn't have a specific setting. It doesn't mention a reserve or a province; you can't even be sure it's set in Canada. Diane mentions going to Toronto, but the traditional village has a Pacific Northwest look. So where is the family supposed to be: halfway between these widely separated locations?

The computer-generated coloring is still too dark and artificial-looking. The cool tones work better for the dream sequences than for the reality-based scenes, which could be warmer.

Dennis's segment and the ending feel a little rushed. Sanderson clearly enjoyed doing the killer-surgeon segment the most.

Conclusion

Despite these minor complaints, this is a fine Native comic. It goes straight to my list of recommended reading. Keep an eye on the Healthy Aboriginal Network and Steve Sanderson, because they're doing great things.

The hobby of being Indian

“Indianer”...a Strange, Strange Hobby IndeedThey call themselves “hobbyists,” an odd term, even derisive if you think about it, but keenly apropos considering what it is they do.

“Hobbyists” have an interesting approach to enjoying a culture not their own. They capture and cage it—feasting on the traditions of the “other” with ravenous delight. Not unlike like collecting spoons or stamps, these western European aficionados collect Indigenous North American customs like, well, it’s a “hobby.”

You can therefore imagine how curious it must be to be a Canadian Cree living in Germany, witnessing ersatz Natives donning braids, building tipis, and joining drum circles acting the very image of the mystical, stoic Indian. Filmmaker Howie Summers, however disquieted, has produced a short documentary, Indianer, giving an up-front view of who the hobbyists are, and more importantly, what feeds their fascination.Is this hobby only a benign pastime, or something worse?In a more academic analysis, Native Studies Professor Hartmut Lutz attaches a deeper pathology to the hobbyist’s zeal who he says propagate a false and cavalier image. Evidence? Whereas none of the Natives onscreen talks, walks or dresses in the savage stereotype, every one of the hobbyists is festooned in full regalia down to the last bead.

By seeing and listening to the bare-chested, feathered and oh-so-Aryan Germans playing Indians, the viewer is left dumbfounded at their naiveté and disgusted by their hubris. Some of these folks really do believe they make superior Indians.Comment:  I'd say it's a tradeoff. Clearly the Indianers are helping to preserve and publicize aspects of traditional Indian cultures. But they could do that by writing books, setting up exhibits, or inviting Indians to speak. By dressing up and pretending to be Indians, they're helping to preserve traditional Indian cultures while denying the existence of modern Indian cultures.

For a good debate on the subject, see Orthodox Wannabe League Considers Themselves Indian. For more on the subject, see Indian Wannabes.

Lifetime award for S.C. Native

Legislature announces Folk Heritage and honors Native American artistWill Moreau Goins will receive the "Lifetime Achievement" Award for work in the Arts.

The South Carolina General Assembly, the South Carolina Arts Commission and the University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum announced the recipients of the 2008 Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award.

The award ceremony will be on April 16th in the South Carolina State House. This award recognizes outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina.

"I believe that there is no better choice for this high honor...Dr. Goins is one of South Carolina's most well-known and beloved Native American storytellers, singers and dancers" explained Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter.Below:  Will Moreau and John Trudell.

Tree House authors visit Navajo

Bring adventure to Navajo studentsThe sisters are using their trip to the Navajo Nation to promote literacy and wellness.

"We wanted to turn the kids on to more reading than they're already doing," Boyce said in phone interview. "Our underlying message is that reading is a huge component of wellness and a guarantee of happiness."

The Navajo Nation trip comes on the heels of the authors' recent publication of the 39th book in the Magic Tree House series, "Dark Day in the Deep Sea," and the companion research guide, "Sea Monsters." The sister team has sold more than 56 million copies of their books since the series debuted in 1992.

Random House donated copies of "Dark Day in the Deep Sea" and "Sea Monsters" to the 2,000 third- through fifth-grade students attending the presentations this week, said Darlene Begay, school health coordinator with Northern Navajo Medical Center.

Another look at DARKNESS CALLS

Darkness Calls--A Suicide Prevention Comic:  Worth reading because it is goodThe story is well crafted, using well known superhero archetypes or clichés in a way that fits perfectly. This is not really a superhero comic, but the legend character of Wesakecak is portrayed as such to add some action to the story and put ancient legends in a visual language that comic readers would relate to. The art is very nice and the rich colors are a perfect fit for the serious tone of the book. I am very impressed by the whole thing--a very professional comic by Steve Sanderson, an Aboriginal youth cartoonist.Comment:  For my thoughts on this comic, see Rob's review.

Another look at ON THE TURN

Year End PDF Catch-Up Reviews Page--2007 Edition

Does a nice job of ringing out into the open the relevant issue of teen gambling.

Not as strong as the other two in the Healthy Aboriginal Network series--but still better than most PSA comics and TV shows I have seen.

Conclusion--good--get it for your school.

Comment:  For my thoughts on this comic, see Review of ON THE TURN.

Older than America videos

Some interesting interviews with Georgina Lighting and the cast of Older than America. You can see the movie's trailer in the middle of Lightning's interview.

Older Than America--Movie Interview--Georgina Lightning



Older Than America--Tantoo Cardinal--SXSW



Older Than America--Movie Interview--Wes Studi



"Older Than America" Movie--Chris Mulkey

Choctaw villain in Broken English

In Broken English (2007), a romantic comedy by Zoe Cassavetes, Parker Posey plays a thirtysomething New Yorker looking for love. Her first date is with Nick Gable (Justin Theroux), an actor. As the NY Times review put it:The film’s smartest sequence finds Nora flouting her hotel’s no-fraternization policy to go out with a V.I.P. guest, a rising movie star named Nick Gable (Justin Theroux, in the movie’s most complex and surprising performance).

Nick, a man-child with a mohawk that appears to be woven from Sasquatch fur, presents himself as a truth-seeking artist who craves a simple life with a woman who’s not in show business. We quickly deduce a truth that Nora wills herself not to see: Nick is a pure narcissist who sees his date with Nora as an acting challenge—an audition for a one-night stand.

These early, squirm-inducing scenes portend a film that will refute Hollywood romantic comedy’s wish-fulfillment tendencies with a rude dose of reality. Then the hunky, puppy dog Frenchman shows up, and the film’s daring impulses exit stage left.We first think Nick is a punk rocker because of his haircut. But it seems he has that 'do for a reason. Fresh from his role in Hit Man, this white boy's current assignment is playing an Indian.

As Nick explains it, he's starring in a movie called Rain Dancer as a mohatu (sp?), a Choctaw medicine man "who used to travel around poisoning the European settlers. He's kind of a bad guy, I guess."



Let's think about this a minute. The Choctaw word for medicine man is alikchi, but maybe mohatu was a personal name or another kind of healer. I don't think the Choctaw had mohawks, but Indians in the Ohio Valley did, and that isn't so far away. I don't think the Choctaw did rain dances, but Indians in the Southwest did, and that isn't so far away.

I can't swear that no Choctaw with a mohawk ever did a rain dance, but I'm betting against it. More likely, Cassavetes threw three unrelated stereotypes together to create a character bit. Indians do rain dances...Indians wear mohawks...and Indians kill whites.

Add the idea of a pale-faced Anglo playing a dark-skinned Choctaw and you have a perfect storm of ridiculousness. Although some Choctaws may be light-skinned today, recall that Nick is playing a traditional Indian from the 19th century. Because they lived in the South and intermarried with blacks, Choctaws are likely to be darker than average, not lighter.

As we saw in Next Step Wonderland, even the smallest mention of Indians gets things wrong. Even smart indie films portray Indians as primitives and savages. No wonder Indians can't trust anyone but themselves to get things right.

As for Broken English, I'd say it's your typical New York-based independent chick flick. There's nothing terribly bad about it but nothing wonderfully good about it, either. Rob's rating: 7.0 of 10.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  The official trailer basically tells the whole story and quotes the best lines. If you love the trailer, you'll probably like the movie.

Indians in Astro Boy

The 26th English-language episode of the Japanese cartoon Astro Boy features a Native theme. If you overlook the racist characteristics of the primary antagonist, it's not bad.

Here's the standard synopsis:Don Tay's Infernal Machine (Astro Boy; Mushi Productions, 1964): Wicked scientist Don Tay has built a super robot named Ferno, capable of generating tremendous heat to destroy other robots, break into vaults and eventually revive an inactive volcano.The cartoon opens with a shot of a saguaro cactus, then pans over a desert landscape of mesas and cacti. A newsreel-style narrator sets the scene:In a faraway desert land, proud and noble descendants of a formerly great civilization were conquered by invaders. History tells how the invading armies took all the gold and silver and forced the natives to work in the mines and in the fields. Old and young alike were pressed into service, and made to spend long hours under the blazing sun.Peasant Indian women are shown carrying loads of ore on their backs, then hoeing a field. An overseer in an Mexican sombrero and sash whips one old lady, who collapses to the ground.

A pained voice takes over the narration. The camera pulls back to reveal that a man in a suit has been watching the previous scene in a film:"She's an old lady. She's just like my grandmother. All the cruelty she suffered."He shuts off the film and turns to a robot he's built:"I've run this film for over 20 years, and every time I cry. To think how my parents were made to suffer. That's why I created you, Ferno, a mighty robot with tremendous strength and power."We eventually learn that the man is named Don Tay, and his robot Ferno is the infernal machine of the title. Judging by the visual and verbal references, the cartoon is set in Mexico, although no specific location is mentioned.

It's a decent setup for a cartoon--not unlike the one in the Superman cartoon featuring a mad Indian scientist. Especially when you consider that it was an early 1960s cartoon. This may be the first description of the atrocities committed against Indians to ever appear in a cartoon.

Don Tay the dog

As one critic put it, Don Tay "is a fully clothed, well-dressed, thoroughly civilized, and educated man." Unfortunately, he looks like a racist caricature. He must be a mix of Indian and European blood, with perhaps some African blood thrown in. He has dark skin and a weird shock of white hair--but other than that, he resembles a dog. He's distinctly less human than the Euro-Americans he encounters. And his disguise, such as it is, is a black mask with a sombrero rim around his neck.

After Ferno steals some plans from the Institute of Science, we learn what Don Tay's scheme entails. Ferno is to dig a tunnel under Mount Smokum, an inactive volcano, to trigger an eruption. The lava will destroy a Mexican village. Presumably this will kill the Mexicans who enslaved his people as well as a bunch of innocents.

But Don Tay repents when he's surrounded by lava himself and Astro Boy saves him. He helps Astro Boy divert the lava and save the village. A lesson is learned: something about evil swallowing itself if left unchecked, literally as well as figuratively. And all's well that ends well.

Comanche killer in Lost

In the 2004 movie Lost (not the TV show of the same name), Jeremy Stanton (Dean Cain) is a not-too-good guy who flees through the Nevada desert after a bank robbery. He's pursued by Archer (Danny Trejo), one of the bank robbers and a definite bad guy.

When Archer calls Stanton on his cellphone, Stanton asks Archer how he plans to find him. Archer responds:My father was half Comanche! That man could track a blind deer tick up a muskrat's ass with a two-day head start. And if there was one thing that miserable son of a bitch ever taught me, it was that every animal leaves a trail.Is Archer a crazy killer because of his Comanche blood? That's what the movie seems to imply. And Indian tracking skills...not too much of a cliché there.

Fortunately, Archer's Indian background isn't mentioned again. He does manage to track Stanton down, but we're not sure how. Is it via the litter Stanton keeps leaving in his wake, or a more nefarious method?

As you may recall, Trejo played an Indian in Sherrybaby also. Is he making a habit of playing Indians? If you're going to make the villain an Indian, why not have an Indian actor play him? It would be fun to see Graham Greene or Wes Studi tackle a modern-day villain for once.

In any case, this thriller is mildly diverting but wildly implausible. It has a large number of plot holes. Rob's rating: 6.5 of 10.

Lama meets Lummi

Lummi Nation, Dalai Lama share vision of peace

Tribe presents Tibetan leader traditional hat, sash, necklaceThe Dalai Lama donned a Lummi Nation cedar bark hat Sunday as he urged a small audience of Native Americans to safeguard their culture. A Lummi delegation presented him with the hat as well as a sash and necklace during a brief meeting that followed his main address to a gathering of about 50,000 people inside the stadium. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetans and head of that land’s government-in-exile. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

The setting for his meeting with the native groups was a bit incongruous: the FSN Lounge inside Qwest Field, beneath larger-than-life portraits of Cortez Kennedy, Jim Zorn and other members of the Seattle Seahawks’ Ring of Honor. But the drums and chants of the Lummi, Tulalip and other tribes transformed a sports fan’s watering hole into a place of ceremony.

Fence trumps Native rights

NAGPRA waived to build U.S.-Mexico fenceUnder the waiver, more than 55 miles on the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Arizona would be affected, as well as several miles on lands owned by individual Indians and on other Indian communities.

In total, the waivers apply to 470 miles of land in a stretch of area from California through Texas. In making the waivers, Chertoff is striving to meet a deadline by the end of the year to survey and build nearly 700 miles of fencing. Three hundred and nine miles of fencing have already been built.

NAGPRA's waiver is but one of several recent DHS moves that are impacting Native peoples. Several Apache landowners on the Rio Grande in January asked DHS to halt the seizure of their lands for the U.S.-Mexico border. The department has declared that it is using the principle of eminent domain to survey and possibly ultimately take possession of land. DHS is currently suing the landowners so that building of the fence can proceed.

Despite the lawsuits, Keehner said that DHS is not trying to be insensitive. She even suggested that the building of the fence could be beneficial for Indians.

"Quite frankly, Indian country is incredibly [affected] by drugs coming into communities," Keehner said. "Building this fence is another way that helps our efforts in keeping out drug dealers, drugs and human smuggling--so it's really better for the entire homeland."

Although legislators who support border control are happy with Chertoff's decision-making, some lawmakers are already questioning the need for blanket waivers.

"I favor building barriers along the border where border patrol agents think they will help them do their job," Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said in a statement. "In fact, I have helped secure millions of dollars for vehicle barriers in New Mexico. But I have not yet heard any justification for why the Bush administration cannot abide by current laws in the construction of this fence."Comment:  Sounds like just another example of how the white man's needs are deemed more important than Native needs.

I suspect the burden of this wall falls mainly on the poor and minorities. If so, that would make it a case of economic racism. Rather than pay to do it right, Americans are doing it on the cheap and making those who live on the border pay.

Countering Land Run celebrations

Bricktown parade to honor tribes' viewAmerican Indians will take part in a parade Saturday in Bricktown to counter '89er Day parades and Land Run celebrations and re-enactments planned in communities and schools this month.

Last November, the same group protested during the Oklahoma Centennial celebration. Members want to remind Oklahomans that for some, the Land Run is not an event worth celebrating.

The parade theme is "Honoring Our Past—Capturing Our Future.”

"It's meant to be a positive event as opposed to offensive re-enactments and re-creations,” said Brenda Golden, event organizer and member of the Society to Preserve Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Traditions. "What we're trying to do is celebrate. We're still Indian. We're still here. And sure, we can't change history, but we can remind them of what took place.”The Oklahoma Land Steal?A group of Oklahoma Indians are on a quest to right history by conducting a parade to counter the state's celebration of the Oklahoma Land Run.

Organizers say they hope the April 12 parade here will raise awareness that Oklahoma history books are incorrect, along with history books in general, when it comes to Native Americans and the Great Land Rush of 1889.

The parade is sponsored by the Society to Preserve the Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Traditions (S.P.I.R.I.T.), made up of members of Native American tribes who support Native issues, families, personal education and human rights.

"We are looking for something to give our people to have pride in," said Brenda Golden, a Muscogee tribal member from Tulsa, Okla. "Some don't know who they are themselves, and the kids don't have anything to hold onto."

Overshadowing Mt. Rushmore

Crazy Horse's revenge

The world's largest sculpture is slowly rising in the hills of South Dakota, reports Tony PerrottetIt is no accident that Crazy Horse is rising only 25km from white America's most famous patriotic sculpture, Mt Rushmore, depicting the faces of four US presidents, or that Crazy Horse is going to be way, way bigger. From the start, this image was planned to be a political counterpart to Rushmore and to overshadow it.

The scale of this western colossus is mind-boggling. On completion, it will be the world's largest sculpture, dwarfing the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Statue of Liberty. Rushmore's presidents will fit inside Crazy Horse's 26.6m-high head. The image will include a giant tablet bearing a poem about Native American history carved in 1m-high letters. The site already has a sprawling cultural centre at its base, attracting one million visitors a year. (Rushmore scores three million.) And there are plans for a university and medical training centre for Native Americans to be built as part of the complex.Many Indians support this monument, but some don't:"Only in America could a man carve a mountain," Ziolkowski once declared, a sentiment that, perhaps unsurprisingly, has not won over all Native Americans. In recent years a group called the Defenders of the Black Hills has argued that the region, which is sacred to the Lakota, should be left alone.

Spokeswoman Charmaine Whiteface says the fact that this new sculpture involves an image of a revered Lakota leader does not make it less of a violation than Mt Rushmore. Work should simply stop on Crazy Horse, she says. "Let nature reclaim the mountain."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Best Indian Monuments to Topple.

"Messenger" vs. illegal loggers

Amazon tribe enlists Google in battle with illegal loggersYou may know it as Google, but in bamboo-and-thatch roundhouses deep in the Amazon rainforest the iconic brand goes by another name. The Surui people, one of the most remote on Earth, call it ragogmakan--"messenger"--and they're banking on the search engine to save them and their ancestral lands from extinction.

The tribe--whose first contact with the modern world was less than 40 years ago--are replacing their bows and arrows with hi-tech gadgets in their battle for survival. They have already begun using satnav on their traditional trails through the trees. And Google Earth has just agreed to provide high-resolution satellite images of their forest home.

The initiative is the brainchild of their chief, Almir Narayamoga Surui, who is leading their struggle against illegal loggers besieging their territory, an isolated 600,000-acre green oasis in Rondonia, in the wild Brazilian west. Last year the 34-year-old Almir visited Google near San Francisco to ask it to help monitor the loggers' incursions. He said he also hoped to be able to use the internet firm to "alert the world." He added: "We call Google ragogmakan because we hope it will help us get our message out."

Casinos aid Native boxers

World Heavyweight Champion, Joe Hip, to Coach Indian Youth and Spar at Spooner, Wisconsin's Olympic Hopefuls BenefitNative Voices Foundation (NVF) is hosting a "Future Olympian's Day" Benefit in Spooner, Wisconsin, on April 16, at their Northwest Sports Complex. "Thanks to Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World, Joe Hip (Blackfeet), and 2003 Native American Heavyweight Champion, Harry Funmaker ('Ho-Chunk Hammer') coaching the region's rising stars, this may be a launching pad for Indian youth finally getting coaching to compete in future Olympic," according to Olympic skier, Suzy "Chapstick" Chaffee, NVF's organizer.

"We're impressed with the Olympic Hopefuls that NVF helped develop (www.snow-riders.org) and together we'll be meeting with other like-minded Casinos, like the Mohegan Sun and Senecas, to formulate a 4 year plan for pro teams and Olympians to assist in training youth for the London Olympics," said Stonehorse Goeman. The Seneca Marshal Arts Champion, mentored by Tom Coulter, Olympic coaching legend, is conditioning coach for Native American Olympic Boxing talent at Foxwood's Casino.

From 1-4 p.m., the Native American Boxing Superstars will clinic top regional boxers from Team Amos, Red Lake, Mo Lake, plus Lakotas.

Cellphones on the rez

Cell phone coverage making inroads on rezCell phones are taking over the phone market these days, especially in places like the Navajo Nation where it's too expensive and impractical to run land lines--conventional poles and lines--to all areas.

Wireless technology, by contrast, goes everywhere: the Laundromat, supermarket, wellness center, the workplace.

Navajo youth, in particular, have been quick to snap up cell phones, flooding their friends with text messages and customizing their ring tones with their favorite pop song or movie phrase.

St. Michael High senior Joanna Rieck has had her Verizon phone for a year and calls it her "lifeline." It enables her to keep in constant contact with her friends, who all have cell phones as well.

Why Bush is like Custer

Memo to Petraeus & Crocker:  More Laughs, PleaseBack to poor Crocker. His brows are knitted. And he has a perpetually alarmed expression, as if, perhaps, he feels something crawling up his leg.

Could it be he is being overtaken by the thought that an honorable career has been besmirched by his obediently doing the dirty work of the tinpot Genghis Khan of Crawford, Texas? The one whose foolish military misadventure seems to increasingly resemble that of Gen. George Armstrong Custer at Little Bighorn?

Not an apt comparison, I admit.

Custer sent only 258 soldiers to their deaths.Comment:  For more on Bush's cowboy attitude, see Dubya-Speak:  Justice Means Killing People.

Racism against Indians still okay

Lumbee slur:  Big-mouth DJs with small mindsHow could this be OK?

That was the fundamental question when a Lumbee friend called last week, outraged, after her high school-age daughter heard a trio of shock jocks trashing the tribe on Raleigh’s WDCG (105 FM).

Now, the first thing that might come to mind is last year’s April fool, Don Imus, and the "nappy-headed hos" remark that earned him a you-know-what-storm and cost him his CBS Radio show.

But if you listened to last week’s "Bob & the Showgram" segment—which remained up on the G-105 Web site for several days until cooler heads prevailed—some differences became apparent.

First, Imus’ callous comments:

a) Were in passing, off the cuff.

b) Lasted less than a minute.

c) Forced Imus off the air despite several profuse apologies from Imus (who admitted his words were "racist and abhorrent"), a meeting with the Rutgers women and an appearance on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s show.

In contrast, the G-105 comments:

a) Were a clearly planned segment, with prepared background sound effects and traditional Native American music, in which the three white morning hosts derided an intern they called "White Girl" about her upcoming wedding to her Lumbee fiance.

b) Lasted 14 minutes, 33 seconds.

c) Brought a vague apology from the station manager "to any listener that may have found remarks or recordings played Tuesday, April 1st, 2008, during Bob and the Showgram to be offensive, derogatory or insensitive," and, a week later, resulted in a three-day suspension for the hosts.So this stunt was no accident or momentary lapse in judgment. It was a calculated bout of racist stereotyping.But back to the original question from my friend, who was so angry at what her daughter heard that she was practically in tears: How could this be OK? And why was the reaction so lukewarm compared to Imus?

One reason, of course, is that Imus is national. Even though the Rutgers players don’t listen to his show, they soon got wind of it. But there’s a more fundamental difference: Lumbees are a minority’s minority.

True, they are the largest tribe east of the Mississippi, but there are only 50,000 of them in the state and only about 5,000 here in Guilford County. They have been invisible, easy to ignore. Which, incidentally, explains why they are still waiting for federal recognition after 120 years.

It also explains why someone such as Bob Dumas felt safe saying the things he said—statements he would never dare insert the word "black" into, at least not on the air.

Then again, cowards never pick on anyone their own size.Comment:  Dumas attacked Indians because racism against Indians is still (somewhat) socially acceptable in the US. The white majority can't lash out at blacks for real or imagined grievances--at least not without a firestorm of protest. But they can still lash out at less-powerful minorities: Latinos, Indians, gays. They need a whipping boy to make up for their vanishing sense of entitlement, and these minorities are it.

(This is also why Americans lash out at anyone who says no to them--e.g., Jeremiah Wright, the French, Muslims. The brown skins and their defenders are getting uppity and the white skins are no longer in firm control. "We" need to put "them" in their place before they get the wrong idea about who rules the world.)

Dumas got the idea that it was okay to stereotype Indians because our society tolerates and mainstreams such stereotyping. Millions of people see Indian stereotypes as the norm: in mascot-laden sporting events, in TV shows such as Comanche Moon, and in magazine titles such as Redskin. Each instance of stereotyping contributes to the overall perception that Indians are primitive and savage.

Therefore, it's not totally surprising that Dumas did what he did. He probably saw a thousand depictions of Indians as savages and concluded, "Well, it must be true. Indians are savages. Everyone says so and how could millions of people be wrong?

"Therefore, it's okay to portray Indians negatively. Unlike other instances of racist stereotyping, these portrayals are factually true. I got my 'information' from a thousand different sources, so it must be correct."

Below:  Some of the thousand sources of "information." Just look at them...they're savage! Isn't that proof enough of Dumas's claims?

Aztec curse in Pirates

I've criticized the second installment of Pirates of the Caribbean for its portrayal of cannibalistic Caribbean Indians. But I didn't start this blog until well after I saw the first installment in 2003 or 2004. I forgot that the central conceit of the first Pirates is based on Indians.

An exchange between Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl and his captive Elizabeth "Turner" (i.e., Swann) tells the tale:Barbossa: You don't know what this is, do ye?

Elizabeth: It's a pirate medallion.

Barbossa: This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity.

Elizabeth: I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa.

Barbossa: Aye, that's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an island that cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest, inside be the gold, we took them all. Spent them and traded them. We frittered them away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave them away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed we were, and now we are consumed by it. There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye we have the final piece.

Elizabeth: And the blood to be repaid?

Barbossa: That's why there's no sense to be killing ye...yet.Comment:  That Indians can invoke curses is a common conceit in fiction. It emphasizes that Indians are backward, primitive, and superstitious. And that they're losers--because only weak and defeated people need to resort to curses.

This is consistent with the series' take on race. In the first two movies, all the major characters are white. There's no recognition that the Caribbean was a multicultural place. That the majority of the people in this location should've been nonwhite.

At least this time the Indian gods placed the curse, not the Indians themselves. That keeps the supernatural element where it belongs: in the supernatural. Moreover, the gods placed this curse to avenge the wrongs done to their people. And not because they or the Indians were inherently evil.

For all my postings on the Pirates series, see Cannibals of the Caribbean.

April Fools' joke on Indians

It's been quite a month for racism against Indians. There's been the UND sorority party, the shock-jock diatribe, and now a stereotype-laden "spoof" of diversity.

When attempts at humor fail, censorship not answerThe article entitled “Indians Take Over Bridges’ Office” in the recent April Fools edition clearly represents an attempt at humor that failed. It didn’t fail because it displayed painful ignorance about the complexities of Whitman’s institutional commitment to diversity, or because it insulted our efforts to work toward greater racial and ethnic communication and understanding on campus. It did those things, I “got” the point, and I remain committed to doing this important work. Rather, I believe the article failed because—in its desire to make fun of me and our efforts—it revealed shockingly simplistic, stereotypical attitudes about our Native American students and their ancestors.

In describing a fictitious takeover of my office by tribal members, the article used characterizations of Native Americans as savages (“scalpings will increase”) and ridiculously misrepresented the name of an alleged local tribe (the “Walla Walla Navajo”). In doing so, the article continued the long, painful, and not-funny history of depicting Native Americans in the most negative light and conveying disrespect for, and misunderstanding of, their tribal organizations.Comment:  Unfortunately, the school seems to have taken down the original column. Therefore, we can't see its racist spin on Indians in all its "glory." We have to rely on analyses such as this one.

It's amazing that people still think they can stereotype Indians in the name of "satirizing" stereotypes. Get a clue, you witless Whitmanites. When you write about Indians scalping people without editorial comment, you aren't satirizing anything. You're repeating and reinforcing a negative stereotype for perhaps the millionth time.

Below:  An illustration from another student article about Indians.

Tribal leaders for Obama

In Obama, an exciting opportunitywhat is most far-reaching, innovative and exciting about Sen. Obama's well-crafted agenda is that he has pledged to take unprecedented steps as president to bring Native Americans into the conversation and into partnership in defining and prioritizing a policy agenda for tribal communities. He will communicate directly with Native American leaders and include them in important policy decisions that impact Indian country. His plan includes a promise to appoint an American Indian policy adviser on his senior White House staff so that Indian country has a clear voice at the highest levels of the Obama administration. He also pledges to call an annual meeting with Native American leaders to develop and implement a national Indian policy agenda. These are the type of ideas and this is the kind of leadership that will bring the fundamental change we so desperately need.

Sen. Obama understands our unique challenges and will work to solve them. But he also believes that "we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together--unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction--towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren."Comment:  For more on the subject, see The 2008 Presidential Campaign.

Good-bye to Squaw Peak

Squaw Peak officially Piestewa PeakA federal panel's decision Thursday to officially rename Squaw Peak after fallen soldier Lori Piestewa is a miracle, a blessing and a controversy that needs to end, her mother said.

Priscilla Piestewa said she wants Piestewa Peak in Phoenix to serve as a symbol for all those in the military who make sacrifices to protect the United States.

"But I hope that all the tension can be over," she said. "I hope more people will come together for peace. If we can't find peace at home, how can we find peace in the world?"

In an 11-2 vote, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, whose members represent Agriculture, Homeland Security and other federal departments, agreed to change the name of the summit, a move that follows action taken by a state panel in 2003. The new name will be used on maps and other federal publications, although "Squaw Peak" may appear on such documents as a second reference.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Squelching the S-Word.

Sun Kings shut down

"This hurts"--Tribe puts an abrupt end to pro basketball in YakimaAfter one of the most successful seasons ever in the Continental Basketball Association and a history of five championships, the Yakama Sun Kings have seen a stunning end that has fans and supporters wondering what's next.

As far as its owner, the Yakama Nation, is concerned, the team's long run is finished, a victim of red ink that totaled $1.3 million since its purchase in 2005. Unwilling to suffer further financial damage, tribal leaders announced Thursday they were shutting down operations immediately.

"Unfortunately, the past three seasons have not produced revenue," said Tribal Council Chairman Ralph Sampson Jr., adding that efforts to find a buyer were unsuccessful.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #117

I've written about the Indian superhero called Super-Chief before. He first appeared in ALL-STAR WESTERN #117 (March 1961). Now thanks to correspondent Kevin Breen, I've finally read the comic.

The contents

"Six-Gun Showdown with Madame .44!" Western hero Johnny Thunder tussles with Madame .44, a female counterpart. She seems to be a robber, but she steals only limited amounts of money. She gets the best of Thunder, but then partners with him to save some children from a band of Arapaho "hotheads" on horseback. After scaring them off, she reveals that she takes only what rich landowners have swindled from people like her father.

How bad is it? The Indians are generic half-naked Plains "braves" who wield bows and rifles. They're your typical anonymous savage warriors who kill and maraud for no reason. The text describes them as "redskin renegades," which I guess is meant to soften the stereotyping. (Everyone except the renegades lives peacefully on the reservation, presumably.)

"Iroquois: The People of the Long House." A two-page featurette tells how the five tribes of the Iroquois battled each other until Hiawatha united them. It goes on to say they promoted peace only among themselves while conquering most of the mid-Atlantic region. Images of Indians fighting, uttering war cries, and attacking a fort reinforce the idea that Indians were violent and savage.

How bad is it? Foolishly, these Indians also look like generic half-naked Plains "braves." Even worse, they're shown battling among themselves on horseback. The Iroquois didn't have horses when they formed the Haudenosaunee League; they united before the Spaniards arrived and introduced horses to the hemisphere. In fact, I don't think the Iroquois ever used horses, since they didn't have contact with the Spaniards in the West.

"The Crowning of Super-Chief." The old chief of a generic band of Iroquois has died. Flying Stag, head of the Wolf Clan, is the obvious choice to replace him. But three other clan leaders are jealous and lure Flying Stag into a pit trap.

He calls upon the Great Spirit, aka Manitou, to help him. A meteor crashes into the pit and a voice answers his prayer. It tells him he's been granted "mighty powers" to help his people as Super-Chief.

Wearing a buffalo head, Super-Chief bests his rivals and is named head man. The embittered opponents try to destroy him by starting an avalanche, lighting a fire, and coaxing another tribe to attack. Super-Chief saves his tribe by deflecting all these perils.

How bad is it? At least these generic Indians have mohawks, which makes them look roughly Iroquois. The text uses a few words and concepts appropriate to the Iroquois. Flying Stag wants peace while the other clan leaders want war. He correctly notes that each clan uses paraphernalia unique to it.

On the other hand, these Iroquois live in teepees. Duh. Apparently the author of this story didn't read the accompanying featurette describing the Iroquois as "The People of the Long House." And the main supporting characters have the most stereotypical names imaginable. The old medicine man is Grey Eagle and the innocent maiden is White Fawn.

All in all, you can see how things were starting to change in 1961. Along with the usual generic Indian savages, ALL-STAR WESTERN #117 gave us a few bits of (reasonably) authentic Iroquois lore and a chief who wants peace for his people. Similarly, it described ranchers as less than the stalwart "masters of all they survey" seen in Western movies. These are among the first hints of revisionism in our American (comic book) mythology.

No peace for White Eagle

Brawl erupts at peace ceremonyOrganizers of a prayer ceremony hoped to promote unity by playing a seven-foot Grandmother drum that is intended to symbolize the universal heart of all races at Chapman Middle School, but the April 4 ritual ended with the arrests of four protesters who challenged the validity of the event.

Police charged Hartman Deetz, 31, of Mashpee and Dylan Lach, 22 of Sagamore with assault and battery on a police officer, trespassing, and disorderly conduct in connection with the saga that began at about 9:20 p.m.

“Hartman Deetz and Dylan Lach got into a struggle with the officer who was on hand for the event,” said Sgt. Rick Fuller. “There were two females with them who became very vocal and refused to leave at the request of the officer.”How the row started:“They had the smell of alcohol and marijuana on their breath,” White Eagle said. ”They came up to me and screamed at me. I believe they are all Wampanoag nation members.”

White Eagle said that Hartman was especially vocal to her.

“They called me an wannabe and said I was ripping people off,” White Eagle said about their references to a Native American garb she wore, the admission price to the ceremony, and a two-day workshop that was held over the weekend at Chapman.Comments from readers:hartman deetz 2008-04-08T23:11:56

wicked local should get both sides if it is truly objective

any one no matter what faith should know a scam when people are charged up to 300 dollars a head to pray or gather for peace

these things should never be tainted with money

Bonnie Singleton 2008-04-09T20:57:44

The only crime committed in Weymouth on April 4th was the Whirling Rainbow gathering. It's a shame that gigantic "Grandmother Drum" wasn't set on fire. White Eagle Medicine Woman is no more a spiritual leader than my cat is.

B. Paddles Upstream 2008-04-09T21:12:08

Whirling Rainbow Gathering and their "Leader" is another example of Cultural Theft and Fraud of our Native Culture, that is the crime that happened on April 4th. Native People around Turtle Island needs to speak out about these frauds.Comment:  The woman's name alone is a clue. How many White Eagles are there selling spiritual guidance in the US? Dozens?

We should suspect anyone called Wolf Moon Dancer, Soaring Hawk Spirit, or White Eagle Medicine Woman. Names like these are almost never genuine.

For more on the subject, see Indian Wannabes.

Even a 9-year-old understands

A teacher gave her daughter a copy of Little House on the Prairie to read. The results are instructive.

On LITTLE HOUSE: "Oh, mom, you would hate it," she replied: "they're wild savages."I had thought I was pretty aware of the negative portrayals of Native Americans in children's literature, had had long talks with my children about why Peter Pan ("what makes the red man red?"), Curious George and others were harmful representations, but I confess to having never read Little House on the Prairie. Like many American kids in the 70s, I grew up with the beloved TV version, though. So I gave my 9-year-old daughter Amaya a copy without thinking twice.

Well, after your presentation I called home to talk with Amaya, who is a voracious reader. "How would you describe the portrayal of Native Americans in Little House?" I asked her. "Oh, mom, you would hate it," she replied: "they're wild savages." Then she thought for a moment and added, "Actually most of the books about pioneer days give the same portrayal, unless they're written from the Indians' perspective." [Yes, she's only 9!] How scary that my fourth grader already sees this pattern clearly. She also commented that when children at her mostly white elementary school play at recess, they often do the war whoop. I should add that the curriculum at my children's school does include factual history about Columbus (not just the Columbus-as-hero model) and tribal diversity, and both of my children's teachers have made an effort to include diverse perspectives in their reading curricula. But as you mentioned in your presentation, these educational efforts don't seem to translate on the playground.(Excerpted from Debbie Reese's American Indians in Children's Literature, 3/31/08.)

Comment:  This anecdote doesn't surprise me. As I've said, our children's primary sources of information are schools and the media. Unfortunately, I'd guess the latter outweighs the former by a factor of 10 or 100 to 1. That is, for every lesson that provides straight information about Columbus and the Indians, kids see 10 or 100 movies, TV shows, cartoons, comic books, children's books, sporting events, and commercial products that feature Indians as savages. As chiefs and warriors from the distant past with no culture or religion.

No wonder kids still love to play righteous cowboys vs. war-whooping Indians. What other group would work better as ready-made villains? They (used to) live here...(we tell ourselves) they were brave and noble...so it's okay to pretend they were bloodthirsty savages who sounded and acted like demons out of hell.

If children emulated the worst stereotypes of any other group--blacks, Jews, gays, et al.--every teacher and parent would crack down on them so fast their heads would swim. They'd get sensitivity training at best, detention or suspension at worst. But it's perfectly all right to mock and denigrate Indians. Why? Because "everyone knows" they really were "wild savages" who are no longer around to protest.

No time for Indian monuments

The Ghosts of Casa GrandeOverall, the number of people who visit national park sites has been on a steady decline for almost 20 years—with a handful of exceptions. For years, the complaint about parks was a variation of that old Yogi Berra line: nobody goes there anymore because they’re too crowded. But now the treasures of original and scenic America have the opposite problem.

Some people say we’ve outgrown the national parks. We’re a nation of sloths who watch “Biggest Loser” while sipping from a Mega-Gulp, the complaint goes. National parks? Dude, that’s so yesterday! Others blame the Internet, or technology. Why bother with bugs or the searing sun when you can get close to Half Dome on hi-def through the Discovery Channel?

We like our soft pillows and Jacuzzi baths too much, it is said. The population is aging. A study earlier this year, from the National Academy of Sciences, suggested that the downward trend included nearly all outdoor activities. They blamed it on electronic media, particularly games.

A few years ago, I was in Monument Valley, home of the Navajo and the great, rust-hued spires that formed the backdrop for so many of John Ford’s iconic Westerns. The place blew me away—the scale, the color, the moods of the sky, the immensity of this scrapyard of exposed geology. There were plenty of tourists, equally amazed—Germans, Italians, Japanese, French, Australians. I was perhaps the only American.Comment:  Consider the connection between this item and the regular postings in this blog. People aren't visiting national parks and seeing the great achievements of Indians--at Cahokia, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and Casa Grande. They aren't learning about Indians at the source.

Where are they getting most of their information from? You guessed it...from the media. From Apocalypto (Indians as barbarians and bloodletters), Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Indians as weaklings and turncoats), and Comanche Moon (Indians as rapists and killers). And every other media product I've criticized in the last few years.

I'd say every American should spend at least one vacation driving through and immersing yourself in the American Southwest. The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and on and on. It would take you months to see everything worth seeing.

"Anasazi" move = religious revolt?

Vanished:  A Pueblo MysteryBy studying changes in ceremonial architecture and pottery styles, Donna Glowacki, an archaeologist at the University of Notre Dame, is charting the rise of what may have been a new puebloan religion. For more than a century, the established faith was distinguished by multistory “great houses,” with small interior kivas, and by much larger “great kivas”—round, mostly subterranean and covered with a sturdy roof. Originating at Chaco Canyon in northwest New Mexico, the formidable temples seem designed to limit access to all but a priestly few.

Though Chaco declined as a regional religious center during the early 1100s, the same architecture spread to the Mesa Verde area. But by the mid 1200s, a different style was also taking hold, with plazas and kivas that were uncovered like amphitheaters—hints, perhaps, of a new openness. At some sites, serving bowls became larger and were frequently decorated with designs, as though intended for a ritual communion. If the pueblo people had left a written history perhaps we would read of the Anasazi equivalent of the Protestant reformation.For those who don't know what the experts know, here's more information about the "Anasazi":Like people today, the Anasazi (or Ancient Puebloans, as they are increasingly called) were presumably complex beings with the ability to make decisions, good and bad, about how to react to a changing environment. They were not pawns but players in the game.

Some inhabitants left the relatively lush climes of what is now southern Colorado for the bone dry Hopi mesas.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Anasazi = Ancestral Puebloans?

Obama and the race debate

A roundup of my recent postings on this important subject.

Colusa drops "Redskins"

Wow, someone actually realized the "Redskins" name is a problem. This posting explains why it's a problem.

Time for Redskins' retirement

Board votes 3-2 to change school's mascotBucking strong opposition from students, alumni and city residents, the Colusa Unified School District board Tuesday night eked out a 3-2 decision to retire the high school's Redskins mascot.

The decision begins the task of replacing the arrowheads, headdresses and other symbols that have adorned courts, uniforms and signs for more than eight decades.

The divided vote reflected the rifts the mascot issue has opened in the 5,500-person town. Audience members loudly cheered speakers defending the nickname as a revered tradition, while a smaller contingent of Wintun, Maidu and other tribe members passionately attacked it as a mark of oppression and intolerance.

After the two-hour drama played out before a television crew and about 110 spectators, a slim majority chose to drop the tribal name and emblem, causing many audience members to rush out of the district auditorium within seconds in disgust.Comment:  What I find interesting is the picture below. To Colusa supporters, "redskins" means a stone-tipped spear. Not only is it a primitive weapon, it's so primitive that its creator isn't using metal yet. It's a Stone Age implement for a Stone Age people.

What a great way to "honor" Indians: by portraying them as frozen in the distant past, hundreds of years ago. Is there a better example of how today's Americans view Indians as a vanished breed? Not since the last time they portrayed Indians as stereotypical spearchuckers, surely.

Are these the same "redskins" who greeted Columbus? Probably not, since these Indians like to skewer people. Columbus reported that the Indians he met were as sweet and innocent as children. In contrast, these make-believe Indians exist to kill and ravage--i.e., to act savagely.

If it isn't obvious, this is exactly why things such as Redskin magazine are offensive and stereotypical. It's because they contribute to the perception that Indians are backward, primitive, and superstitious. The term "redskin" literally goes only skin-deep; it's shallow and superficial.

For more on the subject, see Red·skin n. Dated, Offensive, Taboo.

Kiowas relaunch Indian City USA

Cultural preservation

Shakopee grant helps Kiowa Tribe purchase Indian City USA

Grand re-opening to take place May 17-18Indian City USA has been a tourist draw since 1955, when it was built south of Anadarko with the help of University of Oklahoma anthropologists.

Sitting atop a hill, Indian City and the surrounding land of approximately 200 acres houses a museum, gift shop, reconstructed tribal villages, a small buffalo herd and a ceremonial dance ground that two Kiowa societies, Kiowa Black Leggings and O-ho-mah Lodge, have used for decades. Serving as a tour guide or dancing every day during the summer has also been the first job of many Native people who live in the Anadarko area.

But for many years, different aspects of Indian City have fallen into disrepair, with many of the outdoor villages and Indian City building itself needing renovations.

Since 2004, Indian City has been on the market, with no suitable buyers. In 2006, the Kiowa Tribe expressed an interest in purchasing Indian City, according to Lawton Constitution reports. On Feb. 22, the Kiowa Tribe closed the deal to purchase Indian City from its shareholders for $600,000, which is $66,000 under its appraised value.

"Degrading" statue replaced

Gallery replaces controversial statueA Rapid City gallery has unveiled a new statue that will replace one that some felt was degrading to American Indians.

The old bronze statue, "He Is, They Are" by Glenna Goodacre, featured an Indian man with his hands tied behind his back and reflected the artist's feelings of when American Indians were put on reservations.

"Some people in the area Native American community felt this statue was degrading to Native Americans. We regret that," Ray Hillenbrand, owner of Prairie Edge Trading Co. and Galleries, said in a prepared statement.Comment:  Nice statue.

I can see both sides on this issue. On the one hand, the Indian looks proud, strong, dignified. He's literally larger than life. On the other hand, his head is bowed submissively and of course he's tied up.

Presumably Goodacre felt sad at the thought of Indians being held captive and made her Indian subject seem sad. Why not depict him with his head raised, staring defiantly, perhaps struggling to break free? Wouldn't that also convey how Indians felt, yet send a more positive message?

Nothing wrong with "squaw"?

Squaw Peak or Piestewa Peak?

Denogean:  Controversy over Piestewa hopefully overA number of commenters to the federal board also argued there's absolutely nothing wrong with the word squaw.

There is debate over the origin of the word, which may be rooted in an innocuous word for young woman or wife or may have come from a more vulgar term.

But in the 1800s and 1900s, settlers used the word to demean and stereotype American Indian women as dirty drudges, beasts of burden with no rights and no sense of morality, said K. Tsianina Lomawaima, head of American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona.

"I think that anyone who would argue that in 2008 that the word today carries no negative connotation is just ridiculous," she said. "I think it would be right up there with the n-word for African-Americans."

Tom Holm, a UA professor of American Indian Studies and Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, said he's heard the argument that squaw is part of the state's Wild West history and naming traditions.

"They don't want to change this because they think it's part of their culture. But part of their culture is racist," he said.Comment:  For more on the subject, see and Squelching the S-Word.

Studi's country-rock band

Actor Wes Studi to Headline Phoenix Indian Center Gala

Famed Native American Actor to perform at 60th Anniversary Event With Firecat of DiscordWes Studi, an established and popular Native American actor, will be entertaining guests at this year’s Phoenix Indian Center Gala & Art Auction. Known for his acting chops in feature films like “Into The West” mini-television series, “The New World,” “Heat,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” and “Dances With Wolves,” Studi also performs in a band, Firecat of Discord.

Wes Studi plays bass for Firecat of Discord which was formed in 1995, in Santa Fe, New Mexico by five musician-songwriters to perform their original songs. Several Firecat songs were used in the film "Bonnie Looksaway's Iron Art Wagon." The band has a loyal following in New Mexico, and has gained national recognition performing The Native American Music Festival (Arizona), The Oneida Casino(Wisconsin) with Rita Coolidge and Walela, The Meskwaki Casino(Iowa) and The Native Roots and Rhythms Concert in Santa Fe.

Each member of the band brings a different and unique background to the musical mix. Their songs reflect the influences of Country, Rock, Jazz, and Native American music. Bass Player Wes Studi, is rooted in Country-Rock and R&B with a Cherokee twist.

Absolut reconquers America

Does This Image Offend You?This Absolut ad is causing quite a stir around the internet.

Now it is worth mentioning the design is not something Absolut cooked up, but an old map from before the Mexican-American War.Comment:  Absolut pulled this ad and apologized after many Americans protested.

It's not directly a Native issue itself, but it raises some Native issues. Read the comments on this posting, including my comment (#22).

Beach to blog hockey

Jason Reitman, Adam Beach to blog during NHL playoffsCanadian director Jason Reitman and actors Adam Beach and Thomas Cavanagh are among the celebrities who will blog about hockey during this year's playoffs.

The National Hockey League has lined up more than a dozen celebrity fans to write about their favourite team or their love of hockey on the NHL website.

Adam Beach, a Canadian actor who plays the role of Det. Chester Lake on NBC's hit show Law & Order: SVU, will be following the Ottawa Senators in playoff action.

Response from Redskin model

A model for Redskin magazine comments on Stereotypes or Bust(s):  Will Redskin magazine help or hurt Natives?Sher wrote:

It’s pretty sad to see such negative comments about a magazine that I bet half of you have never even read! I was a model in the December 2007 issue and I happen to be proud of my photos. I see how people wrote about “Indian Barbies” well let me tell you this....I am a 6 ft, size 14 Ojibway woman far from being a ‘barbie’ who happens to be proud of who I am. I was brought up in the Little Saskatchewan First Nation Community in Manitoba. I was taught how to hunt and fish by my dad because I have no brothers, only sisters. I come from a close knit family, graduated from university and am a very intelligent well rounded woman. The curves I have are all natural, I do not believe in promoting unhealthy eating habits as I am a mother to two beautiful daughters and a handsome son. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and I am proof of that. All the women that have been featured in RSM have their bio’s with them so you can read about who they are. I have not come across one woman who you could label a bimbo.

Irene Bedard is an amazing actress and positive role model as well as Rachelle WhiteWind, and Nathaniel Arcand. They have all been featured in RSM and did not take off their clothes, neither did I. Does that make us traitors because we are in the mag? “Redskin Magazine-ONLY IGNORANCE MAKES IT RACIST!!!” So true, you see AMERICAN “INDIAN” MAGAZINE everywhere. Why aren’t people making a stink about that word? All the hype about the word REDSKIN is ridiculous! As for the editor being white? Not so, he is far from it and in no way racist. So get over it, stop the bashing and pick up a copy and then decide for yourself if all the negative hype was worth it.Comment:  I didn't call anyone a "Barbie" or a "bimbo." If someone else used those words, I'm not responsible for it.

I bet none of us has read Redskin magazine. No one I know has seen an issue of it.

I was making fun of the magazine's title and concept, not its sexy pictorials. I don't have to see the interior to know the cover displays a word that most Indians consider a slur or epithet. For more on the subject, see Red·skin n. Dated, Offensive, Taboo.

Ignorance about "redskin"

"Only Ignorance Makes It Racist"...is that your claim or the magazine's? Doesn't matter. Let's consider this remarkable statement.

Only ignorance makes the word "redskin" racist? How do you figure? Are you claiming Indians actually had red skins? That they still have them? If so, I'd say you're more ignorant than I am.

I'm guessing I haven't ignored a thing about the word "redskin." But prove me wrong. Tell me what I've ignored and then we'll discuss it.

Why aren't people making a stink about "Indian"? Uh, because "Indian" is almost universally accepted among Indians? Unlike "redskin," which is a vulgarism at best, people have used "Indians" for 500 years without implying that Indians were bloodstained savages.

A helpful analogy
[Skip this section if you're easily offended]

If you don't mind appearing in Redskin magazine, how would you feel about appearing in Cunt magazine? I presume you wouldn't mind. After all, as an Indian woman, you don't have a red skin but do have a cunt. So any objection you have is only "ignorance." Cunt magazine fits you better than Redskin magazine does.

You say you have two beautiful daughters? Even if they're only children, they have cunts also. So let's feature them in Cunt magazine too. Let's teach them to proudly embrace their cunts just as you want them to proudly embrace their "red skins."

In fact, let's tell them to their faces that they're cunts as well as redskins. There's no reason to be ashamed of either of these words, is there? Sticks and stones may break their bones, but names will never hurt them.

If you disagree with any of this, well, too bad. Cunt magazine..."Only Ignorance Makes It Sexist." Now featuring proud women cunts of all races and ages.

P.S. Say hi to your redskin cunt daughters for me, okay? Let them know we're talking about them.

Returning to sanity

Sorry to be so crude and obnoxious. But people often don't understand the power of words until the words are applied to them. Maybe now you'll get the message.

So what are you planning to do with your university degree, Sher? If you have a modeling career, it'll be over in a few years. Then what?

I know all about Irene Bedard and Nathaniel Arcand, since I report on them frequently. Are they "traitors" for appearing in the magazine? "Traitors" isn't the word I'd use, but it's a legitimate question. Should they (and you) tacitly endorse the "Redskin" name and concept by appearing in the magazine?

Answering that question probably requires me to see Redskin's interior, so I'll hold off until I do. There you go...satisfied?

And when I do see the magazine and continue criticizing its offensive title, then what? You'll apologize for implying we were wrong about something when we weren't? I can hardly wait.

Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and us

An interesting discussion of who's committed genocide and who hasn't. Of course, we know which group America falls into.

The genocide loophole

Claims of the 'greater good' too often let mass murderers off the hook.In general, the Soviets and the Red Chinese elude the genocide charge--and hence the status of ultimate villains--despite having murdered scores of millions of people in the 20th century, in large part because their victims stood in the way of progress. Kulaks, or independent farmers, opposed Stalin's plan for collectivization, and so they were murdered for that "greater good." Yet Mao Tse-tung and Stalin aren't widely regarded as being as evil as Adolf Hitler because they were "modernizers." Just look how the Russians have no problem copping to the charge of mass murder but recoil at the suggestion that it was racially motivated.

It's a wrongheaded distinction. Murder is murder, whether the motive stems from bigotry or the pursuit of allegedly enlightened social planning. And that's usually a false distinction anyway. Racial genocide is often rationalized as a form of progress by those responsible. Under the Holodomor, Ukrainian culture was systematically erased by the Russian Soviets, who saw it as inferior or expendable. No doubt the Sudanese janjaweed in Darfur and the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Tibet believe that they are "modernizers" too.Comment:  Many Americans believe we've never committed genocide either. Unfortunately for them, our actions fit the definition of "genocide."

The Indians were arguably just the first of many victims. We paid for the enslavement and extermination of African tribes. We vaporized the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki unnecessarily. We bombed more than half a million Iraqi civilians to death after the first Gulf War.

And of course we stood by while others committed genocide in Cambodia, Rwanda, Chechnya, and Sudan. Heck, we stood by while Hitler, Stalin, and Mao killed millions. About the only time we've intervened to stop mass murder was in the Balkan wars of the mid-1990s.

For more on the subject, see Adolf Hitler:  A True American.

England's only wigwam village

Wigwams, a must for your tribe[H]idden away on a busy cattle farm, a stone’s throw from the A1, are wooden wigwams nestled alongside huge canvas tepees and yurts.

The homes, made famous by the Native Americans, are becoming a popular haunt for hundreds of holidaymakers from Tyneside who are eager to indulge in green holidays.

“We always said we wanted to do something different and we dared to be different to everyone else, ” says Christine Whiteford, who owns the camp with her husband John, a farmer.

“We are the only wigwam village in England.”

The scene at Pot-A-Doodle-Do could be straight from the nomadic plains.

The wigwams, which sleep up to six people, have all been given their own names such as Lone Ranger and Jesse James and are situated on a grassy bank close to a Finnish wooden barbecue hut, home to regular camp fires.Comment:  Love those names. Yeah, the Lone Ranger and Jesse James are the epitome of Indian culture. Cowboys define Indians; without them, Indians wouldn't exist. Indians were just mindless savages, living like animals, until cowboys came along and gave them a reason to live.

I wonder if anything else in the "wigwam village" is problematical. I'm guessing it is.

Below:  A "wigwam hotel" in the US.

Whalers quickly convicted

Judge Convicts 2 Makah in Whale HuntTwo Makah tribal members who led an unsanctioned gray whale hunt last September have been convicted of federal misdemeanor charges.

U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Kelley Arnold on Monday found Wayne Johnson and Andy Noel guilty after the pair waived their right to a jury trial and admitted their roles.

The two were convicted of conspiracy to violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act and unlawfully taking a marine mammal.

Defense attorneys say their clients agreed to waive the jury trial so they could get on with appealing some of the rulings made in the case, including one in which Arnold determined their actions were not protected under the First Amendment right to religious freedom.

He also had denied their motions to dismiss the charges based on the Makah tribe's treaty rights to hunt whales.

"There was no reason to go through a several-day jury trial when the jury wasn't going to be able to hear their defense," said Jack Fiander, Noel's attorney.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Makah Whale-Hunt Controversy.

How about tribes funding arts?

A correspondent wonders if gaming tribes should get into the entertainment business. Not by hosting artists at their casinos, but by making art themselves. Some thoughts on the subject:Maybe the Native Americans can use some of their casino profits to open their own studio and/or broadcast station.The Oneidas of New York own a studio that's doing animation. The Chickasaws have sponsored a CD and a publishing press. They and a couple of other tribes have done comic books. Another couple of tribes have helped finance movies such as Black Cloud and Older than America.

But in general, tribes are just starting to branch out. They're conservative by nature and afraid the white man will take away their hard-gotten gains. This is understandable but perhaps short-sighted.

I suspect they'll get into the arts in a decade or two. I wish it would happen sooner, because tribes could help themselves by telling their own stories. Movies, TV shows, music, videos...these are the currency of pop culture.

That applies to comic books too. They're a relatively cheap way to tell cultural stories. Educators can use them to help children read and preserve Native languages.

P.S. As a publisher of Native-themed comic books myself, I'm totally unbiased on this subject, naturally.

Havasupai in Next

What do Nicolas Cage, foreign terrorists, and Havasupai Indians have in common? They all appear in the 2007 thriller Next.

Next stars Cage as a man who can see two minutes into the future. What's interesting here isn't the whole movie but rather a key scene featuring the Havasupai.

Amazingly, this is one of the few major motion pictures to get today's Indians right. We haven't seen Hollywood portray 21st century Indians accurately since, I dunno, maybe Graham Greene's turn in Transamerica (2005).

For more on the story, see my full review.

Loose ends in Loose End

A writer named Donna Pacini has written a children's book called The Loose End of the Rainbow. She's trying to get it published, or at least distributed to receptive audiences. Since it's about Native people, she’s asked me for help a few times.

I tried to suggest that this might not be her best move. You don't necessarily want the most critical person in the world to read your unpublished manuscript. Especially when it features a generic group of Indians, as this story does.

But Pacini kept after me, so I finally agreed to read the first chapter or so. Here's my book report.

Richard Van Camp on SCALPED

Richard Van Camp, an up-and-coming writer from the Dogrib Nation, has reviewed the SCALPED comic book. Since he works on comics himself, his views are especially relevant.

in print:  Who's Scalping Who?It’s written by Jason Aaron and it’s like The Shield Indian Style. I want to hate it because the title and that frickin’ first cover with the main character, Dashiell Bad Horse, wearing a headdress and war paint, with his nunchucks hanging over his shoulders. It’s ugly to me and a slap in the face to anyone who knows anything about Aboriginal culture. And the story is brutal. It reinforces every stereotype out there about Aboriginal people, and yet I can’t stop reading it. R.M. Guéra’s artwork is incredible and perfect for this kind of writing because it, too, is chiseled and dark. I want to hate it but I don’t.What are SCALPED's "virtues"?This is a grim story. At times, it feels like hate literature. Chapter five in Casino Boogie, titled “My Ambitionz az a Ridah”, is so insulting and portrays the reservation as hell on earth and the American Indian characters as ignorant, infected, and without any hope whatsoever.Some advice for SCALPED's writer:I am thrilled that Jason Aaron is showing his readers the history of the American Indian Movement, Leonard Peltier, boarding schools, and the poverty that many Aboriginal communities face; however, I am hoping that Aaron continues to tell this hard story and begins to show the world the joy, the pride, the families, and individuals returning to wellness with dignity. The Lakota are a proud people. Show it.Comment:  If this is a positive review, I'd hate to see Van Camp's negative reviews. But he's too nice a guy to criticize people the way I do.

Yes, let's hope Aaron "begins to the show the world the joy, the pride," etc. In other words, let's hope Aaron writes a totally different comic that isn't full of stereotypes.

FYI, I reviewed a draft of this article. Van Camp originally wrote that he hoped Aaron would "continue" to show the joy, pride, and so forth. How could Aaron continue to show these things, I responded, when he hadn't shown them at all?

Comparing SCALPED to The Shield is revealing. I'm a fan of The Shield and also The Sopranos, another series to which SCALPED is frequently compared. In The Shield, only Vic Mackey's team of cops is arguably corrupt or immoral. The rest of the officers are human and flawed, but also decent and honest. That's different from SCALPED, where most of the authorities (not just a few) are corrupt and immoral.

I'm not impressed by Aaron's showing the history of AIM and Leonard Peltier. That's old news. It didn't apply to most reservations then and it definitely doesn't apply to them now.

Rather, it stereotypes Indians as angry and anti-social activists. It portrays them as too violent and out-of-control to legislate or work peaceably for change. The term for an activist so rabid he's willing to kill to get his way is savage.

Funny that Van Camp sees the same flaws that I do, yet feels compelled to keep reading. When I read something that portrays "Indian characters as ignorant, infected, and without any hope whatsoever," I think, "This is bad. If it were free I might consider it, but I won't pay money to patronize a writer's bias against Indians."

Since Aaron doesn't like criticism, I should clarify my position. Other than the Native stereotypes, Aaron's writing is pretty good. But the Native stereotypes are pretty bad. The net result is a wash, and not something I'm willing to subsidize.

Van Camp also mentioned writers who have taken care to portray Indians respectfully, including Tim Truman and me. Curiously, he thought we were both Native--presumably because we seem to understand the Native viewpoint. Actually, neither of us is Native, but it's nice to be mistaken for one.

Chief Thunder in KILLER INSTINCT

Comics From The 5th Dimension:  Eyedol Worship: Killer InstinctBack in the mid-90’s, fighting games were a pretty big thing. Over the span of several years, an untold amount of sequels and forgettable copycats oversaturated the videogame market. Once all of that calmed down--somewhere around the turn of the millennium–only the big names remained: Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, King of Fighters, Guilty Gear, Virtua Fighter, etc. They continued to have sequels and updates as the others just got thrown to the curb.

And yet, for whatever reason, Killer Instinct fell off the face of the Earth despite its popularity. In the mid-90’s, the first game was huge. It was a huge seller on the SNES and the sequel was one of the first big games for the Nintendo 64. After that, it just died. Rare just kind of forgot it existed and instead made a bunch of games starring talking animals.

But you know what? I still remember Killer Instinct. I remember it enough that when I found out that it had its own comic back in the day, I had to get my hands on it. Scoot over, kids, and I’ll tell you the story of a ninja monk, a killer robot, a disgraced boxer, a secret agent, an animated skeleton, a man made of fire, an alien made of ice, a cyber Native American, a cloned dinosaur, a two-headed Cyclops and the evil organization that brought them all together. Let’s look at the Acclaim-released Killer Instinct comic book.

Killer Instinct takes place in a future where corporations have taken over the governments, including the very corrupt Ultratech. Ultratech is run by a very deranged and nameless chairman who resembles Wilson Fisk. Ultratech entertains the people with its bloodsport tournament known as Killer Instinct. Most of these competitors are part of the tournament due to Ultratech’s crooked ways. Some fighters are their own creations, while some fight in return for answers to their own dilemmas.The Indian character:The final issue looks beautiful, especially in terms of the panel layouts, but feels as if the writer was in a massive rush to get it done. The main character is Chief Thunder, which fits pretty well. What I mean is that this is the last issue before cancellation and it centers on the guy so unpopular that he didn’t even make the game’s sequel. He doesn’t even get to be on the cover for this issue.

Chief Thunder had originally entered the Killer Instinct tournament to get answers on the disappearance of his brother, Black Eagle. As shown via flashback, Black Eagle won the previous year’s tournament. When flashing back to that tournament, it shows Orchid fighting Jago. How do they screw up continuity this badly when they only have six issues to go on?

Eagle wins, does a moving “corporations suck” speech and is never heard from again. Thunder figured he could find him and bring him back home, but now thinks that he’s gotten too into the fighting. He has a tribe to lead and a hot wife to go back home to, so he needs some closure quick. With Orchid’s help, he meditates and calls upon the great spirits to give him answers.Comment:  At least his appearance is somewhat interesting. But an Indian gladiator named Chief Thunder? Ho-hum. Sounds like a comic well worth missing.

For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.

Sequoyah not a real Cherokee?

I don't think anyone has called Tiger Woods or Barack Obama "part-black"--at least not recently. Yet people are willing to say something similar about Indians.

Here's another good article on who's an Indian and who isn't.

PART Cherokee?I couldn't believe my eyes. The line on the screen said "Sequoyah, the part-Cherokee silversmith..."

I went back to my friend, the editor, and said, "Hey, this story looks OK, except for this part about Sequoyah being 'part-Cherokee'." "Well, he was, wasn't he?" my friend responded. "No", I said.

"His father was a white man, right? That means he had some white blood in him," she added. "That's not the point," I said. "He was Cherokee in every sense of the term. Whether he had a white parent or relative is immaterial...and besides, he didn't even know his father!"

She stared at me blankly and I threw up my hands. Try as I might, I just couldn't make her understand that the term 'part-Cherokee' doesn't mean anything. I even told her that if she used that word back home, the elders would laugh and ask, "So, what part of you is Cherokee? Your nose?"

But, hey, what did I expect. How do you explain to someone that there's no half-way point being Cherokee? You either are or you aren't. It's not a question of how many Europeans vs. how many Cherokees one has in the ole' family tree. Most all of us can play that game.

It's not even a question of where you live. It IS a question of loyalty. You either have a loyalty to our people, or you don't. It IS a question of commitment. That means getting involved and not letting self-interested individuals take the people for a ride while you sit by. It means that no matter where you go, you come home to family and friends and you want to make a difference. Its the way you live and the way your family has lived. It's knowing who your relations are and where you fit into our society.

Torture memo cited Indian law

Apparently John Yoo's torture memo cited Indian law as a precedent. That's not too surprising since Indians were America's original "enemy combatants." As with today's terrorists, we put them in concentration camps, held them without a trial, etc.

There Were Orders to FollowMr. Yoo, who, inexplicably, teaches law at the University of California, Berkeley, never directly argues that it is legal to chain prisoners to the ceiling for days, sexually abuse them or subject them to waterboarding—all things done by American jailers.

His primary argument, in which he reaches back to 19th-century legal opinions justifying the execution of Indians who rejected the reservation, is that the laws didn’t apply to Mr. Bush because he is commander in chief. He cited an earlier opinion from Bush administration lawyers that Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners were not covered by the Geneva Conventions—a decision that put every captured American soldier at grave risk.Comment:  Did the aforementioned legal opinions ever become the law? I don't know. I'd like to hear more about them.

Indians have often noted how those who resist American dominance have been labeled terrorists. See Native Intelligence:  The Long View for examples.

For more on our policies toward people who may or may not have committed crimes against America, see Bush Administration Sanctions Torture.

Baseball comes to Suquamish

Suquamish Baseball:  A Team of Their OwnIt's believed that when white settlers landed on what are now Kitsap County shores in the 1850s in search of timber, they brought with them a game that natives took to quickly. Two photographs from the late 1800s—one in Tribal Council member Chuck Deam's office, the other hanging in the tribe's museum—show men holding what appear to be baseball bats.

Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman, who played on a famed Suquamish softball team in 1984, said an early native game played on tide flats in areas like Indianola was probably similar to baseball or lacrosse.

"Baseball wasn't a big jump for them," he said.

By the 1920s, the tribe's baseball teams had found critical acclaim and international success. That's when a promoter with sporting goods company Spalding discovered the Suquamish nine, and set up a trip a half a world away where they could showcase their talents against Japanese college squads, which were the most prestigious teams at the time.

"In their efforts to secure an all-Indian ball team for the trip, the promoters have tried out practically every Indian ball team on the coast," reads an August 10, 1921 article from the Bremerton Searchlight, "and the fact that the Suquamish team was finally chosen is a considerable boost for the local players."

Celebrity chef visits Kenaitze

Healthy tradition

'Top Chef' shares love of traditional foods
It's not often Alaskans will roll out the red carpet for someone from New York City, but the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's monthly Diabetes Wellness Gathering and Lunch combined with the Elders Lunch at Tyotkas Elders Center in Kenai on Friday to host a special guest from the Big Apple.

Sam Talbot, an executive chef with more than 12 years of cooking experience at numerous prestigious restaurants, joined the Kenaitze. Talbot was also a fan-favorite and semi-finalist who eventually placed third on season two of the Bravo network's reality show "Top Chef," which involves chefs competing against each other in weekly challenges.

The 29-year old Sicilian-American chef has also been a Type 1 diabetic for the past 17 years and annually works with the Diabetes Research Foundation and the Chefs for a Cure event. As such, he spent the afternoon speaking about his experiences as a person with diabetes and offering suggestions on cooking with traditional foods, of course including an Alaska staple: salmon.

In a league of their own

The Joba-Jacoby Show: Let Them Take You Out to the BallgameIn their own unique way, a Navajo and a Winnebago are climbing the ladder of, well, actually a specific term does not come to mind considering these two baseball players are doing something no Native has quite done, ever.

And America is paying attention.

With all due respect to Jim Thorpe, Louis Sockalexis, Charles Bender and other Native baseball greats, Jacoby Ellsbury, 24, and Joba Chamberlain, 22, are in a league of their own.

Ellsbury, a quick-footed outfielder who floats around bases, plays for the Boston Red Sox and Chamberlain, a pitcher with a flamethrower for a right arm, tosses out of the New York Yankees bullpen.

The Boston Globe and Herald are having a feeding frenzy with Ellsbury while in New York, The Times, Post, Daily News and Newsday can't get enough of Chamberlain. TV networks are just as giddy about these two.

Navajo made famous road sign

The artist behind an iconic image

John Hood, a Navajo and Vietnam vet, has created many works in his job as a Caltrans graphic artist. But the picture of an immigrant family running has resonated far beyond his office cubicle.There is a father, leading the way with a clear sense of urgency, bent at the waist. A mother, running behind him, despite the prim dress that hugs her knees. A little girl, holding her mother's hand, unable to keep pace, her feet barely touching the ground, her pigtails--everyone knows the pigtails--flowing behind.

In 1990, the image would be projected onto black vinyl, traced with a knife blade, glued onto yellow signs, topped with one word--CAUTION--and placed on the shoulders of freeways, mostly along Interstate 5 north of the Mexican border.

The sign served as a warning that drivers could encounter people racing across the interstate--most of them trying to get from Mexico into the United States. It would become one of the most iconic and enduring images associated with the nation's war over illegal immigration. And it would leave John Hood, now 59 years old and preparing to retire, conflicted and ambivalent about his strange legacy.Some background on Hood:A Navajo, he grew up on a reservation in a corner of New Mexico where people lived 7,000 feet above sea level, amid junipers and cedars, mountain lions and coyotes. His parents were illiterate; his home had no electricity or running water, and he slept on a pile of sheepskins.

"My childhood," he said with a smile, "was fulfilled in every dimension."

Hood went to boarding school, but much of his education came at home. His grandmother showed him how to shear their sheep and spin the wool into yarn. His grandfather showed him how to pick medicinal herbs and how to gather bright pollen from the tips of cornstalks to use in traditional ceremonies.

Hood illustrated many pieces of his life, sometimes etching his drawings on the walls of his family's barn.How the sign has become an icon:It has been seized upon by people on all sides of the immigration debate. Anti-immigration groups offer T-shirts that depict the same family--being chased by a man with a gun. On Olvera Street in Los Angeles, the image is used as a symbol of immigrant pride.

Then there are those who have adopted the image simply because of its notoriety, including shops that offer T-shirts showing the same family carrying surfboards. In a signature installment of his TV show "Mind of Mencia," comic Carlos Mencia--whose family immigrated to East L.A. from Honduras when he was an infant--filmed a segment based on the sign. "Maybe," Mencia says at one point in the segment, "it's telling them: 'Run across the freeway. Just do it really fast.' "

A photograph of the sign is hanging at the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

"In museums, we are constantly looking for objects that transcend their own history," said Peter Liebhold, chairman of the museum's Division of Work and Industry. "This is, without a doubt, an icon of the current immigration debate. It's taken on meaning that was never intended."

20th anniversary of IGRA

Celebrate and protect Indian gamingIGRA requires Indian gaming revenues to be invested among five critical areas for socio-economic development: tribal government operations, promotion of the welfare of the tribe and its citizens, economic development, support of charitable organizations, and compensation to local and non-Indian governments for support of services provided by those governments. By no accident, the Wendell Chino Humanitarian Award, presented each year at NIGA, is given to Indian leaders who demonstrate a commitment to peace and fair governance, and are dedicated to intercultural understanding and easing social injustice. The people celebrate in their leaders what IGRA has required of the gaming tribes.

Tribes have and continue to set high standards for the ways gaming revenues are distributed, often exemplifying the generosity of spirit for which Native peoples are known. Just a few examples of the wealth experienced by beneficiaries of Indian gaming revenues: A grateful collective of 28 schools and education programs on and around the Coeur d'Alene reservation in Idaho have received $6 million over a five-year period from the tribe. The Kalispel Tribe in Washington recently opened the doors of a grand, state-of-the-art wellness center. The Camas Center, financed by tribal gaming profits, overlooks spiritually enriching grounds on the Kalispel territory. In Oklahoma, where gaming revenues rank third in the country, gaming tribes are among the top employers in the state. There tribes have had a sure hand in reinventing the state's economy, including boosts to the construction, tourism and real estate industries. Successful gaming tribes in the East are among the top donors to the National Museum of the American Indian, a place striving to become the premiere Native educational center and home-away-from-community in the U.S. capital.

After two decades of increasing bottom lines of some tribal governments and, thus, their influence on and off Indian territories, Indian gaming is now woven within the fabric of American culture. A little under half of all federally recognized tribes operate gaming enterprises. Of those tribes, a relatively small group accounts for most of the wealth derived from gaming. But gaming profits--because of a few tribes' trailblazing financial success--has been about the only topic of interest for mainstream media for most of IGRA's 20 years. The myth perpetuated by mainstream media of the "rich Indian" belies the complexity of Indian life. Despite its reputation as an economic engine, gaming has proved not to be a panacea. If anything, the media's emphasis on profits has led countless local, state and federal lawmakers to complain that Indian gaming is out of control, or that tribal governments do not pay a so-called "fair share," leading dangerously to policy based on perception.Comment:  This passage sums up why Indian gaming has been a godsend. But let's not ignore the negative side. Tribes are giving away their sovereignty to open casinos. They're (allegedly) disenrolling members to stifle criticism and enrich themselves. Too often they ignore the concerns of their neighbors re traffic, crime, and addiction.

Moreover, they need to diversify out of gaming before they milk the cash cow dry. Someday Americans may shut down Indian casinos (unlikely) or open up gaming to everyone (likely). Any tribe that enriches its present members at the expense of its future members is arguably making a mistake. It isn't thinking seven generations ahead.

These concerns are well-known in Indian country. Smart tribal leaders are taking them into account. But they bear repeating. If there's any case where one can be too careful, this isn't it.

Another fraud like Churchill?

Russell:  When does ethnic fraud matter?In my last column, I talked about Andrea Smith's tenure case at the University of Michigan. I am Cherokee, and Smith has in the past claimed that same tribal affiliation. Her e-mail handle, I have learned, is "Tsalagi."After some preliminaries:So we come to the question whether Smith is an ethnic fraud like Ward Churchill. My position is that even though not Cherokee, she cannot be a fraud of Churchill's stature. He made public statements that no tribal person I know would endorse. He then abused Hannah Arendt's work when he claimed that her study of Eichmann supported the idea that some undocumented worker washing dishes in the Windows on the World restaurant deserved his fiery death on Sept. 11, 2001. Or, for that matter, some newly graduated kid who was learning to trade stocks because her goal in life was wealth.

Who among us had fully formed values in our early 20s? Kids grow up, and all Indians I know believe that kids should have the opportunity to grow, to make mistakes, to become wise elders. Churchill's proper response to his insult of the dead would have been to apologize. His moral failure gives tribal Indians understandable reason to reject his invented Indian identity. His outrageous conduct led to a close reading of his work and it did not stand up to the vetting it never had at the front end, and that gave the University of Colorado cause to fire him.How to judge Smith:When there is reason to hire an Indian, the process is not rocket science. If the individual is tribally enrolled, the burden of proof should be on anybody who claims that individual is not Indian. If a person who is not tribally enrolled claims to be Indian, the burden should be on the claimant. The test of being Indian is not who you claim, but rather who claims you.

If the University of Michigan wants a researcher and teacher, it would appear by objective criteria they have one. If they want a Cherokee, not.

Smith's record does not appear to require augmentation by hereditary advantage. Ethnic fraud is harmful to tribes and sometimes to individual real Indians if they are passed over for a fake in a job that really does call for a tribal person. Ethnic fraud is not harmful to universities unless they allow it to be. The University of Michigan should articulate its values and rule according to those values.Comment:  Let's reiterate Steve Russell's succinct formula for determining who's an Indian:If the individual is tribally enrolled, the burden of proof should be on anybody who claims that individual is not Indian. If a person who is not tribally enrolled claims to be Indian, the burden should be on the claimant.Exactly. For more on the subject, see Educating Russ About Who's an Indian.

To be fair, Churchill directed his remarks at the WTC's "technocratic corps," its "relatively well-educated elite." Presumably that didn't include janitors, clerks, or interns.

Churchill was silent about whether the WTC's non-elite deserved what they got. Perhaps he considered them collateral damage. If so, that would make him no different from the well-educated elite in the White House today, who don't care how many civilians they kill in their mad hunt for "terrorists."

For Churchill's response to the criticism he received, see Terrorism:  "Good" vs. "Evil."

The most offensive racial icon

It can't be emphasized enough that millions of Americans support or tolerate overt racism against Indians. Here's how:

Chief Wahoo should goAs he listened to the discussion about the Vogue cover, Miller also found himself considering the community's response--or lack of it--to Chief Wahoo.

"It makes me feel bad," he said. If a similar image was used to portray black Americans, "the NAACP would be up in arms about it. The Urban League would be up in arms about it."

Wahoo is not harmless, Indian leaders say.

Chief Wahoo reinforces the image of Indians as "anachronistic savages," said Gavin Clarkson, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma who teaches in the Native American Studies Program at the University of Michigan.

"It's a powerful image," he said. "If you ask someone from Cleveland, 'quick, think of an Indian,' chances are this is the image" that will come to mind.Comment:  The implications of this should be obvious. If the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Indians is Chief Wahoo, then they aren't thinking about real Indians. Wahoo is a stand-in or replacement for people who are poor, abused, neglected, suffering racism and discrimination, losing treaty rights and tribal sovereignty, etc.

In other words, if your first thought is that an Indian is a redskinned savage from the distant past, you aren't paying enough attention to today's Indians. And you won't pay enough attention to them. Why? Because you're not aware of their existence. As far as you're concerned, Indians are dead and gone.

We could prove the point with a survey. Divide people into two groups: those who support Wahoo and those who oppose him. Ask them true/false questions about Indians. For instance:

Most Indians lived in teepees.

Most Indians were savages who lacked religion or culture.

Most Indian tribes had no form of government or law.

Since the 19th century, most Indians have disappeared.

Today's Indians get special rights and benefits they aren't entitled to.

I'm guessing there'd be a strong correlation between those who support Chief Wahoo and those who answer these questions wrong. Does anyone disagree? Would you like to bet on it?