1492 t-shirt is negative?

Freedom, Liberty and Justice:  Basic Native American Rights

by Walks With ThunderHave you ever seen those shirts and posters that say “Fighting Terrorism Since 1492” with a picture of Sitting Bull in his war paint? This is a statement from people who hold negative feelings. It was not that long ago that Indians, along with African Americans, had to use the back door instead of the front, unable to walk as equals in America because our skin was not White, but Red. Our people, the old ones and some middle aged ones, still remember this. They hold hatred for the White people whom they feel took our way of life and our land.

It is time to let that hatred go. We are a conquered people and we should own that. The Japanese are also a conquered people, but they’re doing it with style. Did you know that Japan owns much of the United States? Ever hear of Sony, Honda, and Toyota—those Japanese companies that have invested in real estate here in the United States? Yes, we Native Americans are a conquered people, but let’s use that casino money and reinvest in our people and real estate here in our ancestral lands. Let’s buy our heritage back!

To my people I say: Stop drinking, drugging, and abusing. Let go of the negative feelings about those who conquered our people. That is a past generation’s burden, not ours. It is time to use our Liberty and hold our heads up because we are the Native People of this land.

Comment:  So this t-shirt is negative? Why, because it suggests the reality of Native history? How is it "hatred" to state a fact: that the attacks Indians suffered fit the dictionary definition of "terrorism"?

What's with his "the White people whom they feel took our way of life and our land"? "They feel"?! Is Walks with Thunder saying this statement isn't objectively true? That it's just someone's feeling, not a historical reality?

What is Walks with Thunder suggesting, exactly? That we never mention Native history? That we don't educate people about it? That we literally focus only on the positive? Ridiculous.

Why stop there?

If that's his position, why limit it to history? It's "negative" to talk about the present poverty, unemployment, alcoholism, crime, and suicide on many reservations. Should we pretend these problems don't exist? If we ignore them, will they go away?

One could just as easily say the t-shirt expresses pride. Indians faced terrorism but they fought back with strength and determination. Why do you think the shirt shows armed Apache warriors and not dead bodies at Wounded Knee?

If you ask me, Walks with Thunder's opinion is stupid. One could find a positive and negative side to almost anything. The sky is blue? Better put on sunscreen or you'll get skin cancer. A puppy loves you? Sorry, you'll have to put it to sleep in a decade or two.

Walks with Thunder can pretend the shirt is negative, but that says more about him than it does about the shirt. He's apparently blind to the concept of pride and where it comes from. Many people would say that fighting back, as Geronimo and his people did, is the epitome of self-empowerment.

And linking the t-shirt to "drinking, drugging, and abusing" is even stupider. I'm pretty sure the shirt hasn't caused anyone to turn to substance abuse. The negative reality of Indian life is why people turn to substance abuse, not the shirt's "negative" message.

For more on the subject of negativity, see Not Enough Good Native News?, Bitchin' and Moanin', and Why Does Rob Keep Criticizing?

A point about gaming

Walks with Thunder sounds a little naive about Indian gaming. Every gaming tribe is reinvesting its income in its people, since it's the reason for gaming and it's required by law. Many tribes are buying back land or trying to.

But these days it's difficult to take that land into trust. If a tribe can't do that, the land doesn't become part of its reservation. It remains and investment property with no special tax benefits.

Maybe Walks with Thunder thinks gaming isn't working because many tribes are still poor. If so, that's a common misconception. Actually, a few tribes are already wealthy and many tribes have reached the middle class. The remainder are slowly but steadily lifting themselves out of poverty.

Incidentally, here's some information on Walks With Thunder from the article and his website:Walks With Thunder is a non-traditional shaman who helps people heal themselves and learn to heal others. Contact him at 253.350.5755, www.walkswiththunder.ning.com, or http://shamanism.meetup.com/270/.

WalksWithThunder is Shaman Born. His grandfather was a Shaman for the Caddo tribe, as was his father before him. He has been able to see Grandfather Spirits since the age of two, and could bi-locate (literally in two places at once) at fourteen.Walks with Thunder sounds a lot like an Indian wannabe and a New Age "plastic shaman" to me. But for all I know, he could be an enrolled Caddo Indian and the Caddo tribe could have healers it calls "shamans."

For more reactions to the t-shirt, see "Fighting Terrorists Since 1492" T-Shirt Offends Conservative.

Educating Stephen about Obama

In response to a posting in June, reader Stephen wrote:Quick question how does an Obama supporter like Rob feel about this?

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html

How do you feel about Obama dehumanizing and denying equality to a minority? I guess that's the sorta change you and his sheep like moronic following voted for. If you need I'll be in the kitchen cooking a batch of 'told you so'.Since Stephen's personal attack was irrelevant to the posting, I deleted it. But I thought I'd take this opportunity to put him in his place once again.

Wow, Stephen, you really don't get the idea of staying on topic, do you? Thanks for demonstrating why I have to ban comments occasionally. It's because people like you think you can hijack this blog with your own agenda.

Pandering politician

I've already criticized Obama several times when it comes to Natives. I guess you missed those times? You miss a lot, don't you?

To answer your question, I think Obama is a typical pandering politician. I've said so many times in political discussions, starting when he was a candidate. Both personally and professionally, he's a mild intellectual who likes to test the waters before taking a plunge.

I always figured Obama for a middle-of-the-roader who wouldn't do anything too controversial. That's why I'm laughing at you conservatives who think he's a Soviet-style "socialist." His "cautiousness" hasn't surprised me a bit.

Therefore, you can say "I told you so" all you want. It won't faze me unless you catch me in a contradiction, which you haven't done. You "told me so" that I was right to think Obama a panderer two years ago...thanks!

Rob vs. Obama

In case you're as clueless as you seem, the positions I take are the logical ones supported by facts and evidence. I voted for Obama because his positions are similar to mine, not the other way around. When he deviates from my positions, he's the one who's wrong, not me.

Here are three issues where Obama has backtracked on his promises. Where my positions continue to be the right ones:

A Bad Call on Gay Rights

The Rank Dishonesty of the Obama Administration  [detaining suspects indefinitely]

Obama’s Make-or-Break Summer  [financial regulation]

You gotta love the intellectual dishonesty of conservatives like Stephen. When Obama does what they want, do they say, "Wow, he's turning out to be a better president than I expected"? No. These goosesteppers can't bring themselves to say anything good about him. Instead they fabricate scare stories about Obama's "fake birth certificate" or his "plan to take away our guns."

That's the difference between me and you, buddy. I'll criticize "my" people and my colleagues--whites, liberals, Indians--if they deserve it. You apparently won't. If you've ever said anything negative about your Anglo and Irish ancestors, I must've missed it. You only excuse and defend them.

The right choice

I'm still glad I voted for Obama. Pandering to the center is a lot better than pandering to the far right, as Bush and McCain did. As far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been a single instance where McCain would've made a better decision than Obama. I'm confident the country made the right choice.

McCain told us how he would've handled the Iranian protests, for instance. "Bomb, bomb, bomb...bomb, bomb Iran!" Is that your solution too, Stephen?

On gay marriage, indefinite imprisonment, and financial regulation, do you think McCain would've taken a better (more liberal) position? I don't. Obama continues to be a better choice than McCain on these issues despite his moral cowardice cautiousness.

Incidentally, calling the 53% of Americans who voted for Obama "sheep" shows what an out-of-touch elitist you are. No wonder you're so defensive about your white privilege. Apparently Obama is a threat to your power, your manhood, or something.

Are you as afraid of blacks, Latinos, and other minorities as you are of Muslims? Do you agree with writer Russell Bates that Obama has a "black agenda"? Look out, Stephen, the brownskins are coming!

Below:  My impression of Stephen's impression of Obama.

Haida graphic novel Red

Correspondent Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas sends a note about his latest work:

Red: A Haida MangaAn innovative graphic novel, here is the epic tale of a Haida hero, his rage and his quest for retribution.

Referencing a classic Haida oral narrative, this stunning full-colour graphic novel documents the powerful story of Red, a leader so blinded by revenge that he leads his community to the brink of war and destruction.

Set in the islands off the northwest coast of B.C., it tells the tale of orphan Red and his sister, Jaada. When raiders attack their village, Red, still a boy, escapes dramatically. But Jaada is whisked away. The loss of Jaada breeds a seething anger, and Red sets out to find his sister and exact revenge on her captors.

Red blends traditional Haida imagery into a Japanese manga–styled story. Tragic and timeless, it is reminiscent of such classic stories as Oedipus Rex, Macbeth and King Lear.

This innovation in contemporary storytelling consists of 108 pages of hand-painted illustrations. When arranged in a specific order, the panels of the narrative create a Haida formline image four metres long. The sequence for this complex design is displayed on the inside jacket.Comment:  Follow the link to see pictures of Yahgulanaas and Red.

After looking at the pictures, I'd say Red is certainly an innovative graphic novel.

For more on the subject, see Hummingbird Fights Fire, Haida Art on Shopping Bags, and Update on Haida Manga.

Subconscious racism proved

No racial bias? Really? A brain scan may give you away.

By Shara YurkiewiczIn this study, from Peking University in Beijing, Chinese and Caucasian university participants watched video clips showing faces of Chinese and Caucasian models with neutral expressions receiving either a painful (needle penetration) or non-painful (Q-tip touch) stimulation on the cheek.

The participants were then asked to rate the amount of pain the model felt, as well as their own level of discomfort while watching the jabs.

Race had no effect on the survey responses by either Chinese or Caucasian observers. But the same was not true in their brains.

While participants watched the videos, researchers used functional MRI to scan what was going on inside their heads. The scans revealed increased activation in the brain regions that mediate the empathic neural response. But when the painful simulations were applied to subjects who shared a race with observers, the neural responses increased significantly more than when the ones being stuck with needles were of the other racial group.

The findings suggest that bias against those from other groups may exist at a fundamental level in the human mind, despite what self-reports reveal.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Meyer's Unconscious Racism? and Anti-Indian Racism Explained.

Jackson knows Lakota ways

Williams:  Phil Jackson demonstrates Lakota measure of greatness

By Richard B. WilliamsPhil Jackson, the coach of the championship winning Los Angeles Lakers, epitomizes the American Indian qualities of leadership, so much so that in 2003, the American Indian College Fund honored Jackson at its annual gala. Jackson was coaching for the Chicago Bulls at the time, so his good friend and colleague Bill Bradley accepted the award on his behalf.

Jackson and Bradley have been involved with American Indian people for quite some time. More than 25 years ago Jackson and Bradley were conducting a basketball clinic on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. As a result of their relationships with American Indians and careful observation, Jackson and Bradley have been able to incorporate the leadership philosophies they learned there into their professional and personal lives.

Both have written about Indian people and a way of life that is different from mainstream society. Jackson’s book “Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior” weaves in principles of Lakota leadership, lessons learned about the sacred hoop, and intimate details of Lakota spiritual philosophy combined with tenets of Zen Buddhism to show how individuals can selflessly grow to achieve and become better adjusted people to increase their potential and the potential of those around them.Comment:  For more on the subject, see "X" Cap Benefits College Fund and Jackson:  Change "Sioux" Nickname.

All about Steve Judd

From bingo hall to Hollywood: An up and coming Native writer

By Eva ThomasJust over a year ago, Steve Judd, Kiowa/Choctaw, was working at a Bingo Hall in Goldsby, Okla.; today, he is working as a writer in Hollywood. Judd is a staff writer and Disney/ABC Writing Fellow on the new Disney XD comedy series “Zeke and Luther.”

Born in Oklahoma, Judd attended Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Oklahoma where he focused on communications and Native American studies. Judd was inspired to make movies to combat the stereotypical portrayals of American Indians in films he saw as a child.

“When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a writer. Growing up in Oklahoma, I never thought I could write for television, so I started to write film scripts.”

While in college, Judd began his own production company called Restless Natives, which has produced several projects including the independent film, “American Indian Graffiti: This Thing Life,” the short-film spoof “MAC v. PC with a Native Twist” and the PBS documentary “Silent Thunder.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Writer on Zeke and Luther and Only 11 Native Writers in Hollywood?

Bob Barker vs. Cherokee bear exhibits

How Bob Barker took on the Eastern Band

By Julia MerchantThe involvement of famed television host Bob Barker in the fight to end the Cherokee bear exhibits took many by surprise.

During a phone interview with The Smoky Mountain News, Barker explained that he first became aware of the bears through his long-time friend, Florida Congressman Bill Young. Young stopped through Cherokee with his family on a trip from Florida to Washington, D.C., and visited the bear exhibits. The Youngs weren’t impressed, to say the least—Young’s wife was practically in tears when the family left.And:When PETA released a nationally circulated statement June 8 calling for an end to the bear exhibits, it was accompanied by a letter from Bob Barker requesting a meeting with Eastern Band Chief Michell Hicks. The statement made note of Barker’s letter.

What happened next is a bit hard to decipher. Hicks says that the supposed letter mentioned in PETA’s statement was never actually sent to him.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Cherokee Art Bears.

More than 200 "Cherokee tribes"

Not legitimately Cherokee

By Chad Smith
Principal chief, Cherokee NationFraudulent groups and individuals passing themselves off as Native Americans have become big business, with more than 200 groups that claim to be some sort of Cherokee tribe. There also are hundreds of individuals who claim to be Cherokee or from the Cherokee Nation and offer services ranging from teaching culture to spiritual advice. The Cherokee Nation does not question anyone's claims of heritage or ancestry, but points out the significant difference between claiming heritage and having citizenship in a federally recognized tribe.

There are only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes: the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, both located in Oklahoma, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. No group outside of North Carolina and Oklahoma has been recognized as a legitimate Cherokee sovereign.

The "Eastern Cherokee Nation" and "Western Cherokee Nation," including the "old settlers" and "late immigrants," joined in an Act of Union on July 12, 1839. There were no "lost" Cherokee tribes or splinter groups that hid out or dropped off the Trail of Tears. Those who have Native American ancestry but are not eligible for citizenship in a federally recognized Indian tribe should participate in the culture through heritage groups and associations, not groups that call themselves "tribes" or "nations."

Fake tribes and individuals with unverifiable ties to Native American citizenship often claim to be passing on Cherokee cultural knowledge and traditional arts. But these groups and individuals dilute true Indian culture and identity. Many of them pass along cultural information that is incorrect or that perpetuates harmful stereotypes.Tribal culture and identity deserve protection

By Cara Cowan Watts
Tribal CouncilorSince I became involved with Cherokee identity and cultural theft, I have witnessed individuals fraudulently claiming to be Cherokee teach Indian children about being Indian in institutions of higher learning. Allowing non-Indians to teach misleading and false history and culture to our children is dangerous. Other frauds have kidnapped children using fake tribal court orders posing as actions under the Indian Child Welfare Act. At least one is now a convicted felon for selling illegal immigrants “citizenship.” One group decided at Arby’s to form a tribe and begin asserting its “sovereignty” by suing local governments. This fake group was actually winning until someone stood up and told the truth.

Tribal use of funds, preservation of language and protecting artisans and crafts people are only one aspect of a huge battle being waged on our culture and identity as a distinct tribal people.

In addition to the stories about cases of fraud and identity theft, I have endured personal attacks by some individuals trying to reinvent themselves as tribal citizens. After six years of fighting fake Cherokees, I understand that conflict is necessary to bring about change and rid ourselves of such fools.Comment:  For more on who's a Cherokee, see:

Cherokees battle identity theft
Hoklotubbe on who's a Cherokee
Hillbilly "Indian" vs. 1/256th Cherokee
How Cherokees are assimilated
Which Cherokees are legit?
AhNiYvWiYa Inc.
Cherokee vs. Cherokee vs. Cherokee vs. Cherokee
Cherokees 'r' us
Real Cherokees tackle wannabes

For more on the broader question of who's an Indian, see:

Determining Indians = waste of time?
"Actual Indian" defined
Lots of possible Indians
Who's an Indian again?
Are you a reeeeeeal part "Injun"?
Indian wannabes

Native lawyers support Sotomayor

NNABA strongly supports Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination

By Brenda AustinHeather Dawn Thompson, president of the National Native American Bar Association, said that while the association cannot officially endorse the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, they are strongly supportive of her.

An official endorsement by the group requires an extensive background in Indian law, which Sotomayor does not have. “We think it is important to have a diversity of experiences and feel she will have a lot of understanding for the American Indian community. She has been very open-minded as a judge, which is important in looking into new areas of law. Both her personal history and her intellectual capabilities, we think, will make her a very good justice.”

Sotomayor will be the third woman and the third racial minority on the Supreme Court. She will be the first minority justice with some insight into the special property and political rights of minority people--in her case, the people of Puerto Rico. In many ways, neither American Indians nor Puerto Rico wants complete integration into the American polity, preferring a sovereign existence within the United States.Courting Sotomayor

Some Natives see opportunity with Supreme Court nominee

By Rob CapricciosoMatthew L.M. Fletcher, director of the Michigan State University Indigenous Law Center, agrees there are possibilities with Sotomayor, but for now, he thinks she would not be much more than a replacement vote for Souter–and his votes haven’t necessarily been sunshine and light for tribes.

“The only hope is educating the new justice,” Fletcher said. “I think tribal advocates need to keep doing what they’re doing–quality, if not excellent advocacy before the Supreme Court; carefully strategized amicus briefs; and desperately try to keep the cases out of the Supreme Court if at all possible.”

Despite Sotomayor’s similar background to some Native Americans, Fletcher said she likely knows little about Indians, Indian tribes and Indian law. He strongly supports catering legal briefs involving tribes to her for the next several years.

“She is a relative blank slate on Indian law. I’m convinced the majority of the rest of the court has already made up their minds about Indians, Indian tribes and Indian law. Judge Sotomayor could be persuaded with the tribal interest point of view, I think, in ways the rest probably cannot.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Multicultural Perspective for Judges and Sotomayor, Empathy, and Sterilization.

Captain Canuck in hardcover

IDW Releases Captain CanuckIDW Publishing is proud to release the first hardcover collection of "Canada's own" Captain Canuck, available in stores throughout the U.S. and Canada now. The first of a two volume series, Captain Canuck Vol. 1 will feature issues #4-10, written by Richard Comely with art by George Freeman and Claude St. Aubin. This volume will also include previously unpublished newspaper strips, plus sketches by Freeman.

Debuting in 1975 by Ontario-resident Comely, Captain Canuck became the first and only Canadian-published superhero comic book distributed on the mass market throughout the U.S. Canuck gained an impressive fan base during its five year run and continues to delight readers across the continent.Some background from the Ultimate Captain Canuck Tribute Page:

The HeroesCaptain Canuck a.k.a. Tom Evans:

Costumed hero with strength and speed slightly above normal thanks to being bathed in an alien ray beam while a Scoutmaster for some Boy Scouts.

A career police officer, first with the RCMP, then CISO, before becoming CISO's show-piece to the world as Captain Canuck. He became disenchanted with CISO bureaucracy and resigned to go freelance, on call to whoever needed him (though he still usually worked for CISO).

He was raised in Winnipeg and his parents are (apparently) still living, though never seen; he has a brother named Mike. He is trilingual (at least)--French, English and at least some German--and has Native Indian blood, but how much is not clear (one of his parents? an ancestor?).

Joseph Stardance:

An American Indian and electronics expert, generally known by just plain Stardance, he is Lord West's right hand man at Earth Patrol.Comment:  I saw this volume in my local comic-book shop today. I didn't buy it, but I skimmed through it. The plot had a significant Native component, perhaps featuring Joseph Stardance.

Stardance is more of a New Age name than a real Indian name, of course.

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

Autry museum vs. Southwest supporters

Autry, Southwest museum feud has echoes of western duel

By Bob PoolIt could have been a scene right out of a Gene Autry horse opera--a cowboys-versus-Indians-style faceoff, potshots being fired by both sides, a hero riding to the rescue in the final reel.

That seems to be the plot line of the drama that is playing out between backers of the Autry National Center of the American West in Griffith Park and those of the Southwest Museum a few miles away in Mount Washington.

The Autry museum wants to double its size and display some of the Southwest's American Indian artifacts as a way of broadening and diversifying its depiction of the early American West.

Whoa, say Southwest's supporters. They contend that the loss of exhibits and an accompanying diminished role for the museum will lead to the demise of the 95-year-old hillside landmark--which is the city's oldest museum.Autry Center expansion plans:  L.A. says, 'Not so fast, pardner'

By Mike BoehmThe Autry National Center got corralled at least temporarily on Tuesday in its bid for a $96-million expansion of its Museum of the American West in Griffith Park.

A panel of five City Council members—faced with a polite crowd of more than 200 people divided between those with “Yes!” decals urging approval of the Autry’s plans and others with multicolored paper “S.O.S.” buttons, for “Save Our Southwest”—voted unanimously to delay a decision for four weeks. It urged the Autry to provide legal assurances by then that the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mount Washington won't become just an afterthought to a larger, more comprehensive Griffith Park facility.

One of the core objections to the expansion comes from a group of neighbors of the Autry-owned Southwest Museum who deeply distrust the Autry’s motives. They fear that it wants to strip the Southwest of its collection—a trove of Native American artifacts—so the Autry can provide a one-stop Griffith Park experience involving cowboys, Indians and all the other players in the history of the West. The expansion in Griffith Park would include a new section for exhibiting Native American objects.Comment:  These two institutions are my local museums. I usually visit one or the other once or twice a year.

To me, the most important issue is getting the most people to experience the most exhibits and artifacts. Therefore, I'd probably side with the Autry over the Southwest's supporters.

Standing Bear place mats

Trimble:  Custer, the plastic iconHere in Nebraska not long ago, McDonald’s gave out place mats with the story of the Trial of Standing Bear, that heroic Ponca chief who fought his way back to his Nebraska homeland after enduring the tribe’s forced march to Oklahoma only months before. His trial here, brought by helpful attorneys and a newspaper publisher, and even with the passive help of General George Crook, marked the federal court’s decision that an Indian is a “person” for the purpose of Habeas Corpus. The argument that an Indian was not a “person” under the law was used by the Army to deny Standing Bear’s citizen rights of a trial, and to force his people on a second trail of tears back to Oklahoma. That court decision allowed the chief to stay in his homelands, and it set a precedent for all Indian people. The place mat story, given away with all meals by McDonald’s, was beautifully illustrated and proved popular with kids and parents.

So I tend to think that McDonald’s is not a bastion of racism and part of the vast conspiracy that I facetiously describe above. All corporate advertising departments have some person that will come up with an idiotic idea that will offend someone or some group; and this is apparently what happened with McDonald’s.Comment:  At the end of his column, Trimble suggests we shouldn't waste time on the Custer toy. He's implicitly chastising Kevin Abourezk and Tim Giago, who wrote columns denouncing the toy. But Trimble's column is longer than their columns were. Isn't it a bit ironic to waste time writing a column telling other people not to waste time writing columns?

Anyway, for more on the Custer toy, see McDonald's Response on Custer Toy and Melvin Martin on Custer Toy. For more on Standing Bear, see Standing Bear Breakfast and Celebration and Standing Bear, Pop Icon.

Franken on Indian committee

Franken to join Senate Indian Affairs CommitteeThe Senate Indian Affairs Committee will be getting a new member--Democrat Al Franken of Minnesota.

Franken learned of his assignment to the committee yesterday after winning a court decision that prompted the concession from Republican Norm Coleman, who was the incumbent U.S. Senator. The two had been locked in a battle that now gives Democrats 60 seats in the chamber.

Franken, who campaigned on reservations several times last year, will be the ninth Democrat on the Indian Affairs Committee.Comment:  For more on the subject, see:

Franken wants to help Indians
Comedian candidate courts Indians
Franken meets with Ojibwe

Below:  "Al Franken with his wife Franni." (Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune)

2012 trailer

2012An academic researcher leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.An academic researcher leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.



Comment:  I'm not looking forward to posting a year's worth of nonsense about 2012. But if the movie doesn't say anything bad about the Maya, it could be entertaining--a lot of SFX fun.

For more on the subject, see Gold Rush of "2012ology" and Is the End Coming?

Native-themed spas

Rekindle your spirit at Native-themed spas

By Babette HerrmannAji Spa & Salon

Located minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, the luxurious Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa sits on land unspoiled by urban sprawl, where wild Spanish mustangs are often seen thundering across the desert–land owned by the Gila River Indian Community.

No details were spared in the creation and services offered at the resort’s Aji Spa & Salon. The 17,500-square-foot spa features treatments inspired by the culture and healing herbs of the Pima and Maricopa people.

Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment

Sedona, Ariz., is known for its New-Age quirkiness and as a vortex of spiraling spiritual energy flow. It’s no wonder people are drawn to seek the healing and spirituality surrounded by breathtaking giant red rock spires and formations.

Mii amo, which means “journey” in the Yuman language, offers a rich array of culturally infused treatments, and it’s the signature Inner Quest treatment that offers clients a spiritual journey.

The Spa at Sundance

Located at the base of Mount Timpanogos, the rustic luxury of Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah, serves as a perfect year-round vacation spot, with its nearby skiing in the winter, and the rest of the year for guests to explore the 6,000 acres of surrounding wilderness.

It’s also the perfect setting for the Spa at Sundance, which bases its Native-themed spa on the four directions, winds and seasons. While they don’t have a Native director on staff, they don’t profess to be scholars on American Indian history either.

T Spa

The Tulalip Resort Casino opened the 14,000-square-foot T Spa last October. A select few of Native-inspired treatments are in-depth, taking more than two hours to nurture the body. Amenities are cozy and luxurious. Massage rooms feature a double-sided fireplace, and both the men’s and women’s areas are equipped with eucalyptus steam rooms and cedar saunas.

Influenced by Coast Salish culture, the signature five-hour Canoe Puller package begins with a re-energizing body ritual, followed by a mud bath, deep tissue bolus massage, skin resonance vitamin infusion facial, Native Stone Ritual For Feet and lunch.

Skaná Spa

The Skaná Spa, located inside the Lodge hotel at the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y., may be one of the only spas on the East Coast offering Native-inspired treatments. What makes this spa unique is the opportunity for clients to participate in a sweatlodge ceremony. It was constructed by the Nation with the help of the Oglala and Lakota Sioux tribes, and framed out of red willow and draped with buffalo hides. Like a sauna or steam room, it cleanses the body, but is definitely a sacred ceremony, a place to pray and cleanse the soul.

Select spa treatments utilize ingredients used by Oneida healers. For instance, the White Pine Foot & Body therapist uses white pine as an analgesic to relieve the pain of sore muscles and joints, and mint for its soothing properties.

Avanyu Spa

Located inside the plush La Posada De Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, N.M., the 5,000-square-foot Avanyu Spa offers Native- and Southwest-inspired treatments with delicious and inviting names.

The Spirit of Santa Fe is the signature treatment that takes clients on a journey with the four directions of the medicine wheel, including a blue cornmeal and tobacco scrub, ceremonial sage tea, cedar oil massage and a sweetgrass tea herbal wrap.Comment:  I think this is the third or fourth spa article Indian Country Today has run. I hope these articles are objective journalism and not some sort of product placement.

Authenticity in Public Enemies

We don't know if the upcoming Lone Ranger movie will be authentic, but another Johnny Depp vehicle demonstrates the importance of authenticity:

Review:  'Public Enemies'Though any number of name actors, including Lili Taylor as a confident sheriff and Giovanni Ribisi as gangster Alvin Karpis, make appearances, what's unusual about "Public Enemies" is Mann's determination not to have any face be an ordinary one.

A full 15 people (led by Avy Kaufman and Bonnie Timmerman) are credited with casting work on the film, and every face that appears on screen, from the members of Purvis' Chicago FBI squad to youthful junior G-men, are clearly hand-picked for individuality and impact.

Mann's attention to nominally small things, his insistence that every detail be authentic, including the clothes (Colleen Atwood is the costume designer) and the often historic locations (Nathan Crowley is production designer), lend a sense of rightness to the entire endeavor.

One of the interesting side effects of this exceptional care is to make "Public Enemies" so real it seems to transcend its period and exist out of time. Though the Depression was a major factor in Dillinger's career, we don't see or feel it all that much. What we get instead is the sense of a man whose name has lasted until now for a reason and, if the movies have anything to say about it, will last longer still.Comment:  Apply the above lessons to any Native-themed movie. Choosing Native faces rather than generic ethnic faces gives the movie more impact. The attention to accurate details gives the movie a sense of "rightness." The movie feels so real that you willingly suspend your disbelief. You're transported out of your seat into the world on the screen.

This is how Michael Mann makes critically acclaimed movies.

Mann's movies might also make money if they weren't star vehicles: Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx (Miami Vice), Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx (Collateral), Will Smith (Ali), Al Pacino and Russell Crowe (The Insider), Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino (Heat). Only Collateral made money domestically.

Incidentally, Mann also made The Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day-Lewis and Russell Means. Not the greatest movie, but at least it made money. Authentic movie-making plus authentic (and low-budget) cast = profit.

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

Racist Transformers

People are criticizing the pair of jive-talkin' robots in the new Transformers movie. Some commenters offer some key points that also apply to Native portrayals.

Beyond The Twins:  Another look at Revenge of the Fallen’s Character FlawsB wrote:

I don’t care if it’s about giant robots or if it’s Shakespeare, every single thing you’re complaining about was a choice that the movie’s makers made. With a budget that big, no one made decisions without thinking about it and choosing among many options. These things don’t happen by mistake. Does anyone really expect me to believe that, given how much money the last one made, and how much they expect this one to make, that they just threw a bunch of things against the wall and were surprised by the outcome? Of course not. It may not require much thinking on the viewer’s part to watch the movie, but the same can’t be said for those who made it.

atlasien wrote:

The fact that it’s about giant robots fighting each other makes the racism even more egregious. There’s nothing necessarily racist about giant robots fighting each other. Therefore, you have to really go the extra mile in order to inject the racism. And Michael Bay did. He has no excuse whatsoever.

Jehanzeb wrote:

Michael Bay’s comment disturbs me. He doesn’t seem like he’s making an effort to understand how offensive the movie is to People of Color.

Yes, Mr. Bay, we know they’re robots, but they’re voiced by real people. When they’re given human and stereotypical traits, they’re not “just robots” anymore. The audience laughs at them because they’re familiar with the stereotypes.Comment:  Consider any negative depiction of Indians--for instance, the cannibals in Pirates of the Caribbean. How did Jack Sparrow end up meeting maneating Carib Indians rather than peaceful Taino Indians or no Indians? Jerry Bruckheimer and company chose to portray stereotypical Indians as villains, that's how. He decided his $200 million (or whatever) movie would work best if audiences rooted for the white captain against the brown savages.

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

Women's lacrosse in Prague

Native American women's dream comes true in PragueCharlene Thomas, general manager of the Native-American Haudenosaunee team, had taken her "girls" to Prague for the women's lacrosse World Cup--the first such event for the team that will only celebrate its first birthday in August.

"We wanted to see our girls have their dream come true and this day, this year has done it for them," said Thomas, a retiree who does her current job as a volunteer.

Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) is a confederacy of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora nations living mostly in upstate New York and the Ontario province in Canada.

It joined the international women's lacrosse federation IFWLA only two years ago, after complying with the Native American tradition.

"We presented our request to the chiefs, and they gave us consent," said Thomas.

Unlike their counterparts in men's lacrosse, the Iroquois Nationals, who have played at four World Cups to date, the women's team was officially established only in August 2008.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Iroquois Team Takes Bronze and Lacrosse Crosses the Pacific.

Below:  "Dutch lacrosse player Jantien Van Der Kooij (right) fights for the ball with Katie Smith of the US Haudenosaunee at the women's lacrosse world cup in Prague, on June 24."

Native golfers at Santa Ana

Santa Ana Pueblo's Paquin continues quest to grow golf in Southwest"The leadership invested time to teach the tribal members how to play golf and that effort has led to more than 500 members who have hit a golf ball," said Paquin, adding "this has led to a solid 200 members who play on a regular basis."

To defray the cost burden on tribal players, tribal members play for free at Santa Ana Golf Club and receive a discount at Twin Warriors.

Tribal members who do not have clubs can even use the tribal rental sets for free. That is how many tribal members learned the game.Native American youngsters receive expert instruction at clinicWith a heritage of building its own success stories in growing the game, some 20 Sun Country PGA Professionals met 90 Native American junior golfers Saturday for more than a traditional afternoon of golf instruction.

The Native American Youth Golf Clinic, hosted at Twin Warriors Golf Club, was preceded by a proclamation by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, whose signed document proclaiming June 27, 2009, "Native American Youth Golf Day" in the state.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Golf Tour.

Indians in McLintock!

The 1963 movie McLintock! is another of those transitional films that, from the 1950s to the 1970s, started doing Indians justice. As such, it's an odd mishmash of good and bad moments.

Here's the story:

McLintock!George Washington McLintock (John Wayne) has a saddlebag full of trouble. The owner of the largest ranch in the territory, which also includes a mine and a lumber mill that he built up himself, should be a happy, fulfilled man, but he isn't. His wife, Katherine (Maureen O'Hara), walked out on him two years ago without a word of explanation and has been living back east and running in very fancy circles. He's getting older, a fact of which he's constantly reminded as friends around him decline in health. He's being challenged by their sons, eager to make their mark on the territory, and by the homesteaders who are pouring in with the support of the government, hoping to farm on land that's just barely adequate for cattle to graze on; he's got government officials underfoot, including an inept Indian agent (Strother Martin) and a corrupt land agent (Gordon Jones); the thick-headed, longwinded territorial governor, the honorable Cuthbert H. Humphrey (Robert Lowery), and the government back east are trying to push the Indians--whose chiefs are some of McLintock's oldest enemies and his best and most honored friends--by shipping them off to a reservation, where they'll be cared for like old women; and to top it all off, Katherine is coming back to secure a divorce and take custody of their 17-year-old daughter, Rebecca (Stefanie Powers), who's been at school back east and no longer likes anything to do with the West, any more than her mother does. All of that--plus the presence of a young hired hand (Patrick Wayne) who's interested romantically in McLintock's daughter--is the setup for a sprawling comedy Western with serious overtones, part battle-of-the-sexes and part political tract. --Bruce Eder, All Movie GuideThe Indian bits

Here are the key Indian bits in McLintock!:

The first Indian we meet is Davey Elk, who has short hair and is dressed as a gentleman. As he notes, he's college-educated, the fastest runner in town, and the telegraph operator. Unfortunately, he's played by Latino actor Perry Lopez, who was the Indian scientist in The Time Tunnel and Esteban Rodriguez in the Star Trek episode Shore Leave.

Indians led by Running Buffalo come to town to meet the chiefs returning from Washington. They look like Plains Indians, which is okay if the movie is set in Oklahoma. They appear to be real Indians, not actors of other ethnicities.

The Indian agent objects to their leaving the reservation without permission. When a white woman disappears, the townspeople think the Indians kidnapped her. They prepare to hang Running Buffalo.

McLintock intervenes, leading to the famous fight scene in the quarry. Running Buffalo walks through the fighters without being touched. Other Indians stand on sidelines and watch the crazy white men. They decide to leave the "party" because there's no whiskey.

Davey wants to ask Rebecca for a dance. Some men accost him for this, leading to a brawl.

Led by Chief Puma, the chiefs return from Washington on a train. They've secured the release of the Indians--probably Comanches--held at Ft. Sill. Unfortunately, Puma is played by Australian actor Michael Pate.

Puma greets his friend McLintock, whom he once rescued, with a Navajo "yah ta hey." Nearby, Indians in a circle perform a powwow-style drum song. Neither one is appropriate for a 19th-century Oklahoma setting.

Note: It's unclear where McLintock! is supposed to be set. If it's in Arizona rather than Oklahoma, the movie's got more problems than I thought. Comanches or Plains Indians in Arizona? Not.

McLintock speaks for Indians

Puma asks McLintock to speak for the Comanches at a hearing with the governor. McLintock does in this scene. The Indians are few but proud, says McLintock. They'd rather die as men than live as captives.

As usual in a John Ford-style film, Wayne's character blames the government for treating the Indians badly:Agard, if you knew anything about Indians, you'd know that they're doing their level best to put up with our so-called 'benevolent patronage' in spite of the nincompoops that've been put in charge of it!It's plausible that the Indians might ask a "great white father" to speak for them. But it's also plausible that they could've spoken for themselves--perhaps through a translator. There's a bit of paternalism going on here.

McLintock makes a good case for them, but he doesn't address the underlying issues. How did he become such a huge landowner on what was formerly Indian territory? Who broke the treaties and forced the Indians onto reservations in poor locations? If "nincompoops" and other bad people can corrupt the reservation system, is the system any good?

McLintock/Wayne never questions US policy. He assumes the land is his and the Indians have gotten what they deserve. The only question is whether the government treats them fairly or unfairly as conquered subjects.

Alas, the governor is unmoved and orders the Indians to Ft. Sill. But McLintock concocts a plan. One of his confederates gives them guns, and they ride through the streets shooting and causing mayhem.

And...that's it for the Indians.

This display of wildness is supposed to distract the governor from sending them off, or something. In reality, it would bring a swift reprisal from the military. If anyone was thinking of letting the Indians remain free, it's no longer an option.

Conclusion

McClintock! is definitely a mixed bag when it comes to Indians. Could've been better, could've been worse. I guess that's all you can expect from a John Wayne movie.

As for the rest of the movie, the critics are right that it's a broad comedy, fun but sexist, not Wayne's best but watchable. Rob's rating: 7.5 of 10.

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

School needs to regulate hair?

Native American boy fights Texas school over hair cut

By Micha J. StoneSix months ago a federal judge ruled the school district violated the constitutional rights of Adriel, a kindergarten student, for not letting him wear his hair according to his Native American religious beliefs, Needville Independent School District officials have appealed the ruling before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a recently filed appeal brief, Needville ISD’s attorney said the judge’s ruling “hijacked” the district’s authority to “regulate its population.”

To "regulate its population"? Is this a school or a concentration camp? The whole episode is outrageous and screams injustice. Adriel has been punished all year long for his hair, forced to be alone in a room with a teacher, not allowed to attend class or socialize with peers at school. Since the sixth day of the 2008-2009 school year, Needville Elementary School officials began placing Adriel in in-school suspension for coming to school with long hair (hair tied in two braids worn outside his shirt).

“Upon arriving at his classroom every morning, Adriel is escorted away from his classmates and into another room where he sits with his ISS teacher for the rest of the school day,” the suit states.

“Adriel endures this segregation for over seven hours every day with no opportunity to engage in group learning or social play with other children during class or on the playground,” the suit states, adding that the Texas Education Code says ISS can extend for no longer than three days."

The cruel and ugly intolerance is mind boggling. Aside from religious discrimination it is also sexual discrimination, because girls are not expected to keep their hair short. It is an attempt to deny history and cling to a past filled with oppression and discrimination.Comment:  I thought this case was more or less over. So the school is appealing, and while it does, it's isolating Arocha with his own teacher for the whole day? Amazing.

This is yet another example of white privilege. Who determines whether children can wear long hair, cornrows, mohawks, tattoos, piercings, etc.? The white people who run the school district. The norm is whatever they say it is.

Would an Indian school district rule against long hair also? Probably not, even though Indian schools also need to maintain order. The inevitable conclusion is that regulating hair isn't necessary to maintain order. It's a cultural imposition unrelated to discipline.

For more on the subject, see Long-Haired Boy Goes to School and School District vs. Five-Year-Old.

Depp to brainstorm Tonto

Johnny Depp Gets Lewd For ‘Lone Ranger’ Role as Tonto

By Larry Carroll“Well, at one point, I will work on my Tonto,” Depp added, expanding his answer. “I think I have some pretty decent ideas.”

Produced by “Pirates of the Caribbean” hitmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, “The Lone Ranger” isn’t due in theaters until 2012, so it would seem that Johnny has plenty of time to figure out how to give us a unique take on Tonto that isn’t just the old-fashioned stereotype of a Native American. The first draft of the film is currently being penned by “Pirates” writers Ted Elliott and Terry Russio.

“I’m just waiting to get the right script, you know?” Depp said of when he’ll really start brainstorming ideas.

Although it might seem odd to some that Depp is scheduled to play the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, I can’t help but think back to one of my favorite movies in Johnny Depp’s career: the Jim Jarmusch not-Western, “Dead Man.” In it, Depp is brilliant as William Blake–-a man who becomes immersed in the world of Native Americans, effectively becoming one. So I couldn’t help but ask: will his Tonto have anything in common with his William Blake?

“No,” he said of his “Lone Ranger” role. “This is pretty different; pretty different.”Comment:  The last time Bruckheimer and his writers portrayed Native people, they gave us the gibbering cannibals in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Is there any reason to think they'll do better this time? Or will their Tonto be a generic Indian at best, a stereotypical caricature at worst?

For more on the subject, see The Lone Ranger.

Selections from We Shall Remain

Indian Comics Irregular #184:  From Massasoit to Geronimo

Colonialism in Friday's Child

I just watched the Friday's Child episode of Star Trek (the original series) for the umpteenth time. Here's a summary:The Federation is in competition with the Klingons for an alliance with the inhabitants of Capella IV. The Capellans are a warrior tribe and there is dissension among them as to who to sign the mining rights treaty with. McCoy is familiar with their customs having once spent several months there. When a Capellan, who clearly favors the Klingons, stages a coup, Kirk, Spock and McCoy flee with the now dead leader's wife, who is about to give birth.Friday's Child is a thinly veiled study of European colonialism. The Capellans could represent Indians or any other indigenous people. The spacefaring races could represent the British, French, or other colonial powers.

Kirk takes charge

Here are a few problems with the episode:

Kirk calls the Federation the "Earth federation." He (or writer D.C. Fontana) doesn't even pretend that the Federation is a union of various species. As Azetbur put it in The Undiscovered Country, "The Federation is nothing more than a homo sapiens only club."

The Federation supposedly was founded by humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites. How many times did we see Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites in positions of Federation authority? How many times did they give orders to humans? Once or twice in the 79-episode history of TOS, at most.

Kirk is offering the Capellans medical or agricultural help in exchange for mining rights. It should be obvious that simply appearing from outer space with advanced technology will be enough to influence the Capellan culture. Setting up a mining-based economy will change the Capellan culture more. But Kirk is offering to do even more than that--to explicitly upgrade the Capellans' technology. How is the arrangement not a blatant violation of the Prime Directive?

When the Teer (leader) is killed, his wife Eleen is supposed to die with him. She's ready and willing to do her cultural duty. But Kirk intervenes and saves her, and McCoy delivers her unborn baby. Instead of dying, this baby eventually will inherit the tribe's leadership.

It's as if Kirk chose which wife and child of King Henry VIII should form the ruling house of England. Rarely if ever have the Federation's people violated the Prime Directive so egregiously.

The Capellans are holding Kirk and company captive because the Federation people have violated their laws or taboos. Kirk and company flee to the hills and fashion bows and arrows. They kill one or two Capellans with no warning, ambushing them from behind rocks.

These Capellans were only obeying their leader's orders, enforcing their culture' laws. But Kirk and Spock clearly think their right to be free supersedes the Capellans' right to live. They react to the Capellans as if they're animals.

Moreover, the Capellans never developed the bow and arrow. Kirk has introduced a dangerous and destabilizing new technology to them, another massive Prime Directive violation.

Because the Enterprise is out of range, Kirk says he doesn't expect the "cavalry" to ride over the hills and save them. In other words, he's implicitly comparing the Federation's people to the US Army and the Capellans to Indians. In fact, the situation is vaguely reminiscent of Custer's Last Stand.

Eleen is or was ready to sacrifice herself. She has no feelings for her baby and wants to get rid of it. Maab the new Teer sacrifices himself so his aide can kill the villainous Klingon.

Clearly these savage Indians Capellans care little or nothing about life. They throw away their lives the way the rest of us throw away the trash.

Federation imperialism

What would happen if Kirk and the Federation didn't get their way? We saw an example of that in Errand of Mercy. Kirk couldn't conceive of the Organians not wanting to cooperate with the Federation. He was ready to go to war rather than let the Organians live in peace.

Yes, he thought the Klingons would take over Organia. But the Organians made it clear they were choosing noninterference. Kirk had no right to say, "We know better than you, so you must follow our lead."

Has an alien species ever simply refused to have contact with the Federation? In the ST novels, surely, but in the TV series? I think there were some in TNG, but some emergency inevitably compelled contact. After that, Picard and company's openness and goodness inevitably convinced the aliens to change their ways.

For more on the subject, see White Super-Race in Paradise Syndrome and Noble Savages in Paradise Syndrome.

P.S. The novel Ghost-Walker by Barbara Hambly may be the best exploration of colonialist issues I've seen in an ST novel. Check it out if you're interested.

Movie "star vehicles" flop

Little love this summer for A-list actorsHollywood's movie studios, hopeful that marquee-name actors would push their summer box-office receipts to record levels, are finding that the heavyweights aren't winning over audiences like they used to. With all but a couple of big-budget films already opened, the summer of 2009 is shaping up to be one of the worst on record for Hollywood's A-list talent.

The studios stocked this summer's release schedule with so-called star vehicles, including "Land of the Lost" with Will Ferrell, "Year One" featuring Jack Black, the comedy "Imagine That" with Eddie Murphy, and Denzel Washington and John Travolta in a remake of "The Taking of Pelham 123." But rather than igniting ticket sales, the star-studded movies have dramatically underperformed.

The brightest stars of the lucrative popcorn season--which typically accounts for about 40% of annual ticket sales--instead have turned out to be mostly movies with no-name actors--or no actors at all on screen.

So far, the summer's most profitable film has been Warner Bros.' surprise hit "The Hangover," a $35-million-budget R-rated comedy about a bachelor party in Las Vegas that boasts not a single household-name actor but has reached $183 million in U.S. ticket sales since its June 5 opening and is expected to exceed $200 million. Other summer hits like J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" and Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" showcase eye-popping visual effects along with up-and-coming talent.

And, the highest-grossing summer movie so far? Walt Disney's Co.'s "Up," the Pixar-animated movie starring the voice of . . . Ed Asner.Comment:  Once again, Hollywood is stupid. Hiring big-name stars such as Johnny Depp to play Tonto is no guarantee of success. Hiring little-known actors such as the Indians in New Moon is the way to go.

If any directors, producers, or financiers think otherwise, they're wrong. The evidence proves it.

The only problem with this analysis is that the phenomenon is nothing new. It's been going on for years, if not decades.

For more on the subject, see Fallacy of the Big-Name Actor.

Indian perspective on Last Stand

Spectators marvel at re-enactment of Little Bighorn

Crow historian Joe Medicine Crow wrote narration for event

By Susan OlpThe annual presentation, put on by the Hardin Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, is told from the perspective of the Indians, written by Crow historian Joe Medicine Crow. A series of narrators take audience members through a brief history of that time, describing the lifestyle of the Plains Indians, the explorations of Lewis and Clark, the coming of white settlers by wagon train, the pain of broken treaties and the increasing tensions that lead, finally, to the battle.

At the start of the pageant, Medicine Crow sings a tribute to Custer and to Crazy Horse, the Sioux warrior who led the band that encircled and then killed Custer and his soldiers. Then a recording of taps is played to honor those who died in the battle.Comment:  Interesting that the Indians would sing to Custer as well as Crazy Horse. It could be an example of their values at work. Mainstream Americans honor only our side because that's all we care about. Indians honor everyone who fought, including the enemy, because they respect the warrior spirit more than victory.

For more on the subject, see Review of Little Bighorn Remembered and Reenacting Little Bighorn.

Below:  "Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, played by Rick Williams of Versailles, Ind., charges Friday during the Custer's Last Stand Re-enactment near Hardin." (James Woodcock/Gazette Staff)

McDonald's response on Custer toy

Tim Giago: McDonald's mentality needs revampAn extremely weak and calculated response from McDonald’s came to the newspaper in short order. It read: “At McDonald’s we value and respect people of all ethnicities, as well as their cultural history. The Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Happy Meal features eight toys portraying different characters from the film. As with all Happy Meal promotions, our goal is to provide families a positive experience that can be shared by all.” Say what? A positive experience? Who are they trying to kid? The response was signed by Danya Proud, Spokesperson for McDonald’s USA.

After the Native Sun News attempted to get comments from McDonald’s corporate executives for the breaking story, suddenly all of the Custer dolls were pulled from the Happy Meals in Rapid City. The same thing happened in some communities in Oklahoma and New Mexico, states with large Indian populations. Surely someone at McDonald’s was taken aback by this outrageous faux paux and ordered the removal of the offending figurines.Comment: For more on the subject, see Custer Toy Is Movie Promo and Happy Meal with Custer Doll.

Memoir features horse whisperer

A Tale of Two HorsesBROKEN
A Love Story
By Lisa Jones
Scribner. 275 pp. $25

Lisa Jones's memoir is framed by two vivid incidents, both involving horses. At the opening, she watches Stanford Addison, a quadriplegic Arapaho healer and horse whisperer who lives on Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation, teach clients the art of gentling. Later, Addison supervises a horribly botched gelding. Jones is far more focused on what the first event says about Addison than on the implications of the second. She becomes a frequent visitor to Addison's home and a believer in his mystical powers. Her spiritual search is at the center of the book, but it is not the most interesting part. Self-searching is a tricky topic, and it is also hard to see Addison in the same idealized light that Jones does.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.

Art signs worth $300 or $10,000

Artist questions value placed on stolen signs

By Melissa MerliA tip to the local Crimestoppers led to the arrest of Mark Nepermann, who faces a misdemeanor charge for the theft of two of the artist's signs, part of his "Native Hosts" series, from in front of the Native American House on the UI campus.

The state put a value of less than $300 on the pieces, making the charge a misdemeanor rather than felony.

Heap of Birds, as well as many other American Indians and artists in the community, believe the signs are fine art and should be judged according to their appraised value, which would lift the theft charge to a felony.

"We see it as pattern of behavior of treating American Indians as second-class citizens, both on this campus and in the community," said John McKinn, assistant director of American Indian Studies at the UI. "It's just another attempt to devalue American Indians and their experience. It also speaks to the lack of education we all have for what constitutes art."

Two different professional appraisers valued 12 similar Heap of Bird "Native Hosts" signs in British Columbia at $120,000, or $10,000 each. One of those appraisals, by a Canadian appraiser, was given to the Champaign County state's attorney's office.

State's Attorney Julia Rietz said the appraisal will not affect her decision related to the charge against Nepermann, a recent UI graduate. "It's not proof to me of the value of these signs," she said of the ones in Urbana.

She instead based her decision on an invoice, given her by the UI police, from the American Logo and Sign Inc. in Moore, Okla., that the signs for the Urbana public art exhibit were sold to Heap of Birds for $88.65 each. The artist had the signs manufactured at the company.

"This is the evidence that I have of the value of these signs and simply because Mr. Heap of Birds attributes a higher value to them doesn't mean I can use that as proof in court," Rietz said.

Heap of Birds said the "Native Hosts" signs are fine art and that the value of a work of art is never based on the cost of materials or the manufacturer's cost. Taken into account are many factors, among them the concept behind the work, aesthetics, the prices of previous sales of the artist's work and his or her reputation.Comment:  The best way to determine the signs' value would be in a free-market auction. But that probably isn't possible in this case.

The pieces seem to reside in the middle of the spectrum between plain signs and fine art. I'd say the value of each sign should be somewhere between $300 and $10,000.

For more on the subject, see Anti-Illiniwek Sign Damaged.

The Last Stand symphony

A conversation with Grammy-winning musician Bill Miller

By Vincent SchillingBill Miller, a northern Wisconsin Mohican, is a Grammy award-winning musician, performer, songwriter and painter. In his career he has produced more than a dozen popular albums and most recently has conducted performances with Wisconsin’s La Crosse Symphony Orchestra entitled “The Last Stand” to commemorate Custer’s Battle of the Little Bighorn of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77.

ICT: Why focus on Little Big Horn?

Miller: I have been going out to that area with my grandfather since I was about 9 years old--we used to go and camp out every summer to Yellowstone River. He would take me to the battlefield and I have been studying it since that time. I always wanted to give my own artistic version of it from a Native point of view, different tribal point of view and an artist’s point of view.

When I was given the opportunity to do this when I was commissioned by the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, I jumped on it. When I took it to Israel, it was a whole other trip. One of the conductors was doing an artist in residency from Israel and he heard about this and asked if I could come to Israel with the orchestra for two weeks. I stayed in Tel Aviv.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Symphony with Sea Chanties and Lewis and Clark Symphony and Documentary.

Trail of Tears bike ride

A group of young Cherokees prepares to hit the road on a route of remembrance

By Clifton AdcockEight young Cherokee bicyclists will tackle a nearly 1,000-mile Remember the Removal Ride, which follows one of the Trail of Tears routes, in the searing summer heat. But it's a chance for them to see the same countryside their ancestors saw when they were forced at gunpoint to abandon everything.

The riders, ranging in age from 15 to 24, will begin Saturday in Rome, Ga., near the old Cherokee capital of New Echota, following the northern Trail of Tears route through parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma before ending in Tahlequah.

Along the way, the cyclists will camp at night, visit and learn about historical sites intertwined with the forced march, and visit the known graves of those who could not complete the journey.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride.

Below:  "Gary Walker, 24, (from left), Johnny Christie, 16, and Dallas Smith, 16, prepare their bikes for a practice ride. The three plan to take part in a nearly 1,000-mile journey that begins Saturday and will take them along a Trail of Tears route." (Mike Brown/For the Tulsa World)

National Geographic film about Kootenai

National Geographic "Megafishes Project" Films at Kootenai Tribal Sturgeon Hatchery

By Kathryn Star HeartThanks to a grant from National Geographic, aquatic ecologist Dr. Zeb Hogan and his television crew spent several days at the Kootenai Fish Hatchery in April to film and explain to the American public the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho's significant contribution in perpetuating the white sturgeon population in the Kootenai River.

As part of the Megafishes Project, Zeb leads the National Geographic project to find, identify, protect and study the world's largest freshwater fish. The Megafishes Project investigated and created a documentary film about the huge white sturgeon found only in the Kootenai River.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.

Tom Bee wrote for Jackson 5

Jackson 5 songwriter sad about Michael's death

By Cris Ornelas[Tom Bee] had a successful recording career of his own, but in the 1970s, he wrote two of The Jackson 5’s hits. The first was We’ve Got Blue Skies.

Bee still remembers the first time he met Michael in a recording studio in LA.

“I had this really nice turquoise ring on my finger and I noticed he kept looking at it and I said do you want to try it on and said sure and so I took it and put it on his finger and it fit and I said you can have it and he thought that was the coolest thing ever."

Then Bee wrote another song for The Jackson 5 for their last Motown album called Joyful Jukebox Music.Comment:  For more on the subject, see 2008 Grammy Nominees.

Don Coldsmith dies

Author of Novels About Plains Indians DiesDon Coldsmith, a family physician who gained fame as the author of the Spanish Bit Saga novels about the Plains Indians, has died. He was 83.

Coldsmith, 83, died Thursday at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., said his wife, Edna. She said he suffered a stroke June 20 after attending the Western Writers of America conference in Oklahoma City.

Coldsmith was the group's president in 1983-84. In 1990, he received its Spur Award for "Changing Wind," one of the Spanish Bit Saga series.

Coldsmith began work in the 1980s on the Spanish Bit Saga novels, which chronicle the momentous change in the lives of Plains Indians wrought by the introduction of the horse by Spanish explorers.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.

Pearl sells out

Chickasaw film continues to wow festival audiences“Pearl,” a movie produced by the Chickasaw Nation and Media 13, opened the ninth annual deadCENTER Film Festival with a sold-out house Thursday, June 11.

The film is a biopic of Chickasaw aviatrix Eula “Pearl” Carter Scott and follows her through childhood and teen years as she becomes the youngest licensed pilot in America.And:“Pearl” was shot primarily in Oklahoma and about 60 percent of the cast is local, of which several are Chickasaw citizens.

Visit www.pearlthemovie.net for up-to-date information on “Pearl,” the cast and crew and future showings.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Elijah DeJesus as Pearl and Pearl Trailers.

Clippers cursed by Indians?

Columnist Bill Simmons advises no. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin about his new team, the Los Angeles Clippers:

Open letter to Blake GriffinI studied the Clippers' mess for three days, put everything on paper and tried to figure out a common thread. Blaming Moses Malone was too easy. Why would Moses curse the Clippers? The man could barely speak. Blaming Bill Walton ignored three seasons of misfortune that came before him. Blake, this went deeper than one person. This was karmic. This was creepy. This was like … they'd been hexed. Like they had built an arena on a sacred burial ground or something.

And that's when I realized what happened. In a way, they did mess with a sacred burial ground. They messed with the Indians. And you don't mess with the Indians. Ever.

Allow me to explain.

When the NBA awarded Buffalo an expansion franchise starting in the 1970-71 season, the team named itself the "Braves" to recognize Buffalo's Native American history. That's when the trouble began, Blake. For Native Americans, there was no more important animal than the buffalo. They depended on it for survival. They wore its fur as clothes. They revered the "white buffalo"--a rare type of buffalo, almost as though it was albino--and considered it to be sacred. By linking the word "Buffalo" with "Braves," a commonly known term to describe Native American warriors, the team's owners were basically announcing, "We are embracing the Indians and representing them in an honorable way."

For God's sake, look at their first logo. It's an Indian headdress on top of a basketball face; instead of facial features, we see a blue buffalo. In their second season, they changed the logo to a fancy "B" with a feather sticking out of it. The message remained clear: We are embracing the Native Americans.

Starting to get worried, Blake? You should be. Everything went swimmingly for the first six seasons in Buffalo. Led by North Carolina star Bob McAdoo (who won three scoring titles and an MVP award), the Braves put themselves on the map with playoff battles against two future champs (the Celtics in '74 and '76) and a really good Bullets team in '75. Everything turned in the summer of 1976, the same summer we celebrated our country's 200th Independence Day. (Yes, a country we stole from the Native Americans. I'm going to say this was a bad omen.) Twenty days before the Bicentennial, on June 14, Buffalo owner Paul Snyder announced he was selling the Braves to a group that planned to move them to Hollywood, Fla.

Only one problem: Nobody wanted the Braves to move. The other NBA owners hated the thought of accruing extra travel costs flying down to Florida just because Snyder sold out. The town of Buffalo was furious and immediately blocked the move with a restraining order and a $10 million lawsuit. And since the league was merging with the ABA that same month, this was an additional headache the league didn't need.

The sale fell through. But not before two things happened. First, McAdoo turned off the locals by saying about a potential Florida move, "It doesn't make any difference to me, as long as I can play and get paid for it." Thanks for the support, Mac! Second, there was a karmic shift against the franchise; from that moment forward, everything started to go wrong. And why?

Because Paul Snyder messed with the Indians!!!

How many times have we seen a horror movie or a Western in which someone desecrated sacred Indian territory in some way? Does it ever turn out well for them? Ever? Hell, even the Amityville Horror house was built over a sacred burial ground. That's why I believe in this curse over the other media-manufactured ones: In this case, we have ample evidence that, no, it's not a great idea to mess with Native Americans from a karmic standpoint. And Paul Snyder did.The solution Simmons proposes to Griffin:Again, I would start running right now. But if you choose to stay, I have an idea: Trek into the desert like Jim Morrison did in "The Doors," bring Gordon with you, drop some acid and try to connect with a Native American shaman. Or you could fly to Buffalo with Baron and Gordon, find some sacred ground and make some atonements. Maybe you could even bring a white buffalo with you. Just make sure you do something. This is bigger than you. And us.

Good luck breaking the Curse of the Sacred Buffalo.Comment:  It was mainly the Plains Indians who hunted buffalo, not all Indians. And I don't think they literally considered the buffalo "sacred." I don't think they've ever protested using a buffalo as a sports team name or product name.

Simmons was doing okay until the final paragraph, when he mixes a mishmash of stereotypes: shaman, dropping acid, sacred ground, white buffalo. He's probably clueless about the hundreds of different Indian cultures across the country. I'm pretty sure the Seneca who lived in the Buffalo area didn't worship the "sacred buffalo."

Until that point, Simmons was trying to be respectful toward Indians. He's obviously joking about Indian burial grounds and curses. But he probably shouldn't take this approach, even in jest.

What are people going to think? "He's joking about Indian burial grounds and curses this time, but Indian burial grounds often are cursed, right? Why would people talk about them if there wasn't some truth to the stories? Where there's smoke, there's fire."

At a minimum, they'll think: "Buffalo Braves...warriors with bows and arrows...chiefs in headdresses (as on the logo)...sacred buffalo. He's probably joking about the burial grounds, but isn't it interesting that there were chiefs and braves living in tipis and hunting buffalo in Buffalo? Those Plains Indians sure got around."

In other words, he's reinforcing the stereotypes even as he joshes about them. It's the same problem we see with Plains chiefs and tipis in other settings. Even if they're historically and culturally accurate, they reinforce the idea that all tribes had headdress-wearing chiefs who lived in tipis.

Simmons's satire obscures the difference between Plains Indians and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Indians to the point of invisibility. To him, all Indians are the same. That's the real problem here.

For more on the subject, see Team Names and Mascots and The Basic Indian Stereotypes.

The Sun Sets on Twilight

Outta Your Backpack Media--a mouse that roars

Flagstaff youth project attracting national attention

By S.J. WilsonCamille Tso (13 years old, and OYBMedia's youngest mentor), who appeared prominently in the made-for-television epic "Into the West," has enjoyed being on the other side of the camera. Tso explained the storyline of her group's film, The Sun Sets on Twilight--which highlights the controversy over the Twilight film series that used a spray-painted non-Native actor (Taylor Lautner) to play the Jacob Black character, a member of the Quileutes Tribe. (Flagstaff actor and dancer Nakota LaRance read for the part.)

"It started with Chihuahuas taking over the world and using celebrities as their minions," Tso laughed. Then, moving on to the popular Twilight film, Tso said that "Jacob Black would be like (pantomiming a paw slashing the air) 'Raaaaahhhhhr, I'm a werewolf,' and he would be controlling Edward Cullen--but then we found that [our script] had no message to it.

"So then I told about some stories that I learned from a friend of mine, who is Quileutes; she told me about how Summit Entertainment (the company that filmed "Twilight") made over four million dollars and they only paid the Quileutes Tribe a thousand dollars to film on their reservation, so we wanted to make a story because Jacob Black is supposed to be a Native, so we kind of wanted to overdramatize that, while making it funny and serious at the same time."

The controversy highlights one of the frustrations of being a Native American actor--sparse roles, stereotypical characters--and the fact that Native actors are passed over for roles in mainstream films--such as FBI agents, waitresses, race car drivers, or astronauts.Comment:  It's the Quileute tribe, not the "Quileutes" tribe.

I hadn't heard that the Twilight people did any filming on the Quileute reservation. But for using their identity and culture, one could argue the Quileutes deserved a lot more than $1,000.

I also hadn't heard that Lautner was spray-painted to look like a Native. He's naturally tan, and he didn't look any darker in Twilight than he did in, say, My Worst Enemy.

Anyway, I'm glad I'm not the only one talking about this controversy. I'd like to see what The Sun Sets on Twilight has to say about it.

Below:  "Raaaaahhhhhr, I'm a werewolf!"

Scalia and the "pretense of conquest"

Advocacy and change in federal Indian law

By Peter d’ErricoIt’s a bad sign when a Supreme Court justice disrespects a young Indian woman, Nazune Menka, when asked about the Carcieri v. Salazar decision against the Narragansett Nation, and worse when the justice mocks the case itself, calling it “a laugher.” Aside from what CBS News calls Scalia’s “nasty” style, what allows him to show such mockery and disrespect?

There’s a clue in what Scalia apparently said to another Indian questioner. He claimed the U.S. has a right to rule over Indian nations by “conquest” and all federal Indian law is based on that. In other words, Scalia wants to pretend the same thing the U.S. has been pretending since John Marshall first pretended it in 1823 in Johnson v. McIntosh: the “pretension of converting the discovery of an inhabited country into conquest.”

The actual basis of federal Indian law, as Marshall’s quote shows, is not conquest, but “pretense of conquest,” based on “Christian Discovery” and “ultimate dominion.” This is what Scalia’s comment covers up. Marshall, at least, had the honesty to call it what it was.Comment:  For more on the subject, see How Europeans Claimed the World and How Europeans "Discovered" the World.

Anti-tobacco youth summit

Native Americans Tell Youth to "Say No" to Tobacco

By Jennifer BellamyNative Americans from across Georgia gathered in Hawkinsville to warn young people about the dangers of tobacco in the Native American Indian Youth Anti-Tobacco Summit.

It's a three-day event that started Tuesday and runs through Thursday at noon. The goal of the summit is to teach children from an early age how harmful tobacco can be, while preserving its traditional uses, like during religious ceremonies or for medicinal purposes.

Lance Allrunner, with the Native American Cancer Research Corporation says tobacco products people buy in the store is different from tobacco used for traditional reasons. He says commercial tobacco has more toxins. He wants to see more young people working to make positive changes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Anti-Tobacco Talent Show.

Mohawk International Raceway

ESS Extra:  Mohawk Int'l Raceway

by Dean ReynoldsIt started as a dream of one Dennis White back in 1987, to build a race track near his residence on the Akwesasne Indian Reservation. It’s located on Frogtown Rd. and aptly named the Frogtown International Speedway. The circular 4/10ths mile oval has run weekly since but has struggled in some of those years.

While White is basically retired from the speedway and now with help from the Swamp family, the Lazore’s and the Thompson’s what was known as Frogtown has now switched to a new name of Mohawk International Raceway (MIR). The name change was just a start, since last year over seven digits have been invested into the facility making it one of the most modern dirt tracks in either US or Canada.Comment:  The article doesn't say, but since the raceway is located on the Akwesasne Indian Reservation, I presume the tribe owns it.

For more on the subject, see Barona's Motocross Training Center and Pala Motocross Track. For a similar subject, see Six Nations Stock-Car Race.

2009 Rez Strongman competition

Rez Strongman competition this weekend in SchurzThe 2009 Rez Strongman competition is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28, at the Walker River Paiute Tribe Fitness Center in Schurz.

There is no weight class this year and the first 30 entries will be accepted. There are some new events this year and organizers are looking for great competition again this year. Last year's winners were both from Fallon, Chris Hinkey taking the heavyweight competition and Buster Litton winning the lightweight category.