(no subject)

[urocyon]

People unfamiliar might want to take a look at this column someone forwarded to Mingo-L, with rather good treatment of the pervasive "relic" portrayal. (Not that I think the assorted official commemorative months accomplish much, mind.)

Or would the children conclude that most Natives alive today are merely
remnants of a greater past? If all they learn in school is outdated information
that concludes at the end of the 1800's, and all they see are stereotypical
images on labels and television, the conclusions drawn could very well be that
Native people no longer exist. And if they do, they have long black braids,
moccasins and live in tipi's [sic].

Comments

[archanglrobriel.livejournal.com]

*nod* I run into this a lot. I've been confronted after publicly identifying as Indian about not "looking Indian enough" by non-Indian folks and when I question this it always ends up the same way - they have no CLUE what a "real Indian" looks like. What they're looking for is someone with long black braids wearing western wear with a bolo tie. Uh ex-cuse me? What year is it? Let me check my anachronism calendar...

It'd be the same if I told folks that they don't look European enough because as we know, all people of European descent wear Ren-faire garb....

That was a good article though. I had no idea that November was Indian Heritage month and I -is- one. *laugh* Oh and I have handed -back- my kid's homework with the past tenses changed to present tense where Indians are concerned. I'm sure her teacher appreciated the update. *laugh*