nativeamericans

posts about #nativeamericans more →
Of Human Bondage
Fine Feathered Friend?
Rihanna's Good News/Bad News
Sarah Palin Is No More A Real American Than Any Of Us Elitists
Sarah Palin Encourages You To Kill Alaskan Wildlife, As Long As You're Not Native American
Slow Hand: Native American Dresses, Forever21, Kilts, And The Recession
De-Squawed
SuperMoms
Nike To Native Americans: Your Moccasins Are Making You Fat

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o-line
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
Oh great. Now my memories of our field trip to Cahokia Mounds is tainted with the knowledge that I was playing footsie with a cute boy over a mass grave.
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bluebears
08/07/09

@o-line: hotttt.
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badmutha
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
HA! Take that you abstinence only people. All the sluts lived and the virgins got sacrificed. Only the good die young!
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virgikneecap
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
Yeah this is about an hour from me. Endless field trips there. They better mention this on my next visit.
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dj_chick
08/07/09

@virgikneecap: How have I never heard of this?! It sounds badass, and will have to go on my list of places to visit, right up there with Chichen Itza and Tenotchtitlan.
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Cunning_Linguist
08/07/09

@dj_chick: I'm so embarrassed that I've never heard of this. I want to know more!
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morninggloria
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
It's a good thing that McFly never accidentally flew the Delorean to Cahokia. Things would have taken a heavy turn.
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bluebears
08/07/09

@morninggloria: but more importantly what ancient mode of transport would he have turned into a skateboard in order to escape a meso-american Biff?
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meritxell: an erotic life
08/07/09

@bluebears: Great-great-great-great-great-grandmom, is that you?
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Edited by meritxell: an erotic life at 08/07/09 6:50 PM

velvet.fistfull of love
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
Welcome to the ancient world! And in 3...2...1 Erich von Daeneken will claim that this monumental work is that of extraterrestrials. Because early indigenous brown folks could never architecht something so remarkable, duh. /sarcasm
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bluebears
08/07/09

@velvet.fistfull of love: GAH! BF and I watched this ridiculous program on the History Channel a couple weeks ago about how aliens built all ancient cities and I was like, "holy shit! this is racist." The whole argument was basically, "how could the have figured out a way to build this without alien intervention?" um...because they had normal human brains and invented shit? Like EVERY CULTURE THATS EVER EXISTED? Only ancient Europeans could invent?
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Yahtzii
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
I had no idea this existed until just now. Thanks, Jezebel!

They sound very similar both architecturally and culturally to the Aztecs of Central Mexico, and the picture above reminded me of Teotihuacan, an ancient (and incredibly cool) city just outside of Mexico City. It was built centuries before any of the other pre-Columbian civilizations, and it's thought to have greatly influenced the Mayans and just about every other native culture in Latin America. I wonder how far its influence spread.

Man, now I kind of wish I was back in college, where I got credit for hours of pointless research.
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wednesdayam
08/07/09

@Yahtzii: I'm dying to get to Teotihuacan someday. But in the mean time, I'm thinking of starting a garden and doing a bit of dabbling into a pre-Columbian diet. I mean, the native goodies they had over here were so varied and incredibly healthy (in fact, there are studies that indicate the native people were actually a few inches taller back then than they are now because of the diet, as opposed to what the diet became after the Spaniards arrived) - I'll just have to add a little garlic, onions, lime and cumin though to the mix, because I love them so.
A nice little list here at Wikipedia: [en.wikipedia.org]
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Yahtzii promoted this comment Edited by wednesdayam at 08/07/09 1:39 PM wednesdayam was starred wednesdayam was unstarred

wilmawonker
08/07/09

@Yahtzii: people have tried to make links, but there hasn't been anything particularly strong yet. people all over the world created complex societies independently, and the uniqueness is often much greater than the similarities.
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Yahtzii promoted this comment wilmawonker was starred wilmawonker was unstarred

Yahtzii
08/07/09

@wednesdayam: A scientist (well, I think he was actually a dentist) named Westin A. Price studied native cultures all over the world and found them to be by far the healthiest people in the world, way more so than their "civilized" counterparts, in large part because of their diet. Even people like Michael Pollan still cite that research in the newer books about unprocessed food. You should definitely check out In Defense of Food.

Teotihuacan is stunning, and SO SO SO worth the trip. It's a short bus trip outside of Mexico City, and you will treasure the pictures of you posing goofily on top of the pyramids.
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wilmawonker
08/07/09

In reply to Of Human Bondage
there are several books on cahokia, actually. and while it's an amazing place, i think it's awesomeness has a lot more to do with the 100 + other mounds that didn't have the unusual burials, and the large scale solar calendar known as woodhenge, rather than the one mound that did have the unusual burials. y'all should visit, it's amazing.
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EvilWombatQueen
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
Oh, I am cringing looking at that photo. I come from a mono-ethnic redneck regional area in Australia. The theme of our end of year 12 muck-up day was Cowboys and Indians and we were just as culturally insensitive as the kids in that photo, the difference being that we were nearly adults and should have known the fuck better.

The school wasn't exactly known for its tolerance policies. The year before that the year 12s dressed up as Arabs and pretended to take a classroom hostage. Hopefully things have changed at that school since I was there 20 years ago.

Thankfully the moment I got out of that fucking town I was deprogrammed by my loving, caring and culturally aware city friends. Hopefully the kids in this photo will get the same opportunity.
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girlschool
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
Looking at this picture, as a Native American, it's difficult to remember it's not a personal attack, even though I feel wronged.

At best, the adults responsible for the Strathfillan Wigwams are misinformed and it is our duty to keep our heads cool and educate those who are encouraging a grossly misleading cultural stereotype.

@curtcole: you did a great job of explaining what was already in my head :)
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BeckySharper
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
So on a rez out West are there little Native American children wearing kilts, eating haggis and being oppressed by the English?
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taranwanderer
07/29/09

@BeckySharper: Bahahahahaha! I hope my laughing at your comment isn't inappropriate...but it's kinda funny.
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lucystrawberry: Tier 2 is the new black
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
And just down the road, don't forget to visit the Clifton Mahals, where your children can put on a turban and practice the ancient Indian art of operating a convenience store! And coming in 2010, we shake up the town of Crainlarich will our full immersion AFRICAN VILLAGE. Your boys will learn how to chuck spears! Your daughters will have a great time trying on traditional African jewelry and posing behind cardboard cutouts that make them look like they have the neck of an Ndebele woman!

We're your one stop shop for cultural tourism! Visit ColonialismHolidays.com!
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/29/09

@lucystrawberry: Tier 2 is the new black: Okay, somebody nominate this for COTD. I seriously completely lost it reading this one.
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Lizard in the Wires - synthesizer signals suspense!
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
The picture is beautiful, but I can't help but feel slightly uneasy about European children (or anyone who isn't American Indian) dressing up as "Indians."

Sorry, at times I do wish I wasn't such a party pooper, but at the end of the day I guess I am.

The place has (what I consider to be) a mildly offensive mascot type thing as well: http://www.wigwamholidays.com/files/image/Jumping-Brave.jpg
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formergr
07/29/09

@Lizard in the Wires, coloring > learning flash: I hear you. Though we're not doing all that much better yet in the States.

A Canadian friend of mine was kind of shocked when her daughter came home from school here in the States doing a "war cry" and other such stereotypes she had been taught in a Thanksgiving Day lesson. She said that stuff doesn't fly in Canada, and everyone is taught to be very respectful of First Nations. She had to have a talk with her daughter to explain it all for fear that she'd do something offensive back in Canada.
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Bluenose sailor
07/29/09

@formergr: I'm Canadian, and when I visited Scotland back in 2006 someone actually asked me if we still had "Red Indians" over here. Ugh, so gross and uncomfortable.
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rhymeswithfeather
07/29/09

@formergr: Institutionally and on the surface, the language we use in Canada is very respectful and culturally sensitive.

That being said, we have a butt load of racist people and policies and still treat First Nations people as wards of the state with very little independence or autonomy. So yeah, we may play horrified-white-person when Jessica Simpson says "Indian Giver," but that doesn't mean we don't have a whole other can of worms.
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rhymeswithfeather
07/29/09

@Bluenose sailor: To be fair though, I'm a lot more tolerant of stuff like this from people who just don't know any better. They've never had any exposure to Canada's First Nations culture. Much more uncomfortable than some uninformed Scot are, I dunno, "starlight tours" or any of the other wretched institutionalized racism that occurs in our own country.
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Bluenose sailor
07/29/09

@heatherwritesstuff: Yes, I should have clarified this. The remark was made in complete ignorance of the fact that it was not accepted language. I guess that's what I was surprised at - that the discussion about language and First Nations peoples hadn't reached the UK yet.

And I agree, here in Canada, just because First Nations people are more visible, does not mean we are any better. In fact, I've heard some horrendous things coming out of the mouths of people who have worked in First Nations communities, and it is far, far worse.
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rhymeswithfeather
07/29/09

@Bluenose sailor: Totally. It's amazing how we take that knowledge for granted, too. I was also shocked when I saw a sign outside a Chinese food restaurant featuring a slanted-eyed characiture when I was in a remote corner of South America. At first I was offended, but then I was like wait a minute -- there are actually NO Asian people here and they just don't know any better. Kind of like how I could be confronted with stereotypes about, say, New Zealand's aboriginal population (is that even the PC term?) and not know it. A lot of those discussions are well-insulated within their country of origin.
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100flowers
07/29/09

@heatherwritesstuff: Aotearoa (NZ)'s original inhabitants are the Māori and I think that's the preferred term. Unfortunately my Kiwi buddy is not around for me to ask for confirmation.
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Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith
07/30/09

@100flowers: I'm a kiwi, and Maori is the correct term, yes. Ka pai~!
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100flowers
08/03/09

@Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith: Excellent. I'm uncertain about the niceties around Maori.... is it still Maori when it's pluralised? And they are ALL Maori, right? Not like Indigenous Australians who are all 'different' - that is 'Aboriginal' is not a catchall term, because they're actually Yolngu or Yorta Yorta or Wurundjeri etc etc etc.
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shorty63136
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
It looks like everybody in this photo is yawning. I would like to take that as a cue for naptime for everyone who sees this photo. *crawls under desk*
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Ailatan
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
Liverpool Football Tribe
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thesciencegirl
07/29/09

In reply to Fine Feathered Friend?
I always like my vacation with a hefty side of cultural appropriation!
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jigglyball
07/29/09

@thesciencegirl: Don't forget to bring your willful misunderstanding beach towel and your dangerous stereotypes sunscreen!
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greeneyedfem
07/29/09

@jigglyball: I prefer the "Clueless White Folks" brand of sunscreen. It's waterproof! (Cultural critiques roll off you like water off a duck's back.)
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