Johnny Depp as Cultural Appropriation Jack Sparrow...I mean Tonto.

Mariah Watchman got voted off American's Next Top Model last night. Sadface, right? We didn't even have a chance to see how many racial microaggressions she would have to endure over the course of the season! I haven't watched the episode, but Indian Country Today did a quick recap here, if you're interested. But I have something more interesting to share.

Last night I was perusing twitter as the show was on, and truly just by chance caught this convo between a reader of Native Approps and Nigel Barker himself:

Her next tweet was a link to my ANTM post from a few days ago:

I decided to screenshot the whole thing so I could share on Facebook, and I'm glad I did, because magically this morning, all of Nigel's tweets had been deleted. Does that mean Nigel *read* my post? And maybe learned something about how his behavior and the choices of the show were incredibly insensitive? I really, really hope so. Or he could have acted out of embarrassment.

Either way, kinda interesting, right? I'll tweet this post to him and see if he responds--though I'm not holding my breath.

Oh, and Nigel, if you read this, I'm a little sorry I said I wanted to throw my remote at your face in the other post. I'm usually a pacifist. 

If you missed the original break down of ANTM:
Oh ANTM, where do I even start?: Mariah Watchman and the Pocahontas controversy  

Indian Country Today: Mariah Watchmen makes early exit from America's Next Top Model 

Nigel's Twitter: @NigelBarker

(Thanks Kelly!)

Read more »

Why Tonto Matters

It's been a week or so since the original photos of Johnny Depp as Tonto have surfaced, and the internet has been abuzz with Depp defenders and Depp defectors--and while the Native Appropriations community and my internet circle have been on the "oh dang, this is real bad for us" train, I've been surprised at how many people have basically told me and others with similar opinions to STFU and "get over it" (with also some more choice words than that...).
But I still stand by the fact that Tonto and his portrayal matter to Indian Country, and should matter to Indian Country. And here's why.

Defenders of Depp-as-rodeo-clown-Tonto's arguments basically boil down to the following: Tonto is a fictional character. The Lone Ranger is a fictional movie. Johnny Depp is a great actor. We should be glad to have him portray Tonto. No one thinks Tonto is representative of a real Indian. There are bigger things to worry about in Indian Country, this is so trivial it shouldn't even be an issue.

Here's the thing. Yeah, Tonto is a fictional character, and there are plenty of white actors and actresses who play fictional characters, and we don't automatically assume that white people are fictional, so it shouldn't matter, right? We saw Natalie Portman as an evil-crazy-swan-human in the Black Swan, and we don't assume that Natalie Portman's character is representative of her, or all white people, in real life. But that, my friend, is white privilege at work. Everyday we see millions of representations of white people in varied and diverse roles. We see white actors as "real" people, as "fantasy" characters, and everything in between. 
But for Native people, the only images that the vast, vast majority of Americans see are stereotypical in nature. You go to the grocery store and see plenty of smiling white children on cereal boxes, contrasted with the only readily recognizable Native image--the Land o' Lakes butter girl. In advertising we see plenty of non-Native folks participating in everyday life, and then we get ads like this featuring Native people. There are also hardly any (if any) Native people in current, mainstream television shows. And this carries over even more strongly into Hollywood.

The last big blockbuster series to feature Native characters was the Twilight series, and we are portrayed as wolves. Think of every recent major studio film that featured a Native character or Native actor. All of the ones I can think of off the top of my head were set in a historical context, were a fantasy film, or were offensively stereotype laden. There have been so few accurate, modern, nuanced portrayals of Native people it's not even funny.

So, when we live in a world where there are other, more nuances portrayals of Native people for non-Natives to draw upon--when there are Native people featured in mainstream romantic comedies, dramas, sitcoms, even reality TV,  or news--then, maybe, will I be able to be looking forward to a stereotypical mess of a Tonto on the big screen. But I doubt it.
Comedian Ryan Mcmahon has a fabulous podcast series called "Ryan McMahon Gets Angry", and he just did an awesome 5 minute rant on Johnny Depp as Tonto, and the responsibility we have as a community to question these representations. I can't recommend it enough (language slightly NSFW):


Here's a transcript of the end of his podcast:
So is Johnny Depp putting a bunch of Indians on the back of horses for this Lone Ranger Jerry Bruckheimer car crash gonna be good for us? Hell no. I m not looking forward to it, I don t think we should be happy about it, and I don t think we should immediately go to that excited-happy-place everytime we see ourselves on TV. Because more oftentimes it hurts us more than helps us.  I think the time to take back our stories, to take back our pride, and to start empowering and helping each other to rise is the time that we re in now. That s what I look forward to, that s what I m trying to do, that s what a whole bunch of other people are trying to do. Is Johnny Depp being on the back of a horse with a g*ddamn crow on the his head supposed to help us? Probably not. But it s definitely not going to. So don t get happy when you see four or five other brothers sitting on the back of a horse in their loincloth. Don t be surprised, don t be happy about it, don t celebrate it, cause it s bullsh*t. The time to reclaim, recapture, redefine, our own stories, in our own ways is now, and g*ddammit we gotta do more of it. Demand more from the producers, demand more of the television people, demand more from the people who are writing these stories. Because the stories are there. We are strong, proud people, and we need to be represented, by ourselves, as such.
I couldn't agree more. There are several sub-arguments that I've seen in the last few days, citing how many Native actors would miss out on work as extras if this movie weren't made, or how Johnny Depp's "star power" was needed to get the film made in the first place. Those arguments are upsetting to me. We need to demand more. We can't be complacent with just going to that "excited-happy-place" every time we see any representation of an Indian on screen. We can't be thankful that 50 Native actors are able to ride around bareback in the background of a film, or be psyched that a big name Hollywood actor put a crow on his head to "honor" us--talk about ongoing colonization of the mind. Our community is so much better than that. We are worth so much more than background roles and misrepresentations.
Ryan also said something that resonated with me beyond this issue alone, quoting his grandmother:
Everything you do, grandson, is going to be political because you re Anishinabe.The way we represent ourselves is, therefore, inherently political. These "trivial" issues are representative of deeper, darker, larger issues within Indian Country. For those who live in predominantly Native communities, fighting against cultural appropriation and misrepresentation may seem like the cause of a privileged few who can sit in their ivory towers and point fingers all day, ignoring the "real" issues in Indian Country. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it as many times as I can until it sticks:

Yes, unequivocally, we have big things to tackle in Indian Country. We have pressing and dire issues that are taking the lives of our men and women everyday, and I am in absolutely no way minimizing this reality. But we also live in a state of active colonialism. In order to justify the genocide against Native peoples in this country, we must be painted as inferior--that's the colonial game. These images continue that process. The dominant culture therefore continues to marginalize our peoples, to ignore and erase our existence. We are taught everyday, explicitly in classrooms, and implicitly through messages from the media, that our cultures are something of the past, something that exists in negative contrast to "western" values, and something that can be commodified and enjoyed by anyone with $20 to buy a cheap plastic headdress. These stereotypical images like Johnny Depp's Tonto feed into this ongoing cycle, and until we demand more, our contemporary existence (and therefore the "real" problems in Indian Country) simply doesn't exist in the minds of the dominant culture.

How can we expect mainstream support for sovereignty, self-determination, Nation Building, tribally-controlled education, health care, and jobs when the 90% of Americans only view Native people as one-dimensional stereotypes, situated in the historic past, or even worse, situated in their imaginations? I argue that we can't--and that, to me, is why Tonto matters.

Earlier:
Native Appropriations: Johnny Depp as Cultural Appropriation Jack Sparrow...I mean Tonto. 

Further background reading:

If you want to read Ray Cook call me out and tell me that my writing is "So much hog-wash, so much wasted cyber-space, so much wasted oxygen" (awesome!): Tontomania: Who are we'z anyways?

Guardian: Why I'm Willing to Believe in Johnny Depp's Tonto

Reel Injun (documentary about stereotyping of Indians in Hollywood): 

Academic Article on Hollywood Stereotypes: The White Man's Indian: Stereotypes in Films and Beyond

Ryan McMahon gets angry episode 4: I Ain't Gettin On No Horse

PS- There are other things that I think need to be addressed with the controversy, but I didn't have space here. The issue of Depp being "Indian enough" is a big one, or what "Indian enough" even means, or the historical accuracy of his costume, or the role of Native people in the film overall. I'd recommend a read through the comments on my first post for some great, interesting, and intelligent conversations.

EDIT 3/20--I switched out the cartoon at the top of the post because of my complete ignorance to the homophobic undertones to the original. My deepest apologies to the LGBTQ community for using an insensitive image, it was definitely not my intention to marginalize anyone. I definitely try to be aware of when my hetero/cis privilege comes out--so please continue to call me out on it, and I'll definitely do better moving forward. Wado!

Read more »

Have you had your identity stolen? Great cartoon from Last Real Indians

Just a quick post for today--I thought this image from LastRealIndians.com was great. The "hipster repellent" is definitely my favorite part. Also check out their site for some great critical essays about Native issues.

Are you following any interesting or important Native stories this week? Feel free to post in the comments!

Last Real Indians: Anti-Appropriation Cartoon

Read more »

A Tribe Called Red: Powwow Step and social commentary for the masses

Something super exciting happened at midnight last night. So exciting, in fact, that I just had to share it with all of you. I don't know about you, but my weekdays pretty much start out this way: Get up, head to my office, sit down at my computer, open A Tribe Called Red's soundcloud page, and then proceed with my day. Just me?

Well now you can have A Tribe Called Red on your very own computer--because last night at midnight they dropped their debut album, which is available for download here, FOR FREE. How awesome is that?

For those of you new to A Tribe Called Red, they describe themselves on their blog as creating "a never before heard sound made up of a wide variety of musical styles ranging from Hip-Hop, Dance Hall, Electronic, and their own mash-up of club and Pow Wow music, known as Pow Wow Step, that is quickly gaining respect from all kinds of communities from all around the world."

I've loved them since I read an interview back in Jan 2011 where they rail against hipster headdresses and mainstream representations of Natives. Some of my favorite s are below (both from DJ Bear Witness, though the other guys have great insights as well. I definitely recommend a read of the whole interview):

What is your goal when you sample images or references to indigenous people from Hollywood movies or pop songs? Bear Witness: Reclaim, repurpose and reuse. I like to look past the automatic reaction to say these images are racist or stereotypes (which they are) and flip it around. We make these images our own. Taking away the power they have to harm us and reclaim it for ourselves. It s like how we and many other young Native people like to wear things like the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves logos. We have made these images our own. Is it ever strange to bring music that samples traditional tribal music into a club setting? Bear Witness: I m a strong believer in the idea that culture and tradition are living, growing and changing things. We learn to understand our past to guide us into the future. I will always remember going to pow wows when I was a kid in the early 80s, right around the time break dancing was getting really big. There were fancy dancers who were adding break dancing movies in with the pow wow steps and things like checkered bandannas to their regalia.As someone who deeply cares about representations of Native people, I love how ATCR manages to reimagine what "Native" music sounds like, causing people to question their preconceived notions and stereotypes. They also are very aware of and respect cultural boundaries as well, striking a balance between wanting to be subversive and respecting tradition: We want people to dance, so we use songs that are meant for people to dance to. We won t use sacred songs, such as honour or grand entry songs, which aren t even allowed to be recorded. We have way too much respect for the tradition to do that.

They also did an awesome collaboration with the ethnomusicology lab at UCLA, where DJ Shub (Dan General) was able to work with some archival wax cylinder recordings of Cayuga tribal members. The song "General Generations" was the resulting track and can be found here, along with the story behind it. The scholar who worked with them also gives a great anecdote that I loved of not knowing how to address DJ NDN over email--"Dear Mr. NDN?"

Along with the music, images are a large part of ATCR's weekly "Electric Powwows" at clubs throughout Canada, and many of their music videos are mash ups of stereotypical images from movies and other sources, carefully selected to re-appropriate and reclaim them.


Basically, their music is amazing and I love it, but I love that the group members are so into social commentary and working against stereotypes and negative representations of Native people even more. It's like someone designed the perfect genre of music just for me! I thought this summed it up quite well: "A Tribe Called Red are more than just a music act; they are an audio-visual, cultural phenomenon."

But because I am who I am, of course this post can't be complete without some critical analysis of how ATCR has been portrayed by non-Native media outlets. I was ready and bracing myself for some of the usual racist BS, but was pleasantly surprised that the majority of the reviews of the group were great--highlighting the social activism and re-appropriation/reclaiming aspects of the group, as well as the popular appeal of the music.

But, one from MTV Iggy referred to "tribal drum circle music" and "sick tribal chanting," and this one in the National Post calls the sampled Northern Cree songs "high pitched aboriginal cries." Definitely a little exoticizing and othering, but in the grand scheme of things, not too bad?

TL;DR: Go download A Tribe Called Red's debut album. It's amazing, and you'll be glad you did.



Download the album above or right here: 

You can also find A Tribe Called Red on Facebook, Twitter, and their blog.

MTV IGGY Album Review: S/T by A Tribe Called Red
MTV IGGY Interview: Q&A With Powwowstep Pioneers A Tribe Called Red: Ke$ha Must Have A Big Pair [Of Balls]
UCLA Ethnomusicology Review: Notes on the Collaboration with A Tribe Called Red
National Post: A Tribe Called Red's Urban Powwow

Read more »

Harvard "Lampoon Indians" vs. Harlem Globetrotters

Welcome to Harvard, where we show extreme insensitivity toward members of our community in the name of humor! Tonight, members of the Harvard Lampoon, a student-run humor magazine that's been around since 1876, will be playing a game of basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters. The name the hilarious Lampoon-ites have chosen for their team? The Lampoon Indians.

The screenshot above is an email sent out to members of the undergrad community on Saturday, advertising tonight's game. We all know how I feel about the use of Indian Mascots in any capacity, and to some, this might seem like a minor battle and not worth it. But this event is taking place a block away from where I am sitting this very moment, and this, to me, is just another instance demonstrating how marginalized Native students are at Harvard.

My guess is the Lampoon chose the "Indians" to "honor" Harvard's past. Little known fact, but way back in the day, Harvard had an "Indian College" that was built for the express purpose of educating (and christianizing) young men from the local Native communities. It was also built cause the university was in a whole lotta financial trouble, and they knew that if they built the Indian College they could get cash money from the local missionary societies that so badly wanted to "save" the local "savages." True story.  In the 1650 founding charter of the University, it even states the purpose of the university is "the education of the English & Indian Youth of this Country in knowledge: and godliness."

Today, in 2012, there is a solid Native community at Harvard and a Native program that supports students, but Native people still nearly invisible on campus and in the classroom. There are repeated instances of ignorance towards Natives at Harvard, some of which I've chronicled on the blog. I wrote about the Harvard chapter of Sigma Chi's "Conquistabros and Navajos" party, which to their credit, they apologized for, and my "Open Letter to Pocahotties and Indian Warriors this Halloween" was inspired by a conversation with Harvard undergrads. I've also shared some of my experiences in the classroom and the cafeteria. I have come to realize just how accepted and normalized these instances are in this community--as they are in most of the US and Canada--and that's simply unacceptable.

So back to the Lampoon. This is actually the second time they've donned the "Lampoon Indians" name, the first was in October 2011, when they played the Boston Bruins in a game of dodgeball (and got their asses kicked). In two minutes of perusing the Harvard Lampoon website, I found a couple of instances of outright disrespect towards Native people, which doesn't help their case if they decide to stick to the argument of "honoring" Native people. Remember friends, lighten up, cause these are supposed to be funny.

Instance #1: A piece entitled "A Guide for the Freshmen of This College, 1670 by JBO, '10." Please direct your attention to rule number 4, emphasis mine:
4. No freshman shall wear his hat in the College yard except when it rains, snows, or hails, or if he be on horseback and hath both hands full with corn, sow feed, or the like, or if he be whipping of his Indian. OMG SO MANY LULZ!!!!

Instance #2: This whole story. I don't really get it. Though I'm just a dumb Indian, so what do I know? But I know the punchline is that they "kicked the crap" out of a "Cherokee Priest." Again, LOL!

This is where we get into a supposed conundrum-of-sorts. But where do we draw the line with humor? It's satire, it's supposed to be subversive and borderline offensive! Lighten up, it's just a joke! No one is safe from the jabs of the Lampoon, they're equal opportunity humorists! But the thing is, they're not. At least on their website, no other racial or ethnic group is mentioned in such a "satirical" way in their published stories. Just Indians.

So what does this have to do with the Lampoon calling themselves "Indians" tonight? It establishes a pattern. A pattern of "jokes" that I don't find funny.

So here's the letter I'll be sending them, along with a link to this post. The letter is admittedly not my most impassioned or well-reasoned, but I'm tired guys. It makes me so sad that this is how my fellow community members perceive me. If you're in the area tonight at 5pm, feel free to come by the game and tell them what you think.
Dear members of the Harvard Lampoon, It has come to my attention that you have decided to use the team name "Lampoon Indians" tonight as you take on the Harlem Globetrotters. As a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and more importantly, a member of the Harvard community, I am respectfully asking you to change the name of your team for this evening. I do not find the use of "Indian" as a mascot to be honoring of my culture or my community, in fact, I find the equating of my culture with animals or mythical creatures to be downright insulting. I have no idea if you plan to "dress up" as Indians or use any type of Native imagery to represent your team tonight, but the name in itself is bad enough.  I write a blog called Native Appropriations, where I examine representations of Native peoples in mass media and pop culture. I've written about the mascot issue many times, but most recently have covered the "Fighting Sioux" controversy here and here. I would encourage you to read those posts if you are still unsure of where you stand on the issue, or this post, written by a non-Native, which takes my arguments even further. I don't feel the need to re-argue those points here. The bottom line is that the use of Indian mascots stereotypes, demeans, and marginalizes Indigenous peoples, and has real effects on the psychological well being of Native students and community members.  To me, this is not an issue of humor or history, it is an issue of basic human decency. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, and trust that you didn't mean to be offensive, but the intent of your choice and actions doesn't negate the impact these instances have on the well being of Native people in the Harvard community and beyond. I trust you'll make the right choice and change your team name for this evening. There are any number of names you can take that would give a nod to your Harvard roots while being actually funny, without marginalizing an entire race of people in the US. I have also posted this letter on my blog, with more background information about the Lampoon and other instances of disrespect towards Natives on Harvard campus.  Best,
Adrienne K. UPDATE 4/2: They apologized, and didn't even use the Indians name! I'm so used to my posts going off into the abyss or responses of anger/defensiveness, I stared at the email for a good minute or so before it sunk in. I seriously applaud their reaction , and we're going to set up a time to meet soon so we can chat more. It's a pretty great and all-too-rare feeling when things actually work out, isn't it? Their email is below:
Hi Adrienne,

Per your request, we decided not to use the team name Lampoon Indians. You were right: it wasn't us at our funniest. You were also right in that we did not mean to insult anyone. I apologize for any offense we caused you or any Native-American members of the Harvard community.  
I would love the chance to talk to you more in depth about this. If you would like to have a dialogue, please feel free to call me at xxxxxx. Again, our apologies. 
Sincerely,

Native Appropriations: The Fighting Sioux Are Back: My Passionate Plea against Indian Mascots 
Native Appropriations: Indian Mascots Part 2: The Science

Harvard Lampoon: History/About 
Harvard Lampoon: A Guide for the Freshmen of This College, 1670 by JBO, '10
Harvard Lampoon: Pet Cemetery by CAS '12

Read more »

Dear Native student who was just admitted to college

AK Note: I ve been working on this post for a while, but last week s comment chain on this post on Jezebel stirred me into action. I m so sick of the myth that it s somehow easier for Native students get into college, or that the government pays for our whole education. These myths and stereotypes are harmful to Native students and are patently untrue. So I thought we should talk about it. 

Dear Native High School Student who was just admitted to college,

First and foremost, congratulations! Yay! I can t even convey in words how excited I am for you. You are making your family, your ancestors, your tribe, and your community proud. You ve worked your butt off, putting your studies first, navigating a complex and confusing application process, making difficult choices along the way. After all those essays, standardized tests, and maybe an interview or two, you ve done it, and I am so proud of you.

After all that work, you now get to reap the rewards. Revel in the excitement of your family, let your mom bring your admission letter to work, let your little brother wear your new college sweatshirt to school. Because you deserve the praise. I know it can feel weird sometimes, but I want you to realize that going to college is not a selfish choice. It s a choice that will give you the means to give back to your community, and the broader Native community as well. You will have the power to shape the future of Indian Country, and that is the most decidedly un-selfish thing you can do.

But I wouldn t be being truthful if I told you that things in the next few weeks or months won t be hard. People may say things to you to try and diminish your accomplishments, and I want you to be prepared, but I also want you to know that they re 100%, completely and totally, wrong.

When I got into my school, it was the happiest day of my entire life. I remember crying and jumping around my living room for what felt like hours, in complete disbelief that my dream since 5th grade had come true. But at my large, suburban, mostly white high school, others weren t so kind. Though I had some amazing friends and teachers who supported me, the rumors started flying that I had checked the Indian box to cheat the system and get into school. My best friend told me If I were I minority, I d be going to your school too. People gave me the side-eye and questioned if my admission was legitemdash while ignoring the other things like loads of AP classes, A s, community service, and sports that might have, you know, helped. Suddenly, this girl who looked like them, talked like them, was different, and that wasn t fair.

In all truthfulness, I went to college feeling like an imposter, having internalized all of these messages. I grew up so far away from my Native community, and had grown up with few Native influences in my lifeemdash by no fault of my ownemdash so I thought my classmates must have been right. But from the moment I stepped onto my college campus, I made sure the Native community was a huge part of my life, volunteering at events, working at the Native center, listening, learning, and always giving back. By the end of my four years on campus, there was no question in my mindemdash I knew I belonged, and that my experience had given me the skills to keep learning, listening, and giving back to my own community, as well as a commitment to serve Native people and Native causes for the rest of my life.

After I graduated, I worked in undergraduate admissions, mostly because I wanted to help support and grow the college community that had given me so much. I was the Native recruiter--traveling out to communities, bouncing over rural dirt roads, presenting hundreds of times to students and families in VFW halls and HS auditoriums. Every year, I read mountains of applications and admitted amazing, talented, incredible Native students. And you know what? Not a single one of them was admitted simply because they were Native. I want to say that again. You were not admitted to college simply because you were Native. You were admitted because your special combination of talent, academics, extra curriculars, and personality was exactly what your college was looking for. Period.

In life, some people will throw around the term Affirmative Action like it s a dirty word. To them, it means some people (ie minorities) get an unfair advantage in the admission process. Do you know how much affirmative action goes on in admissions offices that has nothing to do with race? Students of alumni ( legacies ), athletes, students from underrepresented states, children of wealthy donors, students from low income backgrounds, women interested in science and engineering, LGBT students, students with disabilities, students who have extraordinary talent in somethingö85I could go on and onö85they all get special consideration in the admissions process. The goal is to create a well-rounded class that represents many different perspectives, not to be able to say the class has X number of Native American students. You were not admitted to college simply because you are Native.

 In addition, you as a Native student are in a different position than other students. Your background is not just a racialized one, but a political-social identity as well. You are a citizen (or descendant) of a tribal nation. A nation that is looking for future leaders, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and engineers. Your ancestors signed treaties that promised education for their people in exchange for land, and therefore you have a sovereign right to your education. Don t let anyone tell you otherwise. By going to college, you re directly contributing to the Nation Building of your tribe, building capacity for the future. And that is so incredibly awesome.

So it may be hard in the next few months, and even harder when you get to campus, to hear these messages from your classmatesemdash especially when dealing with the other challenges that come with going away to college. But know that there is a huge, loving, supportive Native community out there holding you up and sending you prayers and good thoughts. There were many strong Native men and women who paved the path before you, and now it s your turn to make the path even stronger for those behind you. But don t be afraid to reach out if you need a little extra supportemdash there is always someone willing to help, and needing a boost is not a sign of failure, it s a sign of your commitment to success. You can do it. You ll be amazing. I know it.

Much love,

Adrienne K.

Readers, tomorrow I m going to post a compilation of advice/words of wisdom for college-admitted Native students I pulled from Twitter and FB last week. If you have thoughts you d like to add, or your own personal story to share, email me, or feel free to comment below.

Earlier:
Words of Inspiration: Native High Schoolers' College Essays
Cal's Affirmative Action Bakesale: I want my free cookies

Another post on the topic:
Sociological Images: How Affirmative Action can undermine the confidence of students of color

Read more »

Midweek Motivation: "Savage That", an awesome video by Dartmouth Natives

I have a million things swimming in my head this week (I promise I'll write about some of them soon)--from the hideous Coachella headdress pics that keep popping up in my inbox, to those new Johnny Depp/Navajo pictures, to the water rights ish going down in Navajo, to this ridiculously racist kid's party...and sometimes I just need a little push to keep me going. This video, put together by Native students at Dartmouth, is an awesome example of how something simple can have a powerful message. It's stuff like this that helps me keep pushing back! 


Dartmouth has had a long and frustrating history with their Indian mascot, and it's an issue that won't seem to go away, despite the best efforts of a strong campus Native community and alumni base. Since like 90% of my Native friends on the East Coast are Dartmouth Indians (I don't know how that happened...), I've heard firsthand plenty of stories of horrible ignorance about mascots and Indian issues on campus. Read some of the comments on the youtube video if you don't believe me.

UPDATE: I was just sent this article from The Dartmouth Review, which puts the youtube comments in context. Choice :
"First off, it trades on the idea that nicknames derived from American Indians are inherently offensive. This is a bit of a stretch, as just about every poll done on the matter has indicated that a significant majority of American Indians are completely fine with such nicknames or consider them an honor. A glance at the nicknames used at reservation high schools in my home state of South Dakota finds several tribal nicknames and even one school calling its teams the Redmen. While there is no need to doubt the legitimacy of the offense some take, it must be acknowledged that they are an aggrieved minority, and one can find an aggrieved minority for just about anything."Um, no. Just no. They ARE inherently offensive. Those polls you cite have been shown to have sampling and bias issues. A "significant majority" of YOUR campus community is telling you that these mascots are offensive, and that should mean something. There are plenty of people in South Dakota fighting to change those school mascots, including the state school board (all the way back in 2001), and reservation high schools that don the Indian name are totally different. There's a difference between choosing how you represent yourself versus how outsiders represent you. That's called power, and why the whole "fighting Irish" argument doesn't hold up. And your last sentence is just patently dismissive and dripping with privilege.

So to those out there that think the Native students at Dartmouth are being "too sensitive" or should just "get over it"-- Native mascots are demeaning and offensive. Period. There is nothing "honoring" about them. They just serve to further marginalize and erase the presence of Native peoples. So "get over" your privilege and realize that these images are hurtful and wrong.

Keep up the great work guys, I know it took a lot of guts to put yourselves out there with this, and I hope the video will open the eyes of your classmates to their insensitivity and ignorance. I also encourage other schools dealing with Indian Mascot issues to think up their own ways of pushing back--and, as always, let me know!

A selection from my (many) posts on Indian Mascots:

The Fighting Sioux are back: Part 1 (the passionate plea) and Part 2 (the science behind why mascots are harmful)

Thanks for the severed head, you've proved my point
A reminder of why this blog exists: One reader's experience (A former Stanford Indian supporter)
The Stanford Indian: Then and now

and the link to the video:

Youtube: Savage That!

PS--Dartmouth folks, I'll see you at your powwow! (Stanny friends, don't hate me...)

(Thanks Autumn, Karenina, Meg, Stew, Preston, JesAnne, Laura, Mattie, and Taylor!)

Read more »

Johnny Depp as Tonto: I'm still not feeling "honored"

I guess we can put all the talk about Johnny Depp "honoring" Native people to rest now. Cause it's been over a month since those first horrendous publicity pics of Depp-as-Tonto surfaced, and more information has been trickling out about Depp's "inspiration" for his lovely costume. I think we'll now see just how careful, respectful and honoring Mr. Depp was with his "research" for his role.

As background, Depp has said in numerous interviews that wanted to change the role of Tonto, and wanted to "reinvent" the relationship between Indians and Hollywood. He also cited his Native heritage--"Cherokee or maybe Creek"--as part of his reasoning behind taking the role. In this clip from MTV news, Johnny describes his plans for Tonto's character, which, out of context, actually sound pretty good:



He says in the clip:
"I like the idea of having the opportunity to sort of make fun of the idea of Indian as sidekick...throughout the history of hollywood, the Native American has always been the second class, third class, fourth class, fifth class citizen, and I don't see Tonto that way at all. So it's an opportunity for me to salute Native Americans."Based on all of these interviews, I was still holding out a shred of hope that there was some major piece of information I was missing, that maybe Johnny had actually done his research, or that maybe he had no control over the actual costuming of Tonto, and that all of this anger and blame should be placed on some wardrobe stylist on set. But Entertainment Weekly published a blog post on Sunday that confirmed what I had been arguing all along. Johnny Depp decided to "honor" Native peoples and "reinvent" our role in hollywood by relying on the most tired and stereotypical tropes imaginable. On his "inspiration" for Tonto's makeup:
"I d actually seen a painting by an artist named Kirby Sattler, and looked at the face of this warrior and thought: That s it. The stripes down the face and across the eyes ö85 it seemed to me like you could almost see the separate sections of the individual, if you know what I mean. Though that makes absolutely no sense ("separate sections of the individual?), the picture in reference is below. The connection between the Sattler painting and Depp's costuming was actually caught quickly in March by some fans of the Native Appropriations facebook page, one of whom even took the time to call Sattler's studio. The PR rep on the phone assured her to wait until the movie came out and that she was certain "everything would be done in an appropriate manner." I guess "appropriate" is relative?




The thing about Kirby Sattler, a non-Native painter, is that he relies heavily on stereotypes of Native people as mystical-connected-to-nature-ancient-spiritual-creatures, with little regard for any type of historical accuracy. He says, right off the bat, that the images come from his imagination:
"My paintings are interpretations based upon the nomadic tribes of the 19th century American Plains. The subjects are a variety of visual sources and my imagination...I purposely do not denote a tribal affiliation to the majority of my subjects, rather, I attempt to give the paintings an authentic appearance, provoke interest, satisfy my audience s sensibilities of the subject without the constraints of having to adhere to historical accuracy." So he's telling us, in so many words, that he makes these subjects up based on the (heavily stereotyped) images in his own head. Just listen to the language he uses to describe his paintings:
"Each painting functions on the premise that all natural phenomena have souls independent of their physical beings. Under such a belief, the wearing of sacred objects were a source of spiritual power. Any object- a stone, a plait of sweet grass, a part of an animal, the wing of a bird- could contain the essence of the metaphysical qualities identified to the objects and desired by the Native American. This acquisition of "Medicine", or spiritual power, was central to the lives of the Indian. It provided the conduit to the unseen forces of the universe which predominated their lives." Note the past tense, since clearly Indians don't exist anymore. Note the presumption that all Indians were/are the same, and that all our spiritual practices were/are the same. To refer to an entire population of diverse, living, breathing people of over 500 nations as "The Native American" is more than a little patronizing and offensive.

I say all this to establish the "credibility" of Johnny Depp's source material. But Depp's descriptions of why he was so drawn to the piece are even worse. On the striped make-up representing the "separate sections of the individual":
There s this very wise quarter, a very tortured and hurt section, and angry and rageful section, and a very understanding and unique side. I saw these parts, almost like dissecting a brain, these slivers of the individual. That makeup inspired me. Because Tonto happens to be Native American, he has to be "wise," "tortured and hurt," "angry and rageful," and "very understanding and unique"? That's like Hollywood Indian Stereotypes 101.  Finally, on the hideous crow headdress itself:
It just so happened Sattler had painted a bird flying directly behind the warrior s head. It looked to me like it was sitting on top. I thought: Tonto s got a bird on his head. It s his spirit guide in a way. It s dead to others, but it s not dead to him. It s very much alive...The whole reason I wanted to play Tonto is to try to [mess] around with the stereotype of the American Indian that has been laid out through history, or the history of cinema at the very least emdash especially Tonto as the sidekick, The Lone Ranger s assistant...As you ll see, it s most definitely not that. Right. So, I like the calling of the subject in the painting a "warrior," based solely on the fact that he is Native and male (stereotype #1). Of course the "warrior" has to have a "spirit guide" (stereotype #2), and has a mystical connection that outsiders cannot understand--"It's dead to others, but it's not dead to him" (stereotype #3). I think, Mr. Depp, when you said you hoped to "mess around with the stereotype of the American Indian," you actually meant "completely play into the stereotype of the American Indian," because I'm really not seeing anything subversive or new about your language or this mess of a portrayal. If this is your "salute" to Native Americans, I'm really afraid to watch the actual movie. Also, since we haven't seen a clip of the film yet, it remains to be seen if Depp will talk in the stereotypical broken-english "Tonto speak." Let's hope he drew the line somewhere.

What we have here is a case of an extreme mis-match between intent and impact. Johnny Depp might have entered this project with the nobelest of intentions, hoping to "honor" his heritage, "re-invent" the role of Natives in Hollywood, give Tonto more agency and move him from his sidekick status--but he went about it in exactly the wrong way. I don't know what the right way would have been, perhaps going to talk to some Comanche community members (turns out Tonto is "full blooded Comanche" in this version, not Apache as I had reported earlier) to ask how they would feel comfortable being portrayed on the big screen--or if they even felt comfortable at all. I know the right way would have been doing a little more research into hollywood portrayals of Native peoples, and realizing that picking your costume from a non-Native painter who openly admits he has no regard for historical accuracy would probably be a bad idea. Many people have given Johnny a free pass because of his Native heritage, but I think that means we should hold him to a higher standard. If he is serious about honoring his ancestors and his past, he needs to realize that costuming Tonto like a fantasy Indian stereotype is not helping Native people, and his "intent" in the portrayal doesn't save him.

Johnny Depp might have thought his intent cleared him of any criticism. That we would stand back and say "well, he didn't mean to be offensive." or "his heart was in the right place." But that logic ignores the impact of his statements and his portrayal of Tonto. Think how many policies in Indian country were done by people with "good intentions," and how all that turned out for us. The impact here is that millions of people will see this film, and they will walk away with this inaccurate and stereotyped image of American Indians burned in their brains.

So if Johnny Depp is serious about wanting to "salute" Native peoples, I would urge him to start a major PR campaign, since it's presumably too late to change the costume. Admit your mistake, start a national dialogue about how American Indians are portrayed in film. Continue to support important Native causes (I hear Johnny has agreed to be the spokesperson for teen suicide prevention in Navajo?), and bring light to how issues of stereotyping are real and incredibly problematic. Because despite the best of intentions, these images continue to marginalize contemporary Native peoples, and no amount of face paint is going to hide that fact.

And if you're still not convinced this is even worthy of talking about, check out my earlier post: Why Tonto Matters.

Entertainment Weekly (they link to me, which is kinda exciting!): Johnny Depp reveals origins of Tonto makeup from 'The Lone Ranger'
Native Appropriations: Johnny Depp as Cultural Appropriation Jack Sparrow...I mean Tonto
Native Appropriations: Why Tonto Matters
Indian Country Today: Tontomania: Who are we'z anyways?
Guardian: Why I'm Willing to Believe in Johnny Depp's Tonto
Ryan McMahon gets angry episode 4: I Ain't Gettin On No Horse
Academic Article on Hollywood Stereotypes: The White Man's Indian: Stereotypes in Films and Beyond

Read more »

Nelly Furtado's "Big Hoops" Video: Native dancers represent!

(pic from Nelly's Twitter)Do you know how rare and exciting this moment is? A mainstream music artist used Native influences in her music video, and I HAVE NOTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY!!!! Yesterday Nelly Furtado debuted her new music video for Big Hoops (The Bigger the Better), featuring the awesome hoop dancing of Tony and Kevin Duncan (Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara/San Carlos Apache) and the fancy shawl stylings of Violet Duncan (Cree/Taino).
Basically, this is going to go down in history as my example of how to incorporate Natives without crossing the line into cultural appropriation. So check out the video below, and we'll talk more after you get a chance to see how great it is:


(Vevo is mean about embedding, so you might have to go watch it on the youtubes, los siento)

What I like about the video is that Nelly just let the Duncans do their thing and show off what amazing dancers they are without having to fit into some overly constructed storyline. Chatting with some twitter friends last night, we remarked that it was also notable that Nelly didn't feel the need to "go Native" like say, Ke$ha, with her styling for the shoot.

You know how I enjoy things that converge tradition and modernity, so this is right up my alley. So far the video has 42,000 views on YouTube, so 42,000 people have seen Native folks representing themselves, showing off their skillz, not painted up with a bird on their head. These are the kind of representations I'd like to see on a more regular basis. 


Even better, Nelly introduced Tony, Violet, and Kevin in her "behind the scenes" clip in April--further solidifying that they weren't just backdrops for her song, they were co-collaborators. She notes that she "has the privilege" to work with them, and hammers home that they are "world champions." She also let them introduce themselves and talk a little bit more about what their dancing represents:



Pretty cool, right? Nelly is Canadian, and all of this reminded me of the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies, where she performed. I covered it back in the early days of my blog (when I first learned how to screen shot!), but here she is singing with all the First Nations dancers surrounding her:


And during the song they did "spotlight dances" on hoop dancers, fancy dancers, etc:



So clearly she's no stranger to appreciating the awesomeness of Native dancers.

Finally, an "inside source" (love how everyone is related in Indian Country--my colleague is their cousin) told me that the Duncans will be performing with Nelly at the Billboard Music Awards May 20th, along with several other hoop dancers (7 total). Yay!

So guys, for all of you that email me all the time and say that I must have such a sad and miserable existence finding fault in absolutely everything, let it be known: Adrienne K. likes this video, and has nothing negative to say about it!! Apparently I am human, not a society-hating-automaton programmed to spit out criticism. ha.


(Thanks Jessica, Sarah, Frances, Jason, and everyone else who sent it over!)
YouTube: Big Hoops (the Bigger the Better)
YouTube: Behind the scenes of Big Hoops, Chapter 1
Yellowbird Dancers (The Duncan's Dance group)

Earlier:
Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremonies: Honoring Canadian First Nations?
Not Again, Ke$ha


PS- It's the end of the semester for me, which = grading and busy times galore. I have a lot I want to write about in regards to Elizabeth Warren, more on Tonto, and all the ugly hate I've been getting in the last two weeks, but it'll have to wait. Hope you can forgive me! Much Love!

Read more »

Tracing the Urban Outfitters case and the role of Native social media

Yesterday, an awesome, awesome reader named Thelma sent this Prezi over, it was her final presentation for a course in grad school. It's a presentation that visually traces the whole Urban Outfitters case through the lens of social media, highlighting the role blogs and other Native media outlets had in driving the story. It's really cool to see it all laid out in one place, and really does give me a sense of pride and accomplishment that we as an online community were actually able to make some measurable difference!

So check out the presentation below, or you can visit the Prezi site directly here.  (navigate the Prezi through the arrows at the bottom). Thelma also said you can feel free to share!


Native Americans vs Urban Outfitters on Prezi

Some of the stories referenced in the presentation:


Native Appropriations: UrbanOutfitters is Obsessed with NavajosRacialicious: An OpenLetter to Urban Outfitters on Columbus Day Jezebel: UrbanOutfitters and the Navajo Nation: What Does the Law Say?Jezebel: UrbanOutfitter's 'Navajo' Problem Becomes A Legal Issue
(Thanks so much Thelma!)

Read more »

Electric Powwow: Boston Style

Me and A Tribe Called Red! Also this is their new Twitter profile pic, which makes me totally geek out.

I'm not exaggerating when I say Friday night was definitely one of the best nights, if not the best night, I've had in Boston in my three years here. If you missed my 10,000 excited tweets or facebook posts that evening, I'll give you a quick recap. A Tribe Called Red, my fave DJ group from Canada, who I've expressed my undying love for on the blog, played a gig in Boston. It was such a magical, awesome night.

My friends and I were waiting to head over until it was closer to showtime, but my friend T. excitedly texted me and was like, "I'm on my way, but more importantly ATCR tweeted to know where you are. You're pretty much winning at life right now." I squealed a little bit, and then we packed up and headed straight for the club. It was such a surreal feeling and kinda hilarious when we got there, because I am such a huge fan that I got geeky and awkward, and they were all excited to meet *me*! So once we got through a round of hugs and "It's so awesome to meet you!", we got to hang out and talk chat for almost two hours before their set. The three of them (Bear Witness, DJ NDN, and DJ Shub) are so totally cool and fun, and we had lots to talk about, from Edward Curtis to Aboriginal youth organizations--even Battlestar Gallactica. Basically, it was a total dream come true.

Once their set started, my friends and I danced (hard!) for two hours straight. At one point my friend M. leaned over and yelled in my ear "It's so cool to see all these non-Natives gettin' down to powwow music!!!"--and I think that was the most powerful part for me. Besides having so much fun and reveling in the chance to dance to ATCR in my hometown, it was so incredible to feel that, at least for one night, Natives weren't invisible in Boston anymore. I go through almost everyday feeling pretty marginalized out here, simply because the large majority of the East Coast population has no idea that there are Native people walking around their communities. But ATCR made it impossible for all those people in the club to ignore our existence, and they were all having fun in the process. The awesome powwow beats coupled with Bear's videos, which remix a lot of stereotypical imagery, made for a great time, as well as a great "we're still here, and not only that, we're freaking awesome" take-away message. I loved it.

Another cool side-effect of the Native love-fest in Boston was the outpouring of Indian-celebrity (Indianebrity?) love on Twitter, which was fun. I made a story on storify if you want to read the course of the night via twitter. I really do hope that we can figure out a mega-collaboration sometime in the near future, cause that would be seriously the best thing in the world.

The next morning I woke up, put on my new Electric Powwow shirt, and had breakfast with M. I looked up from my coffee, smiled, and said, "I still can't believe last night happened!"


In all honesty, things have been kinda crazy for me in the last few weeks (hence the fact the blog has been completely silent for almost a month), besides just the usual things with the end of the semester and school just being hard, I've been getting a lot of people attacking my identity lately, which is just so. tiring. I definitely am feeling at a point that I can write about it soon, especially in the context of all this Johnny Depp and Elizabeth Warren madness. But my amazing trip to Alaska (which also deserves a post), coupled with ATCR in Boston three days later, has completely renewed me and given me my power and pride back. I'm ready to get back on the blogging, and PhD-ing, train.

So my deepest love and gratitude to the boys of A Tribe Called Red, and to my dear friends M. and T. (recent Harvard graduates!), and new friend L., for giving me such an awesome Native-love filled night. I can't even describe how fantastic it was to hear Red Skin Girl on my home turf (and that remix of "Cherokee People" was pretty hilarious too). Wado for everything!

Earlier:
A Tribe Called Red: Powwow Step and Social Commentary for the Masses 


(This post is for Taylor! I finally posted, see?)

Read more »

Crooked Arrows: The good, the bad, and the flute music

So last weekend I finally saw Crooked Arrows, the new-ish Native lacrosse movie. I'd been eagerly anticipating the film since last year when I saw all the casting calls in New England for Native actors, and when I heard the Onondaga Nation was on board as a lead sponsor and producer, I was even more intrigued. You know how um, passionate I am about representations of Natives on the big screen (cough, Tonto, cough), so I thought I better go check it out.

The only problem is I waited too long, and the movie was already out of all the theaters in Boston. Cue my awesome friend Mikaela, and her truck. We drove almost 45 minutes out of the city to go see it in the suburbs. When we arrived in our theater a few minutes before showtime, we were greeted by throngs of excited fans, all stoked to see a Native movie....

 ...yeah, actually, we had an unintended private showing. Which ended up being kinda awesome, cause we could laugh at inappropriate times, point out all the ridiculous things, and talk back to the screen when things were eye-roll worthy. I also could scribble notes on a random pack of post-its in my purse (yes I'm the type of person who carries a pack of post-its around in my purse), which means I can have a comprehensive review for you! We also debriefed the whole way home, so these thoughts include some great feedback from Mikaela (who's Navajo) as well.
So, I guess it's necessary to put a SPOILER ALERT here, though if you've seen any Mighty Ducks/Bad News Bears/Little Giants/etc movie in your life, you know exactly who the characters are and how the plot turns out in Crooked Arrows. Definitely nothing new here. Just FYI.
Ok, quick plot synopsis: Mr. FancyPantsIndian ("Joe Logan") (Superman) wants to expand the tribal casino. In order to do so, he has to get approval from the tribal council. Tribal council says yes, cause they like the idea of having a new hospital and stuff, but with the condition that he has to "work on his spirit." Superman's dad (Gil Birmingham) is in charge of deciding when and how that happens. He tells his son that he has to coach the tribal HS lacrosse team. They're a hot mess, lol! The mean prep school keeps beating them! Luckily Mr. FancyPants was a lacrosse star in HS! So, long story short, through lots of clever training exercises and plenty of flute music, the team wins the championship. And Mr. FancyPants learns a lesson about his tribal heritage and decides to not screw over everyone by bulldozing the lacrosse field, and "brings lacrosse back to their people." THE END!
Here's the trailer, if you want a little more context:


The things I liked (yes, I liked things! A lot of things, actually!):

• I loved that they cast tons of local Haudenosuanee and other East Coast Natives as major roles (like all the lacrosse players), and all the extras were also local, so that was fun. I kept seeing people I knew--oh hey! There's Shiala! That's Charlotte! Look, that's Jonathan drumming!

• The Natives weren't painted as backwards-stuck-in-the-past. This one seems like a "duh" kinda thing, but you'd be surprised. The students were shown using smart phones, ipods, laptops, etc., posting to twitter, Gil's character is shown posting to the Haudenosaunee Facebook page, which comes into play later. Even the elders made pop-culture references. Which is how I know the Native community (we use social media at higher rates than most other ethnic groups!), but most people think of us living in tipis without wifi.

• There were a few little jokes that were just for the Natives in the audience, which was cool. Like at the beginning, Superman asks the twins on the team if they're "cousins? or brothers?" and they just reply "yeah." Which made Mikaela and I laugh. 

• This wasn't something I really noticed, since I'm not a LAX player, but apparently the action and all of the details around the sport itself were spot-on, and they included a lot of insider references for true fans of the sport. Nice. 

• I liked the playful Indian humor throughout--like the whole "vagina dodge" joke (Superman mis-translates the lacrosse term "v-cut" into the tribal language).

• Overall the representations of Native "culture" (I should mention that the team is from the fictional "Sinoquat" Nation, which is supposed to be part of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy) were done well, or as well as could be expected in a campy, cheesy sports movie. It was abundantly clear that the directors/producers tried very, very hard to show this was a Native film (more on that in a bit), while still appeasing majority non-Native audiences. They definitely showed a level of care and awareness that I haven't seen in a movie about Natives in a loooong time. Goes to show all the Native involvement in the film paid off. 

Now on to what I'm good at--applying my social commentary filter and tearing apart things you didn't even know should bother you! In no particular order, things I gave the side-eye, or had lingering questions about. For my Iroquois readers, if any of these are cultural references I just totally missed, please correct me in the comments.

• The opening credits--I burst out laughing and grabbed Mikaela's arm. Picture flute music, and Gil Birmingham's deep Indian voice saying "A long time ago....a ball game was created...to please the creator." while a breech-clout-warpaint-wearing-old-timey-Indian runs through the forest, accompanied by, as pointed out by the 1491s, Papyrus font. Admittedly, it made me reeeeal worried for the rest of the movie. It was just so over the top. 

• and Oh Em Gee the flute music. Every 10 seconds the flute music. Anytime a Native character had a revelation or did something "Native," cue the flute music. (The 1491s had a similar reaction). So. much. flute. music. and correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't regional music be the rattle-and-drum variety, rather than flute music?

• Also, the horribly CGI-ed eagles. They were supposed to represent Superman's (non-Native) mom watching over them, or something? But they appeared about as often as the flute music. Flying over the lacrosse field, sittin' on a pole, as scene transitions, eagle, eagle, eagle. We get it. Eagles are important.

• The Casino. The point of the casino (I think) was to show how Superman had "lost his way," so it was supposed to be over-the-top and offensive. And to most Natives, I think it was. The slot machines played the Calvary Charge, the waitresses were dressed in Pocahottie outfits and dancing on the bar, they called Superman "chief," and he wore a feather headband and carried a suction-cup bow and arrow set while giving out "wish feathers" for luck. It was bad, intentionally. But the problem is, I don't think most non-Natives would realize that was "wrong"--because that type of imagery is so normalized in our society, from kids parties to halloween, they probably didn't give it a second thought. So I wonder if it did more harm than good?

• The character of Julie Gifford ("Dr. Gifford") really bothered me. She's a non-Native lady, Superman's ex, who has a "great appreciation" for Sinoquat culture. She went off and got her PhD and wrote "the only book on Sinoquat language and culture," and then returned to the rez as a HS teacher, where she is educating the kids on contemporary Native authors, the history of their nation, and their language. Can we talk about the white savior mentality here?? The cultural "expert" and the one encouraging the kids to embrace their heritage is a white lady. She gave up her fancy life to come back and save the kids. How nice of her. Honestly, why couldn't it have been a bad-ass Native woman who went off and got her degree and then was using it for the good of her people? It made me cringe when Superman was trying to translate words into his language and he's flipping through her book. Why not go ask his grandma who's sitting in the living room? Before you get all mad, I'm not saying that non-Natives can't come in and "help" communities. Many non-Native folks do, and do it right. But if you're only given a few characters in the movie, why choose to reinforce notions of imperialist nostalgia (we have to "save" Indian culture before it's all gone!)?

• The sweat lodge/spirit animals scene. This is the scene that irked me the most, and the movie could have been completely successful without it. The team goes in a "traditional" sweat lodge, and when they emerge, are asked what "vision" they saw. They each name an animal and are given that symbol on a necklace as their "spirit animal." So, from my limited knowledge and research through internet friends, sweat lodges as they were presented aren't a tradish Iroquois thing, nor are "spirit animals" (though someone said the animals were representative of the Iroquois clan systems?)--and it just felt really stereotypical and unnecessary to me.

• I didn't understand the character of Mwag. This tall, traditional, Native kid who just happens to be of HS age and an expert at lacrosse, emerges from the forest in traditional clothes, speaking fluent Sinoquat, wearing the worst wig since Adam Beach's in Smoke Signals, and everyone is just like "cool, come play on our team and be in our HS class." I was told the character was based on a traditional story of a forest spirit dude that is well known throughout these communities, but the transition just didn't make sense to me. I know it's a movie, not real life, but I was confused, ok?

• Finally, at the final lacrosse championship game, the conniving casino developer comes and confronts Superman on going back on his building plan. He threatens to sue, and Superman looks up at the Native crowd of supporters, who all stand up in unison, and says "In whose court? We are a sovereign Nation! Your laws don't apply on our land!!!" I groaned and was like "Um, not exactly. But nice try?" Dear America, that's not how tribal sovereignty works. He should have said, "In whose court? We are a sovereign nation. We will hear the claim and make a decision in our own tribal courts." But I guess that doesn't have the same impact?

There's more, but this is already the longest post in the history of the world. Hope you're still with me.

Bottom line: Cute, cheesy, campy sports movie, predictable plot line and characters, but cool to see so many Natives on screen, cool that at the minimum the audience will walk away realizing lacrosse is actually a Native sport, and cool that so much of the East Coast Native community was able to get involved. Some problematic stuff, but overall, not horrible. I enjoyed myself, and might watch it again if it ever comes out on Netflix. 

And now, some pictures I've been holding onto from when the real-life Crooked Arrows (The Iroquois National Lacrosse Team) came to play at Brown U, to remind us that this movie has roots in real life. Enjoy!

Brown Students gettin' in the spirit
I decorated my sunglasses, and then promptly smudged them (as in smeared, didn't pull out the sage. haha.)
 Team huddled up, love the back of the jersey's with the Hiawatha Belt image!
(Thank Mikaela!)

Read more »

Thawing the Frozen Indian: Brown University's new anthro exhibit

The same day as our Crooked Arrows adventure last weekend, Mikaela and I also hit up the Haffenreffer Anthropology museum at Brown to check out their new student-curated exhibit: "Thawing the Frozen Indian: From Tobacco to Top Model." Dr. Hoover, one of the faculty members at Brown, had mentioned to me at Harvard Powwow (she was the Head Lady Dancer) that there was a reference to my blog, and I might like the exhibit. But, imagine my surprise and geeked out delight when I walked in and saw this:

Yep, that says "On the blog Native Appropriations, Adrienne K. explains..."! There's a block , from me, on the wall of the museum! How cool is that?! It's from my anti-hipster headdress manifesto.

The exhibit came out of a class (that I wish they offered at my school!) called "Thawing the Frozen Indian: Native American Museum representations," and they had a panel that gave the history and rationale for the exhibit:


The panel reads:"From cigar store Indians to reality TV, American popular culture has reflected, created, and perpetuated stereotypical representations of Native Americans. Museums have helped legitimize and solidify these stereotypes, freezing American Indians in a primitive, ahistorical past. As part of the class "Thawing the Frozen Indian: Native American Museum Representations," we have created an exhibit about the (mis) representation of Native Americans both inside and outside of museums. This exhibit is confronting the complex, and often painful, history of cultural appropriation in order to foster conversation. As part of the process, we created a Facebook page and crowd-sourced comments from individuals who identify as Native American. 
We have organized our research into three categories: racist stereotypes, mass-produced cultural appropriations, and contemporary Native art. In this last and final section we provide examples of the "unfrozen Indian," art that combines the tradition and modern in Native American life today."If I were to design an exhibit, this would be it. I loved every part--the discussions of cultural appropriation, stereotypes, mascots, advertising, etc--but also the awesome contemporary art from artists like Teri Greeves. Overall, I was in nerd heaven the entire time. It was kinda like my blog, in museum format. Which was so cool.

So next to the panel about Playing Indian was a case with info about the Urban Outfitters Case, coupling pictures of the Urban products with a traditional Navajo rug (which was a nice juxaposition):


The captions on the cases all had Facebook comments printed on them, which provided a nice interactive element and connected the museum to the "real world":

I also loved that they had glass pens to allow visitors to add their thoughts--directly on the cases themselves!



Here was the case talking about Top Model (using my transcription, I noticed the aside I had included--love it):



Then there were these adorable Teri Greeves baby high tops:

 
I took a ton more pictures, but I want you to go visit! My terrible point-and-shoot can't do justice to the exhibit. So in closing, we decided to be awkward and take some pictures with "my" panel:
  "omg that's me!" 
Then we signed the guest book:
...and headed to see Crooked Arrows. It was a great day. If you're in the area, I highly recommend you stop by. The museum isn't large, but they've packed a lot of good stuff into a small space--and it's free!

Here's the info for the museum:
The Museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Mondays and Brown University Holidays.  Admission is free. The Museum's phone number is 401-863-2065.Oh, then when we were walking through Providence, we saw these flyers posted all over the place, and found the card in a restaurant. These guys should walk over and check out the exhibit!




(Thanks so much to all the Brown students, staff, and faculty involved! You totally made this blogger's life complete!)

Read more »