If I want to read a misrepresentation of Native people, I’ll just pick up the nearest K-12 history b
"Beyond this, I’m writing because as a fan, I’m so… hurt and disillusioned to discover a world I escape to so often and with people I love like my young daughter is now an unsafe space that takes the very real cultural histories, practices, and belief systems of a hyper-marginalized group of people and casts them into the realm of myth and fantasy. Ironic, isn’t it, that I’m disillusioned with a fictional world based on magic? As someone who carefully curates the pop culture
We Aren't Magic, We Are Real
J.K. Rowling's "Pottermore" website launched the first of four pieces regarding the "History of Magic in North America" today. While I have the feeling that they were generally received well by most Harry Potter fans, there was definite and immediate backlash among many Native Americans. Here's an example from Buzzfeed - J.K. Rowling Is Getting Major Backlash For Her Depiction Of Native Americans: The Harry Potter author, who just released a new story on Pottermore, is being
Our Culture is Not a Costume
"I was trying to show it the proper way. I didn’t want to be wearing a scandalous little outfit and a headdress because that’s so wrong on so many levels. The headdress is sacred, women don’t wear that. I wore our traditional regalia. I showcased the healing dance, the jingle dress, I showcased everything I possibly could that they would be educated and understand our culture is not a costume." --Ashley Callingbull-Burnham (Enoch Cree) From "‘I’m not going to shut up’: First
Andrea Smith: Wanting to Be Cherokee
I don’t really want to wade into the battlefield that is the discussion of Andrea Smith’s identity; but, given my very strong response to Rachel Dolezal’s misrepresentation last month, I feel I needed to say something. I mean, if I can write about a woman misrepresenting herself as a race I do not belong to, then surely I must have something to say about a woman misrepresenting herself as Native American, right? So here goes: Without linking to the many, many articles and blo
Tiger Lily: What is there to take back? A lot!
I already posted a couple of days ago about being so honored to have my work included in the recent Four Winds Literary Magazine's issue Taking Back Tiger Lily. I haven't seen any published responses to the issue yet, and I'm really curious how it will be received. A small part of that is, of course, because my own work is included; but, mostly I'm wondering if the issue itself will put to bed the criticism that the call for submissions received just for asking for a Native r
F*#@ you Rachel Dolezal
I think by now, most everyone is familiar with hearing about Rachel Dolezal, the Spokane NAACP President outed as pretending to be mixed-race black by her white parents. I've read a lot of articles and opinions about this situation. A great take on it via Jezebel by Kara Brown, and other more Native perspectives from Gyasi Ross on Indian Country Today Media Network and Levi Rickert on Native News Online. What bothers me the most from a personal perspective is the backlash tha
I'm Doing Something About It.
“Quite honestly I'm tired of talking about cultural appropriation, I’m doing something about it. I simply want to carve out a space where an authentic voice and an authentic representation of Native America exists and thrives. If that means we’re combatting cultural appropriation while just being true to ourselves then that’s a bonus.” --Bethany Yellowtail (Crow/Northern Cheyenne) #quote #BethanyYellowtail #culturalappropriation
