So many things to catch up on!

Hi Friends,

Yes, it's been over a month since my last post, I'm really sorry! I've had some family stuff going on, and was back in California for a bit, and have been trying to catch up since then. I have an inbox that is bursting with great (if by great I mean maddening and cringe-worthy) tips, so I'll try to work through them in the coming weeks.

Big things happening in the news that we didn't get to talk about (tomorrow we'll look at some other more appropriation-y things):

• CSU Long Beach published a horrible, racist rant about the campus powwow (that's the image above, click to make it bigger). In response to criticism by Native students and others, they then gave the worst non-apology ever. This was right on the tail of the UCLA "Asians in the library" debacle, which got tons of national attention. Where's the press for this incident? Check out these summary posts by Rob over at Newspaper Rock for more thoughts on the issue.

• Pentagon prosecutors compared the Seminole tribe of Florida to al Qaeda in a war filing, reaching all the way back to the Indian Wars in the 1800's to set a precedent for ongoing issues with Guantanamo. The comparison is not only offensive, but factually wrong, and the Seminoles have demanded an apology. 

• We can't expect much from Fox News, but "reporter" John Stossel takes the cake with his rant on "freeloading" American Indians. There's a quick clip here, but if anyone has a link to the full segment, let me know.This seriously makes my blood boil. Why don't we talk about the reasons Native people are forced to rely on government aid? Oh, you know, like, continuing colonial oppression?

•  The North Dakota state legislature passed a bill that orders UND to keep the Fighting Sioux nickname that they voted to retire a few months ago. You read that right. The state government ordered the school to keep the racist image. Yay government! But it looks like UND is moving forward with getting rid of the mascot anyway. 

Thanks to everyone who's been posting all the fantastic links over on the Native Appropriations Facebook page, definitely check it out if you haven't been over there recently!

As always, keep the tips coming, nativeappropriations@gmail.com

Roundup time: There's been a lot going on!

Apologies for the lack of posts in the last week or so, I'm taking a statistics class that likes to take over my life every time we have an assignment due. But a lot has happened in the last few days, so I thought I'd do a little round-up!

In the news:

•   University of North Dakota retires "Fighting Sioux" mascot 

 (AK note: yay! I might write more on this later.)

The Fighting Sioux mascot will no longer be the face of the University of North Dakota, but the warrior's visage will still play a prominent role in the school's sports program.
The North Dakota State Board of Education on Thursday ordered the university to drop its Fighting Sioux mascot, prompting student protests on the Grand Forks campus and leaving many there feeling glum.

• Seneca: Obama ‘deliberately betrayed Native Americans’ with PACT Act

“The president of the United States invited Native American leaders to Washington, D.C. in November and looked us in the eye as a sign of good faith in his pledge to protect federal treaties. Now four months later he has betrayed that promise.”

Obama signed the legislation, known as the PACT Act, March 31. The new law bans the U.S. Postal Service from delivering cigarettes and certain other tobacco products – a move that will effectively extinguish the mail order tobacco trade run by the many business owners of the Seneca Nation of Indians and other Indian-owned tobacco businesses around the country.

• Tribes of Amazon Find an Ally Out of ‘Avatar’

Now, Mr. Cameron said, he has been spurred to action, to speak out against the looming environmental destruction endangering indigenous groups around the world — a cause that is fueling his inner rage and inspiring his work on an “Avatar” sequel.
“Any direct experience that I have with indigenous peoples and their plights may feed into the nature of the story I choose to tell,” he said. “In fact, it almost certainly will.” Referring to his Amazon trip, he added, “It just makes me madder.”

 In the media:

• Reel Injun

"Hollywood has made over 4000 films about Native people; over 100 years of movies defining how Indians are seen by the world.Reel Injuntakes an entertaining and insightful look at the Hollywood Indian, exploring the portrayal of North American Natives through the history of cinema."

AK note: I've been meaning to post about this film for awhile, it looks awesome and is getting great reviews. The issues covered in the film are many that I discuss on the blog. It's currently making the rounds in Canada, but will hopefully have some US dates soon! here is the trailer, definitely check it out:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htyEJSEZYNU )

In the blog-o-sphere/world of internets:

Native Appropriations has gotten some shout outs on great blogs/sites, check 'em out! (theres a few more to come this week)

• On The Atlantic Monthly: http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/04/in-treme-race-and-class-loom-large/38749/

• On Sociological Images: http://contexts.org/socimages/2010/04/05/culturally-appropriating-native-americans-a-hands-on-approach-to-history/

• On Remodel Minority: http://remodelminority.com/2010/03/techno-tribal-tribal-punk-in-fashion/

(Thanks to Stef, Kianga, Ray, Jesse, and anyone else I forgot!)