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I think ppl are getting way to.............

  • Thread starter rattler
  • Start date
  • #21
he meant the people that live in that state, not specifically native americans.
 
  • #22
well all I can say is that some people need to grow up and get a thicker skin. thats all.
 
  • #23
No one likes it when THEIR ox is gored. april.
 
  • #25
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ April 02 2005,1:29)]he meant the people that live in that state, not specifically native americans.
Actually I believe that he meant the people at the conference, some of whom happened to be Native Americans.

I was born and raised in CO and lived there till I was 24 (I'm 27 now.) I met Bill Owens on a couple occasions (school related things) and he is actually a pretty laid back guy who is prone to using little sayings like that. At an assembly at my high school he even used the phrase "Neater than a skeeters tweeter" It is just the way Owens is and most Coloradans know that. In fact I personally think it is rather telling that it was a Californian group who made it an issue.

I would like to make one other comment here as well. I am slightly offended by the comment about how Native Americans like to point out their sovreign status as a ploy to get government handouts. My wife is a Native American, and as such a large portion of my in-laws are as well. I have visited with them and been to the "tribe" reunions and I can say with a lot of confidence that not all Native Americans are looking to exploit the government. And, truth be told, our culture did come over here, take their land, destroy their culture, screw them out of everything they own and then leave them with the s*** end of the stick so all things considered maybe they should get something for it. At the very least they should get respect of not being stuck with a stereotype. Like Bugweed said, they (like all of us) are human beings.
 
  • #26
The Tribal Nations in our area work with kids A LOT. We have numerous Pow Wows that families can attend for free and they always invite everyone to break bread with them. I have a photo of our beloved Tribal Chief with a few of our kids and I'm going to post it as a photo is truly worth a thousand words. He is a well loved man by everyone and his face tells all. I will never forget the day my littlest one reached out and felt all the wrinkles in his face. The Chief let him and stood patiently while his face was felt up by a curious 3 year old. He smiled and my kid giggled with glee. We have many diiferent groups of Native Americans who offer FREE workshops where children can create all types of wonderful Native American crafts. These completed projects hold prominent places on our bookshelves. I think the nicest crafts were the traditional toys that NA children played with. They make those too and even teach them how to play with them and then... they use them. The Native Americans are a very well respected and integral part of our community and the Story Teller is booked for months in advance.  Wanna see a group of kids shut up quick, put a story teller in front of them and they will sit spellbound. The story tellers really are that good. I also have to add that when our kids crossed over to Boy Scouts from Cub Scouts, each child who had earned the Arrow of Light received a hand crafted arrow of the finest quality. Now that's community! Thanks to Thundering Mountain in Zion Illinois which now has its own website for that one-
http://www.thunderingmountain.com/ (sorry, had to put in a plug for our folk)


Sadly, I think with any group of people there are always going to be a few bad eggs who want to practice "exploitation" tactics. It is a shame focus sometimes ends up on the minority particularly with all the good out there being spread around. And incidentally, I recall a speaker getting up and announcing to a large group that it was time to begin as "The Natives were getting restless" and everyone, Native Americans and non Native Americans, took the comment in the spirit in which it was intended so the tribal dances began.

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  • #27
Personally I think its easier to throw stones when you aren't on that side of the fence. While it may not make any sense to you, it might very well to them. I think its really hard to judge something like that...because I am not Native American/Indian.

I saw a talk show once on TV. It was talk show with Native Americans/Indians who came to explain things like this. You know how at some sports games people have the foam tomahawks and they wave them up and down while making an Indian-type chant? Well "people" got really peeved when Native American's protested that and wanted it stopped. That seemed pretty silly to "us"....what was the big deal about a foam tomahawk? Turns out in NA culture, the tomahawk is a religous symbol. Its very ceremonial and revered. Its holy. It would be the equivalent of a bunch of people waving foam crucifixes up and down at a sports game. Now...how long do you think that would last before there was public outcry of sacrilege of the cross?! I also found out that the word "squaw" was not a Native American word and does not mean "female Indian"...it was a word coined by "the white man" and its meaning is VERY VERY ugly. How many of you knew that? Probably to most of you, you figured a tomahawk is just a thing Indians whacked white men in the head with. To them, a tomahawk meant "life" through hunting and protection.

See...it all comes down to ignorance. Making judgements about actions when you don'tknow the full history or story. So...while, sure, that guy's comment seems like a pretty small thing....who am I to judge whether that should be offense or not to an entirely different culture?

I'll figure that out in my next life when I return as a Native American and then I'll let you know.
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  • #28
the natives here(lived on a Rez for all but 6 months of my life) in general are decent enough folk. my family has been in the area for most of a 90 years so i have cousins and "aunts& uncles" who are indian. however on the stealing of the land, i dont think they have a leg to stand on in that respect here as alot of them sold their land they owned here on the rez to us white folk now approx 1/3 the land on the rez isnt owned by the indians as that 1/3 thought beer money was more important(i am not exaggerating on this point anyone who thinks i am i invite to come spend a week with me and i will prove it). i watch ppl on wellfare go to the casinos EVERY week to spend their wellfare check and leave there kids home alone to fend for themselves with minimal to eat. i have heard 12 year old native girls say they cant wait to get pregnant and have a kid so they can get a check every month and not have to work for it. i have seen high school kids given a full ride through college say "to hell with work im going back to the Rez where i dont have to do anything".

sorry i mean no offence to you or your family Pyro but while there are some natives here i have a great deal of respect and admeration for, they are in the minority, way way in the minority. guess 23 years of watching ppl continually and predictably throw there lives down the tubes has jaded me a bit twords the present day native american culture. at least in my lil corner of the world.
 
  • #29
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Turns out in NA culture, the tomahawk is a religous symbol.  Its very ceremonial and revered.  Its holy.  It would be the equivalent of a bunch of people waving foam crucifixes up and down at a sports game.

Wow, thanks for your comments. I knew scalping was an out and out lie because Native Americans respect the human body but knew nothing about the Tomahawk.
 
  • #30
i'm 1/16 Cherokee

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  • #31
[b said:
Quote[/b] (rattler_mt @ April 05 2005,10:40)]the natives here(lived on a Rez for all but 6 months of my life) in general are decent enough folk. my family has been in the area for most of a 90 years so i have cousins and "aunts& uncles" who are indian. however on the stealing of the land, i dont think they have a leg to stand on in that respect here as alot of them sold their land they owned here on the rez to us white folk now approx 1/3 the land on the rez isnt owned by the indians as that 1/3 thought beer money was more important(i am not exaggerating on this point anyone who thinks i am i invite to come spend a week with me and i will prove it). i watch ppl on wellfare go to the casinos EVERY week to spend their wellfare check and leave there kids home alone to fend for themselves with minimal to eat. i have heard 12 year old native girls say they cant wait to get pregnant and have a kid so they can get a check every month and not have to work for it. i have seen high school kids given a full ride through college say "to hell with work im going back to the Rez where i dont have to do anything".
What you describe here could easily apply to any "race." There are whites that behave this exact way and there are blacks that behave this exact way and there are hispanics that behave this exact way.

I lived in a trailor park for 3 years while I was a raft guide and I got to see all of this and more from my white neighbors. Ask anyone down here about the back country folk and you get the same description for the "rednecks." He!!, have you watched Jerry Springer?!? Tell me those people don't match that description to a tea!

I guess that is why it bugged me so much. I assumed that you were making your statment based on your observation but it was that you applied the activities of a few to the greater whole. If someone were to pass judgment on me based on what they saw on Springer I'd be just as peeved. I guess lining in the South now I am more aware of this sort of thing given the greater cross section I see here. I had a serious row with my mother when she visited because she remarked one too many times how few whites there were in my neighborhood. And I even invited my grandma to leave when she said she would not go out on the deck while "those people" were out in their yard next door.


Rattler, I know you did not mean to offend me, and I am not holding it against you (in fact, I didn't even know it was you as I only read the post and not who posted.) And I can understand what you are saying, especially about being jaded, but I think you hit the nail on the head with your last sentence:

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]at least in my lil corner of the world.

It is the happenings of your little corner that influence how you feel. It is just an unfortunate side effect of reality that little corners often collect the worst junk (you should see the corners of my sunroom, water trays, car consoul, garage, bathroom, etc.) And I am not saying that you are junk, just that living in your little corner means you have the junk that is there. Believe me, my little corner has a ton of junk too.
 
  • #32
true, i guess what frustrates me most about the tribes here is that they keep electing idiots and felons to their tribal council. i have seen what some of the tribes in New Mexico and Minnisota have done. they are prospering and doing right by there ppl. the tribes on this reservation have ALOT going for them. there is quite a bit of oil on their land that they hold mineral rights to. however do to there idiocity they have basically run off the oil companies do to the fact that the oil companies refuse to deal with the constant bickering that goes on at EVERY tribal council. ive been to a few. the newspaper refuses to cover the meetings as we have dicided its not worth paying a reporter to sit and listen to fighting for 3 hours and nothing gets accomplished that we can print.....what we could do if we were a cheesy tabloid though
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i guess ive just lived on a Rez that seems to be in a constant self destructive mode.

oh and i know all about the "rednecks" you are refering to. even up here we have got our genuine "hillbillies". there are several areas out in the country that you dont set foot in unless yah want to get shot, all of them are whites. crazy SOBs to...
 
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