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No holiday for many Native Americans


Commander CMG

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Dennis Zotigh, a cultural specialist at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving today the way most of us will. Neither will lots of other Native Americans.

Surprised? Then you’re way too close to the papier mache, elementary school version of the Thanksgiving feast, presented as a Disneyesque love fest between the Pilgrims and the Indians. Many American Indians don’t see it that way at all.

“It makes me really mad — the Thanksgiving myth and what happens on Friday,” said Zotigh, who is a Kiowa, Santee Dakota and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Indian.

Zotigh is tired of the stereotyping and romanticizing that comes with this day.

“The Thanksgiving myth has done so much damage and harm to the cultural self-esteem of generations of Indian people, including myself, by perpetuating negative and harmful images to both young Indian and non-Indian minds,” Zotigh wrote on the Smithsonian museum’s blog. “There are so many things wrong with the happy celebration that takes place in elementary schools and its association to American Indian culture; compromised integrity, stereotyping, and cultural misappropriation are three examples.”

Think about it: Thanksgiving is a pretty grim day in Native American history. After the native Americans helped the ragged colonists survive, they let them in on their tradition of a harvest feast.

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Sir Oh, whats happened here? The words have gone all goggly.

Anyway, we got the link, thats ok on there.

Edited by freetoroam
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The turkey linguistics expert got to it first ...

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I was trying to highlight the importance of the Native code breakers.

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ahhh ... the wind talkers ... did they get to keep the medals I wonder ...

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They have been abused in countless ways. Some in the flow of history simply get shoved aside and it has always been so. That, of course, doesn't make it right but it does explain it's context. I am about 1/6 Cherokee. The strength of the native American is interwoven into a large part of the populations of the south and west especially. The government treatment and the treatment from many Americans has been shameful and if any group actually deserved reparations from our historical injustices it would be these peoples.

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Kind of hard to figure what reparation could be made for attempted genocide

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Kind of hard to figure what reparation could be made for attempted genocide

Educational grants, free medical care, help with business startups. All human beings sin. Only some are ever willing to forgive it.
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Funny, the Oneida owned Turning Stone casino didn't have any issues with having a huge Thanksgiving feast and plenty of deals to come in and gamble today.

Cha Ching Kemosabe!

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How about a real estate deal ala the United Nations? Let's uproot millions of Americans for the Lakota Homeland? What? You don't agree? Well, clearly you're anti-Lakota.

lakotamap.gif

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I am not celebrating Thanksgiving. People should be thankful daily, hourly, from moment to moment.

I have a huge resentment towards Western Civilization.

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Kind of hard to figure what reparation could be made for attempted genocide

Who pays said reparations considering that the vast majority of us have some percentage of Native American blood running through our veins. I'm 1/16th Cherokee myself - do I get 1/16th of what a full blooded Native American gets? Or do I have to pay 1/16 less than some 100% African American?

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Educational grants, free medical care, help with business startups. All human beings sin. Only some are ever willing to forgive it.

Agreed, though I would like to see those things you mentioned for all Americans.
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Who pays said reparations considering that the vast majority of us have some percentage of Native American blood running through our veins. I'm 1/16th Cherokee myself - do I get 1/16th of what a full blooded Native American gets? Or do I have to pay 1/16 less than some 100% African American?

I don't know but I guess my point is that nothing could really make up for the way things went. It would be nice to see more attention paid to a native American national heritage day though. Edited by spacecowboy342
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Just be remembering the thanksgiving spirit all year round would be a good start ~

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How about a real estate deal ala the United Nations? Let's uproot millions of Americans for the Lakota Homeland? What? You don't agree? Well, clearly you're anti-Lakota.

lakotamap.gif

I am, this is one of the most lame brained things ever. They'd probably lose the whole ******* thing to the Russian Mob or a Meth Cartel. I have a aunt who ranches in Western Nebraska and some of the Lakota have some real knuckleheaded ideas...............

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This is worth a chuckle.

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This is worth a chuckle.

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LMAO!! DUDE! THIS WAS ******* HILARIOUS..................

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cest' la vie my friends, **** happens and will always happen

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LMAO!! DUDE! THIS WAS ******* HILARIOUS..................

Yes the series is based upon real questions an actress received from people while remaining in the character of a slave of Mount Vernon in 1795.I thought it was a clever way to enlighten people with humor.

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I am, this is one of the most lame brained things ever. They'd probably lose the whole ******* thing to the Russian Mob or a Meth Cartel. I have a aunt who ranches in Western Nebraska and some of the Lakota have some real knuckleheaded ideas...............

He could give two shakes about the Lakota - it's just another jab at Israel. At least he's consistent :w00t:
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Yes the series is based upon real questions an actress received from people while remaining in the character of a slave of Mount Vernon in 1795.I thought it was a clever way to enlighten people with humor.

I know all about the dumb questions folks ask. I'm a tribal cultural consultant who has to work with schools. I should send her some material.

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He could give two shakes about the Lakota - it's just another jab at Israel. At least he's consistent :w00t:

I'm not up on politics or current events beyond my own scope. That's why I live "back country".

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He could give two shakes about the Lakota - it's just another jab at Israel. At least he's consistent :w00t:

No, I'm so consistent that you don't understand the consistency. If we're really going to be responsible as taxpayers for making welfare payments to some group, we should at least pick a group it's at least arguable that we're responsible for putting in their current predicament. Not to completely gloss over the fact that they're American citizens. I don't need my McCain/Palin "Country First" sign to agree with myself. When you really believe in something, you shouldn't need a sign to get the point across.

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I am, this is one of the most lame brained things ever. They'd probably lose the whole ******* thing to the Russian Mob or a Meth Cartel. I have a aunt who ranches in Western Nebraska and some of the Lakota have some real knuckleheaded ideas...............

From a practical standpoint I agree with you, it's lame brained. From a philosophical standpoint however, it's brilliant.

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