Liberal Native Americans, Racism, Identity Politics, Cultural Appropriation, and the Irish
Edit 3. My take away after being Tweeted at by people claiming to be Native Americans on Twitter is if you don’t agree with them on political matters (such as “cultural appropriation,” which is, yes, these days, closely aligned to an American liberal cause, not a “Native” one), they will accuse you of lying about your Native American ancestry.
In their world, you cannot be a conservative or right winger with Native American ancestry who disagrees with left wing talking points – only folks claiming Native ancestry who agree with liberals can be considered truly Native American. Good lord, this is pathetic.
I saw a news account (such as CNN or Time magazine) tweet an article about a Native American woman who was shamed and scolded by liberals for having worn a Native American head dress to a Halloween party contest.
I remarked above the tweet that this was nuts. I still think it’s nuts.
Here is the article, this one comes from The Blaze, and it mentions the same story:
Native American faculty member blasted for wearing headdress for Halloween because it’s ‘racism’
A faculty member at the University of New Mexico was blasted for wearing a headdress on Halloween, according to KRQE-TV,
There’s just one catch: The faculty member is Native American.
–(end excerpt)–
DEFINING RACISM
Before I get to discussing that story in depth, I’d like to say I disagree with the liberal definition of “racism.”
Liberals define racism only to mean systematic imbalances wielded by whomever is considered to be in power in a nation. Therefore, your average liberal will argue that only white people can be racist because whites have all the power in the United States.
I say wrong, incorrect, and false.
My understanding of racism is that it denotes an attitude or belief set where a person of any skin color condemns or hates an entire other group of people (say, based on their inborn traits, such as skin color).
This means, for instance, that I regard black people who hate white people as being racist. White people are not the only people who are capable of being racist.
Racism to me is not about who holds or wields most power in a society, but rather is a heart-attitude.
ISLAM NOT A RACE
(Islam, by the way, is not a race. Islam is a socio-political belief set with religious undertones, but it’s not a “race,” yet I often see American liberals refer to criticisms of Islam or criticism of Muslim behavior as being “racism” or “racist.” Anyone can convert to Islam, including white-skinned evangelical Christians.)
NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN CRITICIZED BY LIBERALS FOR WEARING HEADDRESS
Anyway, after I put my comments above the news tweet about the Native American woman being scolded by liberals and deemed a “racist” by them for wearing a Native American head dress to a costume party, someone on Twitter tweeted me about it, I replied, and he later shared my response on his time line.
There upon, several people, claiming to be Natives, took me to task over my views.
One such Native guy (or woman?) said something to me such as,
“I am skeptical and suspicious of people like you who claim Native American ancestry, yet I see no mention of you being Native American on your Twitter bio. Usually Natives declare their heritage with pride.”
There are several observations I have about this comment, a comment which is so ignorant and makes so many assumptions.
First of all, my SoloLoner twitter account is primarily one where I tweet about topics pertaining to singleness, dating, and marriage, and one where I occasionally opine about hypocrisy I see coming from right or left wingers.
My SoloLoner Twitter account is not one where I tweet about my family ancestry. If I bring up my family background on Twitter (or this blog), it has always been in the context of liberal absurdity over identity politics.
Secondly, there are a lot of things I don’t mention about myself on this blog, or on my Twitter biography or account, but that does not make them any less true about me.
For example, my favorite salad dressing flavor is Ranch, and I am left handed.
I have never before mentioned these things about myself on my blog here, nor do I mention them on my Twitter bio.
The fact that I don’t identify my favorite salad dressing or favored hand on Twitter does not mean I am lying about either one.
Thirdly, I am neutral or ambivalent about my family ancestry. I am neither proud nor ashamed to be partially Native American.
Having full-blooded Native Americans on both sides of my family is just another fact about me, like I am left handed, one of my favorite television shows is The Walking Dead, and I hated math in my school days.
Lastly, I am a right winger, I am a conservative, so am not beholden to, or in agreement with, the left wing penchant and insistence for Identity Politics.
I’m not one of these liberal types who binds up her entire identity in something like my skin color, my family tree, or sexual orientation.
COMMENTS FROM NATIVE AMERICANS ON TWITTER
One or two Natives demanded, DEMANDED!!, to know which “tribe(s)” I come from.
I find that funny, because several months ago, I was reading a page by a liberal Native American who was attempting to educate non-Natives about terminology, and according to this person, it is ‘racist’ or wrong to use the word “tribe.” According to that person, the correct term is “Nation.”
If you must know, both sides of my family inter-married with full-blooded Cherokee and Choctaw.
Part of my family also hails from the Republic of Ireland – some of my family also immigrated to the United States from other European nations, which I shall not list here.
All I will divulge is to mention my family tree consists of, but is not limited to, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Ireland.
I have no reason to lie about any of this.
This is one of the things that kills me about these yea-hoos on Twitter questioning my family tree, as though I am making any of it up.
What do I have to gain about lying about myself on this blog or on Twitter about being a never married, hetero-sexual, partially white, partially Native American, who is left handed, was raised Baptist but who now has doubts about the Christian faith, who loves The Walking Dead TV show, and who has a decades-long crush on movie actor Hugh Jackman?
On this blog, in the several years I’ve been blogging here, I have never, ever claimed to be liberal, Asian, Latina, a man, Democrat, homosexual, Russian, French, Buddhist, or black.
I have consistently said on this blog for a year or more that I am a never-married woman who is part white, part Native American.
I’m sure as hell not making money or friends or gaining fame or anything else positive by discussing things about myself on this little blog or on Twitter.
Nobody is sending me awards or money for sharing things about myself, such as I am part Native American, that I love Ranch salad dressing, and I suffered through college algebra.
Over a year or more ago, in various posts, I already mentioned on this blog I am part Native American and part Irish (among other things, which I won’t delineate).
Now, in November 2017, a few Natives on Twitter were questioning my authenticity on all this.
I don’t claim strong ties to, or deep interest in, my Native American background, or to my Irish ancestry, or my other European ancestry, for that matter.
What do they want me to do, spit in a plastic vial and mail it in to Ancestry.com or 23andMe.com for verification? Please. And, I don’t owe these people any proof or anything else.
As I told one liberal Native who was tweeting at me, I’d say I identify first and foremost as an American.
And I mean simply “American,” not one of those hyphenated formats, such as “Irish-American” or “Native American Indian – American,” or God help me, the long mouthful of “Irish – Native American – (insert other nations from where my ancestors immigrated) – American.”
Edit. I also received this comment from someone recently (link to her Tweet):
(from) heatherfeather @heather28df
Replying to @sololoner2
Natives have bern talking about cultural appropriation for a long time so when you label us as “liberals” you’re erasing Native voices.
(end quote)
I am partially Native American, and I’m writing my views on my blog here and on Twitter, so no, Native voices aren’t “being erased.”
Her voice, “Heather Feather’s” voice, is not being erased, either (I take it she considers herself Native American). She’s using Twitter to amplify her views, just as I am – nobody’s voices is being silenced or erased.
As I told her on Twitter, complaining about cultural appropriation and the like is a Liberal cause, (or is now synonymous with American political liberalism), and it’s been an American Liberal pet cause that has become trendy or popular the last few years.
Edit 2. I just blocked her. The obnoxious cow was accusing me of lying about my heritage, that I am just trying to “look or sound” cool.
Er, no, sweetie, as I’ve outlined above, some Europeans married and had sex with full-blooded Cherokee and Choctaw in my family (on the paternal and maternal sides) down through the years.
My god, I have no reason to lie about this sh-t. I cannot help who boinked whom in my family tree, either.
She wanted to know “what tribe” I am from.
As I told her:
BTW, “tribe” is politically incorrect. As a liberal, you should know that. Are you SURE you’re Native? I am doubting that you are.
(end quote)
That’s right, according to liberal Native Americans I’ve seen elsewhere online, the word “tribe” is not politically correct and is offensive to Natives, but here she is using it with me, while in the midst of dressing me down.
Liberals and Liberal Natives cannot agree among themselves on any of this:
(Link): Native American name controversy
The Native American name controversy is an ongoing discussion about the changing terminology used by indigenous peoples of the Americas to describe themselves, as well as how they prefer to be referred to by others. Preferred terms vary primarily by region and age.
As indigenous people and communities are diverse, there is no consensus on naming, aside from the fact that most people prefer to be referred to by their specific nation or tribe (terms which are themselves contentious).
(end excerpts)
See also:
(Link): Setting the Record Straight About Native Languages: Squaw
(Link): The Word Squaw: Offensive or Not?
NATIVE AMERICAN CLOTHING
Even if I did not have partial Native American ancestry in my family tree, my opinion would remain the same and be just as valid: there’s nothing wrong with non-Natives wearing Native American paraphernalia.
I don’t deem it “racist” for a non-Native to wear some piece of Native American clothing to a costume party. It doesn’t bother me.
If you’re a Native American who doesn’t like that sort of thing, I think it would be more suitable to use terminology such as “inappropriate,” “tacky,” or “insensitive,” but “racist”?
None of that is to say I’d necessarily agree that a non-Native person wearing something like a headdress is tacky or insensitive.
By the way, I wonder, do these rules apply equally to non-whites? If a black guy, a Latino, or an Asian, for instance, wanted to wear a Native American headdress, would it still be bad? Why or why not?
I just do not get worked up over things like white people (or black people, Asians, or others) wanting to wear Native American clothing.
I don’t take it as an offense.
COMPLIMENTARY
TEAM MASCOTS
As a matter of fact, I would regard a lot of what liberals negatively deem “cultural appropriation” to be complimentary.
The reason some football teams refer to themselves as “Red Skins,” or in some other Native American terminology, is because they like or admire Native Americans.
You’re not going to name your professional or college team after something you perceive as weak or stupid, like “The Fierce Boogers and Snots” or “The Wimpy Losers.”
I would take it as a positive thing if a football team wanted to use part of my culture as their name-sake or logo, not as a put-down.
LEFT VS RIGHT WING
I am curious – are there any Native Americans who are right wing or Republican out there?
Do most to all of them tilt liberal or Democrat?
Where do the left wing Native Americans get off dictating to everyone else, including those of us with Native ancestry who are right wing, who can and cannot wear Native American items? I don’t see where I, or others, have to bow to their opinions on these matters.
Edit. I found this:
(Link): Conservative American Indian Republicans
(Link): A Republican Native American? How Can That Be?
(Link): Appealing to the conservative Native American voter
So, apparently not all other Native Americans are liberals, vote Democrat, or presumably buy into the wacky world of liberal identity politics.
WHITE MASCOTS
THE FIGHTING IRISH
Some high schools I or my siblings went to as kids had mascots such as The Patriots, The Buccaneers, Raiders, and so on.
As someone who is partially white, should I object to the use of such white people as team mascots? I’m not offended by them. I don’t care.
I’m part Irish, yet I’m not offended by Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” moniker or mascot. (View the Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot and logo or view it here)
I don’t remember seeing any Irish people screaming and yelling about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot and claiming it’s “racism” and “cultural appropriation.” If there have been, they are just as nuts.
THE IRISH
Speaking of the Irish.
Some native born and raised Irish are arrogant little jerk weeds about Irish ancestry.
They get their noses bent out of joint, or mock, Americans of Irish ancestry who are proud of their ancestry and who celebrate it.
When Irish-Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, for instance, some of the Irish in Ireland ridicule them for it.
Native-born Irish refer to Irish-Americans with the derogatory term “Plastic,” which is short for “Plastic Paddy.”
Perhaps there are some native Irish who use that term with affection, but it’s my understanding that the indigenous use it as a negative term to describe Irish Americans who celebrate their ancestry.
More here:
Wiki: (Link): Plastic Paddy
And here:
(Link): Tired of being mocked and called a “Plastic Paddy” in Ireland?
Excerpts:
… the stereotype has taken hold among many [Irish] – Irish Americans come from LaLa land.
The abuse comes mainly from Irish-born who feel that the only true Irish identity is that you have to be born on the island of Ireland.
…It seems our culture, heritage, and history is no longer to be prized but sneered at by many. It’s time to shout stop.
…It is an incredibly narrow perspective to believe that the only authentic Irish experience is to be born and live in Ireland.
(end excerpts)
I am neither proud of or ashamed of my European ancestry (which includes but is not limited to the Irish). I am largely “meh” about who is in my family tree.
To reiterate, I primarily consider myself American, not Irish / European or Native American.
However, considering the awful attitude some Irish have towards Americans with Irish ancestry, how would they feel, I wonder, if I repudiated the Irish in my family tree and said I’m ashamed of it and spit on it? Would that make them happy?
I would like to think that people born and raised in Ireland would be happy to see Americans with Irish ancestry openly proud of their Irish heritage. I don’t get the animosity or mocking over it.
CLOSING
I, of partial Native American background, do not get upset or offended by Non-Natives who’d like to wear Native American clothing or dress up as a Native American for parties, or who’d like to use Native American typology for football team graphics.
I also do not care if a Native American from Nation X would like to wear clothing items from Nation Z, nor do I consider any of this offensive, insulting, and it’s certainly not “racism.”
Related (more links even farther below):
Via National Review:
(Link): The Liberal Fantasy of Cultural Appropriation
Via Daily Beast:
(Link): You Can’t ‘Steal’ a Culture: In Defense of Cultural Appropriation
What began as a legitimate complaint has morphed into a handy way of being offended at something that should be taken as a compliment.
…But over time, the concept of cultural appropriation has morphed into a parody of the original idea.
We are now to get angry simply when whites happily imitate something that minorities do. We now use the word steal in an abstract sense, separated from any kind of material value.
…It used to be that we said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But now there is new way to see the matter: Imitation is a kind of dismissal.
(end excerpts)
(Link): What Chuck Berry Taught Us About Cultural Appropriation
ITALIAN AMERICANS AS NATIVE AMERICANS
By the way? The actor who depicted a Native American in the 1970s PSA about pollution was actually of Italian descent. LOL.
More here:
(Link): The True Story of ‘The Crying Indian’
(Link): Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de CortiApril)
Italian-American actor. He portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films.
(Link): video link: Keep America Beautiful – (Crying-Indian) – 70s PSA Commercial
That’s right, this “Indian” is actually a guy of Italian descent:
More Related Content, other sites:
(Dec 2017): (Link): Native American activists coordinate fake news push to pressure Washington Redskins to change their name to the Redhawks
A push by a group of Native American activists to renew focus on the Washington Redskins’ name led to a bombardment of fake news in the sports world Wednesday.
The Rising Hearts coalition published multiple fake news stories purporting to be from Sports Illustrated, ESPN, the Washington Post, and others announcing the team’s name would become the Washington Redhawks instead of Redskins.
The group also created a Twitter account and a website for the new, made-up team.
“We created this action to show the NFL and the Washington football franchise how easy, popular and powerful changing the name could be,” said Rebecca Nagle, of the Cherokee Nation, who was one of the organizers.
“What we’re asking for changes only four letters. Just four letters! Certainly the harm that the mascot does to Native Americans outweighs the very, very minor changes the franchise would need to make.”
Native American activists have campaigned for years to get the Redskins to change their name, arguing the term is a racist reference to Native Americans that is offensive.
(this post had been edited several times to add more commentary and/or links)
Related Posts, This Blog:
(Link): Liberals and White People
Christian Pundit 