Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture » first nations/indigenous people

Miss(ed) Representations, Part One: ‘I’m a Culture, Not a Costume’ Campaign

Andrea — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:01:55 +0000

By Sexual Correspondent Andrea (AJ) Plaid

Longtime Racialicious readers know this time on the calendar has prompted the R to read someone (or several folks) about their racist costumes or some other Halloween-related foolishness. Well, this year, Ohio University’s Students Teaching about Racism in Society (STARS) put on posters what we’ve been putting into words for quite a while.

I think that, for the most part, the campaign deserves the accolades, coverage, and support it’s been getting around the web, from Angry Asian Man to the 17,575 (and counting!) responses on the STARS president’s Tumblr to The Root to Bitch to the former Racialicious owner Carmen Sognonvi .

Of course, we can argue, among other things, that phenotypes don’t equal culture and cultures aren’t static or even talk about the historical-religious appropriation of Halloween itself.

My only quibble with the campaign is that I may have chosen photos where the models conveyed different body language. Not that the models didn’t pose how they wanted, being a student-driven campaign. What I do think is quite a few photographers rarely get The Shot in one shot; in fact, several photographers submit several photos for clients/collaborative partners to choose from.

I would have chosen, say, the Latino looking down at the photo, the East Asian woman giving the “geisha” picture the side-eye. Or all of the models giving their respective photos the side-eye. Or all of them looking out at the viewer. Or all of them looking down. As is, the photo of the East Asian woman looking down may suggest non-confrontation (“meek Asian girl”)

juxtaposed with the men of color (the photo at the top of the post and this one)

and the Black woman

may inadvertently suggest stereotypes of anger and aggression (“angry Arab,” “Latino with a temper,” “aggressive Black woman”). Just a thought if and when STARS decides to tweak this incredible campaign.

But, again, that’s my only quibble. STARS did a wild-applause-and-rose-tossing job with this campaign.

Others, however, have taken this serious and timely message and parodied—if not downright attacked–it. (Color me unshocked by this, Racializens.) Now, some of the parodies made me chuckle, like this Avatar-based one

and the zombie one

mostly due to the ideas of the creatures being symbols for people of color.

The ones about white people, especially poor whites, produced mixed results mostly because the parodies don’t quite grasp that, yes, poor white people do have a mitigated privilege via their skin color and that white people of various class standings making fun of poor whites may be viewed as “inside joking,”

but white poverty is also thoroughly ridiculed and dismissed—and, therefore erased–in US society by that very same mitigated privilege.

Oh, and let’s not forget the sexism and the fatphobia in these parodies.

As we’ve witnessed in our posts about racism in costuming, people have rushed to defend their choice to dress up in racially offensive Halloween garb in some of the comment sections about the campaigns, with the usual mixture of the “I got my rights!”, “my best [insert race and/or ethnicity here] friend/partner/co-worker/neighbor didn’t find my costume offensive,” (bonus points if the person saying this is a person of color wears the stereotyping costume of a PoC culture), “y’all are being oversensitive/overemotional/hostile,” “you’re the racist for calling out my racism,” and other derailing techniques.

Some of the Derailing/Apologist/Other-Blaming hits and remixes?

From “Jerry Stein” at Autostraddle

OMG, get a life. This is pathetic. Would an Asian woman be OK to go as a Geisha on Halloween? If not why not? And if so are we now saying that only people of the exact origin or race can have fun dressed as a CHARACTER on Halloween? Stop being so sensitive. If America is to get passed all of this nonsense then it needs to get some perspective and start smiling again.
Watch any movie or TV show and you will see a racial stereotype. Are all stereotypes negative NO! Why is it that this campaign only sees that.
This country is dividing itself. Nobody wants to be American. Everyone is so narcissistic and self important it makes me sick to my stomach. Bring back people with humility and a sense of humor before we all end up selfish deluded idiots thinking the world owes them something.
Based on this all costumes which feature Cowboys, Irish Leprechauns, Michael Jackson, Lady GaGa, Bin Laden, OJ Simpson, Madonna, Jersey Shore cast members will all now be banned because they offend the Irish, African Americans, Italians and Muslims. Thats pretty much Halloween cancelled.
This country is becoming a laughing stock for the wrong reasons.

Mohamhead from GOOD

I am not white myself but I don’t see what’s wrong with people doing that kind on stuff on Halloween. I might even dress up as a white guy. Is that racist too? Or is it only racist if white people do it? Hypocrites.

didimydoe3, also at GOOD

I don’t mind stereotypical costumes of my race because I’m mature enough to know it’s a costume.
Sometimes it is offensive. Mine is. It’s the only reason I’m doing it. I’m going blackface.

Oh, I could go on and on and on with these kinds of comments–because these comments are out there ad nauseum–but you get the jist.

But see, here’s the thing, People Who Defend Racist Costumes: you all are proving STARS’—and Racialicious’—point…and quite well. You’re welcome.

As Bitch’s headline says, don’t mess up as you dress up, and have a Happy Halloween!

Image credits: Uproxx and Hard to Be Humble When You Stuntin on a Jumbotron

OCCUPY WALL STREET: The Game of Colonialism and further nationalism to be decolonized from the “Left”

Jessica — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:25:21 +0000

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee

The “OCCUPY WALL STREET” slogan has gone viral and international now. From the protests on the streets of WALL STREET in the name of “ending capitalism” – organizers, protestors, and activists have been encouraged to “occupy” different places that symbolize greed and power. There’s just one problem: THE UNITED STATES IS ALREADY BEING OCCUPIED. THIS IS INDIGENOUS LAND. And it’s been occupied for quite some time now.

I also need to mention that New York City is Haudenosaunee territory and home to many other First Nations. Waiting to see if that’s been mentioned anywhere. (Author’s note: Manhattan “proper” is home to to the Lenape who were defrauded of the island by the Dutch in 1626 – see more from Tequila Sovereign).

Not that I’m surprised that this was a misstep in organizing against Wall Street or really any organizing that happens when the “left” decides that it’s going to “take back America for the people” (which people?!). This is part of a much larger issue, and in fact there is so much nationalistic, patriotic language of imperialism wrapped up in these types of campaigns that it’s no wonder people can’t see the erasure of existence of the First Peoples of THIS territory that happens when we get all high and mighty with the pro-America agendas, and forget our OWN complicity and accountability to the way things are today – not just the corporations and the state.

Let me be clear. I’m not against ending capitalism and I’m not against people organizing to hold big corporations accountable for the extreme damage they are causing. Yes, we need to end globalization. What I am saying is that I have all kinds of problems when to get to “ending capitalism” we step on other people’s rights – and in this case erode Indigenous rights – to make the point. I’m not saying people did it intentionally but that doesn’t even matter – good intentions are not enough and good intentions obviously can have adverse affects. This is such a played out old record too, walking on other people’s backs to get to a mystical land of equity. Is it really just and equitable when specific people continue to be oppressed to get there? And it doesn’t have to be done! We don’t need more occupation – we need decolonization and it’s everyone’s responsibility to participate in that because COLONIALISM AFFECTS EVERYONE. EVERYONE! Colonialism also leads to capitalism, globalization, and industrialization. How can we truly end capitalism without ending colonialism? How does doing things in the name of “America” which was created by the imposition of hierarchies of class, race, ability, gender, and sexuality help that?

I can’t get on board with the nationalism of an “American” (or now “Canadian!”) revolution – I just can’t. There has been too much genocide and violence for the United States and Canada to be founded and to continue to exist as nation states. I think John Paul Montano, Anishnaabe writer captured it quite well in his “Open Letter to Occupy Wall Street Activists”:

I hope you would make mention of the fact that the very land upon which you are protesting does not belong to you – that you are guests upon that stolen indigenous land. I had hoped mention would be made of the indigenous nation whose land that is. I had hoped that you would address the centuries-long history that we indigenous peoples of this continent have endured being subject to the countless ‘-isms’ of do-gooders claiming to be building a “more just society,” a “better world,” a “land of freedom” on top of our indigenous societies, on our indigenous lands, while destroying and/or ignoring our ways of life. I had hoped that you would acknowledge that, since you are settlers on indigenous land, you need and want our indigenous consent to your building anything on our land – never mind an entire society.

I will leave you with this new art piece from Erin Konsmo (also pictured above), our fabulous intern at The Native Youth Sexual Health Network she created on “OCCUPY: THE GAME OF COLONIALISM”. Hopefully you get the picture now.

Celebrating Queer Indigenous Voices Week: Interview with Daniel Heath Justice

Guest Contributor — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:36 +0000

By Guest Contributor Jorge Antonio Vallejos, cross-posted from Black Coffee Poet

Near the end of my video interview with Daniel Heath Justice (above) for this special week Celebrating Queer Indigenous Voices I asked, “… anything we’ve left out?”

“There’s a lot we’ve left out,” said Justice.

True!

Although we had a table full of books we failed to mention Queer Indigenous writers from around the world. And I’m embarrassed to say that I did not mention an Indigenous, brown, queer woman who helped pave the way for a brown boy like me: Gloria Anzaldua. She was a Mestiza, Xicana who made an impact on the literature world and changed the way Indigeneity is seen, thought, read, written, and lived.

R.I.P Gloria.

Justice and I focused on Indigenous writers such as Chrystos, Paula Gunn Allen, Gregory Scofield, Beth Brant, all amazing writers who are Indigenous to Canada and the United States. A great interview (it’s always a pleasure chatting with Daniel) and resource for people, Justice was absolutely right: we left a lot out.

In comes Yellow Medicine Review: International Queer Voices to expose readers to a more broad canon of queer Indigenous writing.

Edited by Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhran, the cover alone lets you know you will be reading writers from Turtle Island (the Americas) and abroad. Three beautiful Polynesian women grace the cover, smiling, welcoming you to open the pages of one of the few literature journals celebrating Indigenous queerness on the page. Three shells float above their heads. I can hear the ocean just by looking at them. I feel calm, and a reassurance that this journal will teach me many things in a loving way.

The introduction is one unlike many: poetic, warm, welcoming, leaving you wanting more. Bodhran writes in English and Spanish (the two biggest colonial languages on Mother Earth) and he acknowledges his ancestors and relations and new family in the text. Included in the intro is the actual call for submissions followed by his response:

“Our kinfolk from around the world respond, offer me fabric, offer me fiber. Say: Weave with this. Weave with me. And we weave.”

The basket woven for the special issue holds stories from Canada, United States, Hawaii, Guam, Tonga, Australia, Palestine, New Zealand, Samoa, and the continent of Africa. (Yes, Africa is a continent, made up of 53 countries, inhabited by different peoples who live different cultures and speak different languages. It’s not a country with one group of people the way everyone describes it).

There are poems, short stories, plays, essays, letters, songs, and blog entries. It’s a mix that keeps you engaged through variety and good writing.

The art of letter writing is one that is dying and one that I appreciated being featured in the journal. Sadly, emails, texts and tweets have become the preferred way of communication. A snail-mail letter writer myself (I’m looking for new pen pals! Don’t be shy.), I feel there is still nothing like holding paper in your hand and reading someone’s carefully thought out words.

Aborigine Elder Noel Tovey of the land now known as Australia writes a letter to the Prime Minister: An open letter to the PM, (p. 202). Written January 14 2009, Tovey was born in 1933 and is one of the Stolen Generations in Australia. Wrongfully incarcerated for “The Abominable Crime of Buggery”, essentially being queer and having relations with folks, Tovey survived many hardships and wants to see those hardships end for others:

As an older Indigenous man is who is also gay, I am deeply concerned at the suffering of gay elderly people, who, like me, have experienced severe trauma in the past due to the ignorance of those around us.
I have grave concerns about the “same sex equal treatment” reforms and the way in which these compound the suffering of elderly gay, Including Indigenous people. Elderly gay people are from a generation that preceded civil rights and they were subjected to shock treatment, lobotomy, and other horrors. They hid from view and remain mostly hidden today. Nevertheless, they are elders of our gay community who deserve protection.

While reading the letter I was again reminded why our Elders are so important to us. The bravery, humility, and love in Tovey’s words come through with every paragraph. A short letter, you learn something with every sentence. Tovey shares who he is, where he is from, what he has lived, and his desires for a better future for his people. And he is not barking like so many activists tend to do. Tovey writes clear, calm, and with confidence. His letter is one to be referenced, studied, and used as a spark for future letters to many so called leaders around the globe.

Tonga writer Loa Niumeitolu’s Prison Notes, an essay followed a letter to a friend in prison, gets you thinking about incarceration and those who are incarcerated. With so many peoples who have colonial histories behind bars it’s an important piece. For example, in Canada 25% of the prison population is made up of First Nations Peoples who are 2% of the overall population. Some Canadian provinces see 70% of the prison population made up of First Nations, Aboriginal, and Metis peoples.

Do you see a problem here?

In My First Visit to San Quentin Prison, Niumeitolu writes of Samoans, Tongans, and Cambodians doing time in the famous prison often written about and featured in films. She lets the reader know that it’s not only Latinos and African Americans who are incarcerated. There are many different faces of colour with colonial histories living in these neo-colonial extensions of slavery.

It’s Niumeitolu’s questions and insights that really make an impact:

The issue of incarceration does not begin only when you’re in lockdown or, as the brothers at San Quentin know so well, it doesn’t end after you’re let out.
Where do our prisons begin? What leads to the making of a prison? How am I contributing to the creation of a prison and the criminalization of people—women, men, and children?
We each have to stop contributing to the building of prisons, the making of something to be so different and separate from something else, that one can be said to be good and the other bad.

Niumeitolu offers a different way of thinking. She is out of the black and white box, no wehere near it, actually. Her questions are important. What is missing are suggestions for alternatives.

In many cultures names are important. Whether it’s the name of a person, place, story, there is meaning behind a name. Jennifer Lisa Vest (Seminole, African American, and German) takes you back in history through many names and leaves you knowing why she has the name she does. A four page poem is all Vest needs to take you on a ride spanning hundreds of years. Her poem Names (p. 28) is a call to action, a lesson in history, and reason for recognition. Vest sings to you. From start to finish you are with her; eyes opening, breath pattern changing, smiles formed, mouth open leaving you in awe.

Reading Names reminds me of why I am a poet and why poetry matters.

Although there is much more to be written of in this 300 page journal I feel it fitting to sign off with some of Vests words. She writes of a North American experience but it is one that Indigenous peoples around the globe can identify with. Read the knowledge in Vest’s verse, hear the power in Vest’s voice, and remember that International Queer Voices are here to stay and be read as well as heard:

But they could not defeat us
so they called us savages
Could not baptize us
so they called us heathens
Could not find us
so they called us wiped out
Could not understand us
so they called us mysterious
Could not educate us
so they called us backwards
Could not convince us
to learn their language
so they called us
hostile, shy, afraid
Vest continues her history lesson:
When they got tired of fighting us
we became a legend
They spent hundreds of years
Trying to find the
Last Unconquered Indians
Sent in the army
Government surveyors
Sports fisherman
Anthropologists
Missionaries
But we were untrackable
And intractable
When found
We cost the government
and embarrassment of riches
and white men

Vest ends with a verbal punch to the colonial throat:

We say
Before you left Spain in Search
of your splintered self
We were here
Before you realized England
Was cramped and dirty
We were here
Before you left France
For your piece of the pie
We were here
Before you tried to carve a nation
out of your expatriation
Before you defined your red-blooded
American selves
In terms of our absence
We were here

For Your Women’s History Month: Loretta Ross on the Origin of “Women of Color”

Andrea — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:00:45 +0000

By Sexual Correspondent Andrea (AJ) Plaid

Full disclosure: I met Loretta Ross at a Women’s Media Center’s media workshop for progressive women last summer, and we’re connected through the New York City chapter of SisterSong, which reshaped the reproductive-rights fight to reproductive justice. And I just think she is an incredible activist and living historian.

I saw this clip of her explaining to another generation of feminists where the term “women of color” came from and wanted to share.

Transcript after the jump.

Loretta Ross: Y’all know where the term “women of color” came from? Who can say that? See, we’re bad at transmitting history.

In 1977, a group of Black women from Washington, DC, went to the National Women’s Conference, that [former President] Jimmy Carter gave $5million to have as part of the World Decade for Women. There was a conference in Houston, TX.

This group of Black women carried into that conference something called “The Black Women’s Agenda” because the organizers of the conference—Bella Abzug, Ellie Smeal, and what have you—had put together a three-page “Minority Women’s Plank” in a 200-page document that these Black women thought was somewhat inadequate.

(Giggles in background)

So they actually formed a group called Black Women’s Agenda to come [sic] to Houston with a Black women’s plan of action that they wanted the delegates to vote to substitute for the “Minority Women’s Plank that was in the proposed plan of action.

Well, a funny thing happened in Houston: when they took the Black Women’s Agenda to Houston, then all the rest of the “minority” women of color wanted to be included in the “Black Women’s Agenda.” Okay?

Well, [the Black women] agreed…but you could no longer call it the “Black Women’s Agenda.” And it was in those negotiations in Houston [that] the term “women of color” was created. Okay?

And they didn’t see it as a biological designation—you’re born Asian, you’re born Black, you’re born African American, whatever—but it is a solidarity definition, a commitment to work in collaboration with other oppressed women of color who have been “minoritized.”

Now, what’s happened in the 30 years since then is that people see it as biology now.

(Murmurs of understanding, agreement)

You know? Like, “Okay…” And peopleare saying they don’t want to be defined as a woman of color: “I am Black, “I am Asian American”…and that’s fine. But why are you reducing a political designation to a biological destiny?

(Murmurs of agreement)

That’s what white supremacy wants you to do. And I think it’s a setback when we disintegrate as people of color around primitive ethnic claiming. Yes, we are Asian American, Native American, whatever, but the point is, when you choose to work with other people who are minoritized by oppression, you’ve lifted yourself out of that basic identity into another political being and another political space. And, unfortunately, so many times, people of color hear the term “people of color” from other white people that [PoCs} think white people created it instead of understanding that we self-named ourselves. This is term that has a lot of power for us.

But we’ve done a poor-ass job of communicating that history so that people understand that power.

Culturelicious: An Interview With Mohawk Poet Janet Marie Rogers

Guest Contributor — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:04 +0000

By Guest Contributor Jorge Antonio Vallejos, cross-posted from Black Coffee Poet

Janet Marie Rogers is a spoken-word poet from Six Nations Territory in Ontario, Canada who started writing in 1996.

Her literary passions are Native heritage, feminism, historical territories, human love, sexuality and spirit.

Rogers hosts Victoria, BC’s only Native radio program, called Native Waves every Tuesday at 2:30 pm on CFUV 101.9 FM.

BCP: Why spoken-word poetry?

JMR: This is easy to answer. I was first exposed to poetry readings at a local pub. And there was plenty of “bad” poetry being shared. People droning on and reading a type of therapeutic poetry which is like masturbating in words. So I vowed then and there that I would NEVER bore my audience. Plus I believe in my words and wanted people to pay attention to my messages, so I began “teaching myself” the spoken word genre and its been growing from there ever since.

BCP: What is your process?

JMR: I wait for the good stuff. Some writers are disciplined and are able to write everyday. Myself, I know when a poem wants to be born. It is a strong energy in my stomach, then the words begin to sound in my head and I’m off to the races as they say. And during the execution of the poem, I keep telling myself to stay true, be honest, go deep, make it interesting and creative. I tell other writers and artists, there is no great crime than to be boring and unoriginal … I live by that code.

BCP: How long have you been writing poetry/songs?

JMR: Gosh, I moved from Toronto to Victoria BC in 1994. I had three years sobriety under my belt at that time and I was done with the Big Smoke. I had every intention to pursue a career as a visual artist and even had a solo show in Vic called “Rock, Paper, Scissors” based on petroglyph and pictograph images. I also started a women’s artists collective at the time which was pretty successful. I began writing in 1996 – and when the writing began piling up, I produced little books. I was tickled when people actually took money from their pockets to buy my writing – and the writing seemed to go farther in a shorter amount of time, than the visual work ever did…so I followed that.

BCP: Who are your influences?

JMR: Well, influences are fluid, they change from time to time – so recently I picked up a copy of Skin Like Mine by Garry Gottfriedson. His work is a shining example of an aware mature Indian writer who expresses his poems beautifully without watering down his politics. For me, this is good writing. I have had very talented writing mentors in my life like Jordan Wheeler and Richard VanCamp. I have a writing brother, Chris Bose who recently launched his book Stone the Crow. We support one another and have come up as writers simultaneously. I studied spoken word once, at the Banff Centre which has a fabulous program, unfortunately its run by a crazy lady Sheri D Wilson. She was the only challenge within that program.

BCP: Your poetry/songs are raw, honest, and stimulating. What do you try to convey to your listeners?

JMR: Truth. Inspiration. Creativity.

BCP: How long were you working on the poems/songs that are featured in Firewater?

JMR: Some are older poems, but most of them are recent, like created in the last 3 years. None of the poems on the CD are published, but soon will be in my next book titled “Un-Earthed” with Leaf Press. Fall 2011

BCP: Why did you name the CD Firewater?

JMR: I love the idea of re-claiming words, especially words that were meant to degrade our people. Firewater is actually paying homage to two of the natural elements, Fire, which represents the creative forces in the word and water, which is essential to our life, water runs through the veins of the earth. But firewater also means booze. So like the booze reference, these poems work with that wild energy, that drunk and uninhibited energy. Its about power! and I’m surprised, more people haven’t taken me to task over this title…I was hoping for more controversy.

BCP: Water is a huge aspect of Firewater. It is present in many songs through drops hitting the ground, rain pouring, rivers flowing, and the ocean crashing. Why did you choose to make water such a prevalent force in your CD?

JMR: That’s the work of my producer, Chris Bose … he was working with a brand new Mac program. I trusted him with the soundscapes and effects he worked into the poems.

BCP: The violin is an instrument that is in almost every song. Are you playing the violin in featured in Firewater?

JMR: Know this name, Swil Kanim. He is from the Lummi nation in the colonized Washington State and I am lucky to know this man as a friend and to have collaborated with him on this project. His violin playing comes from very deep parts of the soul. And he is very fun to work with, a very funny guy and at the same time professional.

BCP: “Drunken Shaman” reminded me of the tragic events this year with those people in the U.S dying in the sweatlodge. How did it come about?

JMR: Hah, that poem had nothing to do with the poor souls who perished in the lodge. It is a story poem inspired by a real guy who I came across in Ottawa. He is a homeless Indian man and I really liked the way he tried to engage with me. He looked at me and guessed my nation, he told me he liked my shoes. He has good energy and worked his magic even though he didn’t have much. I respect homeless people because they actually have skills other people don’t. I’m not sure I could survive without money and a roof and a bed…

BCP: “Addictions” is a sad and scary poem/song. You say, “life is short but not short enough for some.” It is hard hitting and also has a positive message in it while leaving the listener with shivers. Was it difficult to write this poem/song? Is it difficult performing it?

JMR: I often lose it and break down and cry while performing this poem. It is powerful, thanks for feeling that.

BCP: In “Hurricane Rage” you say, “Procrastination is comfortable.” This is very true. How do you advise our society to get out of their comfort zone?

JMR: Aim higher, want more, envision the very best version of yourself and go for it. Stop eating shit and do exactly what you want to do.

BCP: “Warriors Prayer” sounds like the spoken-word version of the American Indian Movement song. Has the AIM song been a big influence in your spoken word poetry?

JMR: I would LOVE to do a poem with the AIM song. I LOVE the AIM song. I sing that song with my pow wow drum “Big Crew” I believe my poems work with the same energy that’s within that song. Its all about empowerment.

BCP: What are you working on now?

JMR: I’m working on putting a new book of erotic writing together. All my erotic poems with the art work of 8 native artists. The book is titled Red Erotic and I’m putting this collection out under my own publishing label, Ojistah Publishing which means Star in the Mohawk language. So I’m going to start an Indigenous publishing house … Come one come all.

BCP: Do you expect to have your own collection of poetry published sometime in the future?

JMR: Yeah, I have a book out now called Splitting the Heart which has a companion CD. and my next book “Un-Earthed” mentioned earlier with Leaf Press.

BCP: What do you want the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities to get from reading Firewater?

JMR: I don’t work with pre-determined intentions like that. From the feedback so far, it sounds like people like the work and they get validation in some aspects in their own lives with some of the poems, so its doing what “good art” should do and that it is resonating back to the people, making them feel something, feeding their souls etc.

BCP: What advice do you have for other spoken-word poets out there who are having difficulties with their writing, or who have yet to see their work in print or on stage?

JMR: Just do it! Don’t wait for permission, just do it and keep it real.

Friday Announcement: Native Youth Sexual Health Network Liveblogs 22nd International Two Spirit Gathering

Andrea — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:00:38 +0000

The Native Youth Sexual Health Network, founded and led by the R’s Jessica Yee, will liveblog the 22nd International Two Spirit Gathering, which will be held this weekend, from September 3-6.

The retreat, as described on the website:

The gathering will take place…at the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre, Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada (64 kilometers or 40 miles) northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Aboriginal/Native American gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people, their partners, friends & families are invited to gather in the land of the Cree, Dene, Dakota, Inuit, Metis, Ojibway-Cree and Ojibway.

Check here for the updates from the event.

Another day, another apology – this time to Inuit for high arctic relocation

Jessica — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:57 +0000

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee

This past Wednesday newly appointed Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development John Duncan issued an official apology from the government of Canada to Inuit for the forced high arctic relocation:

On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, we would like to offer a full and sincere apology to Inuit for the relocation of families from Inukjuak and Pond Inlet to Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay during the 1950s.
We would like to express our deepest sorrow for the extreme hardship and suffering caused by the relocation. The families were separated from their home communities and extended families by more than a thousand kilometres. They were not provided with adequate shelter and supplies. They were not properly informed of how far away and how different from Inukjuak their new homes would be, and they were not aware that they would be separated into two communities once they arrived in the High Arctic. Moreover, the Government failed to act on its promise to return anyone that did not wish to stay in the High Arctic to their old homes.
The Government of Canada deeply regrets the mistakes and broken promises of this dark chapter of our history and apologizes for the High Arctic relocation having taken place. We would like to pay tribute to the relocatees for their perseverance and courage. Despite the suffering and hardship, the relocatees and their descendants were successful in building vibrant communities in Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay. The Government of Canada recognizes that these communities have contributed to a strong Canadian presence in the High Arctic.
The relocation of Inuit families to the High Arctic is a tragic chapter in Canada’s history that we should not forget, but that we must acknowledge, learn from and teach our children. Acknowledging our shared history allows us to move forward in partnership and in a spirit of reconciliation. The Government of Canada and Inuit have accomplished many great things together, and all Canadians have benefitted from the contributions of Inuit to our culture and history. We must continue to strengthen our connections and deepen our understanding and respect. We must jointly build a stronger, healthier and more vibrant Inuit Nunangat and, in turn, build a stronger, healthier and more vibrant Canada.

The forced “high arctic relocation” is a horribly little known part of Indigenous apartheid in Canada. So many families I know have relatives who were part of this and have fought for years to seek justice, even just to get the government to admit that it purposely put people there to assert so-called “Canadian sovereignty” (which is insulting even just to type those two words out). Words like “relocation” are also coercive and intentionally polite to deceive people into thinking that Inuit were just fine and happy to be moved – and of course to defend Canada’s imposed right to commodify Indigenous people and make us disappear.

This latest apology is on the heels of a few apologies that have come from governments over the past few years to Indigenous people which again, makes me wonder about the difference in generations of their significance and impact, and how we all deal with healing differently, some with anger, and some with closure.

Inuk youth activist Janice Grey and friend of mine from the Nunavik region tells me how she feels about it:

Finally, after half a decade, those who were affected directly and indirectly by the federal government’s high arctic relocation have been given an official apology. These Inuit had their entire lives turned upside down by broken promises and a hidden agenda, now almost 60 years later they’ve built a life for themselves regardless of all the hardship. I completely agree that an apology is necessary, that this needs to be acknowledged and known by all Canadians, but what will it bring to the people other than the opportunity for forgiveness? Will the legacy of this apology resonate as much as the legacy of the actual relocation? The generations to follow will still be reeling from that trauma, but they, unlike their grandparents have an apology to live with. My only question really is, is that enough?

To me you can wrap it up in a nice bow and label it with “apology” all you want but the current government’s treatment of Inuit including the inaction on TB for example being 185 times higher in Inuit communities continuously make it difficult for me to believe they even know what they are talking about in the first place. To paraphrase Albert Memmi in the Colonizer and the Colonized, “There are a lot of declarations against racism and not enough plans of action”. Yeah no shit, government of Canada, no shit.

The 20th anniversary of Oka and the continuation of unearthing human rights at the G8/G20

Arturo — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:00:46 +0000

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee

Video after video, photo after photo, story after story came pouring in this weekend telling us about another friend or another relative who had been unlawfully arrested, beaten, spit on, psychologically, physically, and emotionally abused and relentlessly harassed by the police in Toronto. All this and more unearthing of human rights happened to the people for demonstrating, protesting, taking action and speaking out against one of the most undemocratic and unethical convenings of the world’s largest superpowers – the G8/G20.

Counts of the number of arrests that took place this past weekend are at some 500 or more – with some having now been released – but so many others remain cramped and overcrowded in the mass jails that were erected in what we know were government and state plans to throw people in and violate their human rights – which is of course in line with the entire theme of the G8/G20. Rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray were deployed by police at will and used against people of all ages who yes – were peacefully protesting (and I’m not going into the less than 100 who were not because they were the very small minority) but more importantly, YES IT IS our civil liberty and fundamental right to do so.

Reports also came rushing in about police keeping people cornered outside in the heavy rain for hours, as well as further accounts of violent police brutality directly inside and outside the jails – and I don’t owe them any benefit of the doubt to believe otherwise. This also occurred two intersections down the street from my house in Toronto.

Now I owe who I am today because of activists and communities of people who wouldn’t shut the f#$! up for the last few hundred years. In fact I don’t think I would be alive today if they hadn’t. I am a descendant of people who fought in Kanasatake, Oka, Quebec which might have started out as the plight of our people, the Kanionke:haka/Mohawk people, taking a stand against the unsanctioned building of a golf course on our traditional lands and burial grounds – but in actuality it was the plight of 500+ years of colonization and genocide towards us and on Mother Earth. The manifestation of it all brought things to a head in Oka, but it also brought Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples from all over the world to our territory to be in solidarity with us. This year marks the 20th anniversary of when it all happened.

Video footage, news reports, and Elder stories from this time at Oka show things that still make my heart sink, my eyes cry, and my voice fill with rage. Effigies of our people being burnt by so-called local non-Native “neighbours”, rocks being thrown into the passing cars of women and children who were supposed to be guaranteed safe passage by authorities but who instead stood by silently as projectiles crashed through their windows, and some of the most horrendous police brutality and severe violence that has ever transpired on Indigenous land.

However it’s not as if the struggle has ever really stopped. It hasn’t. The actions that have taken place around the G8/G20 from Indigenous people, women, people of colour, the poor, the working class, queer and trans people and disabled people have decades, if not centuries, of baggage that lead up to this point of where we are at with zero accountability from governments for the continuation of oppression.

It is essential that we remember Oka and never let it be forgotten because it is times like this where we are reminded of the ominous presence of colonialism and malice from the fear-mongering state – but perhaps even more importantly than that – what it means for peoples to come together and fight back, because WE ARE STILL HERE.

What I want to say to the people whose human rights were violated to the extreme at Oka, as well as these past weeks at the G8/G20, is that I love you. My love is contained in the full support for everything you did and continue to do. I will not allow your work to be obliterated now or ever. Please know that I stand with you for speaking the truth from your heart which no government, police, or jail can silence.

Images courtesy of Reuters and BlogTo

Some Basic Racist Ideas and some Rebuttals, & Why We Exist

Thea Lim — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:00:10 +0000

By Thea Lim

On Tuesday Racialicious Special Correspondent Jessica Yee wrote a post for the Bitch Magazine blog called “On hipsters/hippies and Native Culture” (scroll down one to see the post itself), which was basically a post listing some of the major cultural appropriation no-nos practiced by hipster and hippie culture.

The Bitch Magazine blog comments section is usually fairly quiet, averaging about 10 comments a post. Jessica’s post got 51 comments (at last count). While a few comments were supportive of Jessica’s point, a lot of them were angry, obtuse and condescending, accusing Jessica of being combative while they themselves were combative or accusing Jessica of “excluding people” while remaining completely insensitive to the fact that our culture has actively and institutionally excluded the communities Jessica speaks for, for hundreds of years. A little proportion, please.

Racialicious considers Bitch a friend – all year Racialicious bloggers will be guesting at the Bitch blog. But when Jessica sent out an email to the team with a link to said Bitch post and its comments, we shuddered a long, sad, collective sigh. This kind of blowback is so depressingly standard, and calls immediately to mind the dozens of times we’ve received these types of responses when we’ve asked for ourselves, our cultures and our experiences to be respected.

The resistance Jessica got is so standard that we can categorise it into three, typical responses that entitled folks make when called out for their privilege. So here, organised for your reading ease, are some of those soul-scorching comments, and my rebuttals to their nonsense.

1. Why are you so angry? Don’t you know that no one will listen to your cause if you’re angry?

…Her defensive, hostile and generally angry tone does no service to the Indigenous community nor to her own self-claimed authorty as the arbiter of all things Native. Many of her points (Native women were the first to acknowledge that periods aren’t gross?) fail to recognize that these same concepts are fairly universal and are held by the early peoples of pretty much every continent- including Europe. She needs to take a breath and get over herself…

It seems somewhat contradictory to put stickers on your laptop that indicate a Mohawk heritage and then rudely dismiss a stranger who expresses an interest in your advertisement. Perhaps a better way to accomplish your agenda (whatever it is) would be to engage in polite and open-minded conversation with those who mistake your stickers for an invitation.

if you dont like the ignorance people have of you then fix it! teach them the right way! dont get all huffy and upset and tell them to go away!

Note that the second comment suggests that Jessica should take a nicer tone if she wants to accomplish her agenda – without even knowing (or I guess, caring) what the agenda is.

This kind of hey-let-me-help-you-achieve-your-goal-by-suggesting-you-be-more-radio-friendly response totally misunderstands (and appears disinterested) in the anti-racist project, because it assumes that anti-racism is all about convincing white people to be nice to people of colour. In other words, it assumes that anti-racism revolves around white folks. Like everything else in the world.

Anti-racism and people of colour organizing is not about being friendly, being appealing, or educating white folks. While individual anti-racist activists may take those tacks to achieve their goals, the point of anti-racism is to be for people of colour.

Anti-racism is about carving out a space for people of colour; decolonising and reappropriating the spaces which have been taken from us by racism. So sometimes people put Mohawk stickers on their laptops (or wear yellow pride t-shirts or support black music) because that is a way for them to affirm to themselves who they are, within a dominant culture that tries to ignore and erase their pride in their own cultures.

While I personally often take a gentler approach to anti-racism (often because I have internalised messages that as a woman of colour I should not be pushy) I have many times over been inspired and moved by Jessica’s power and fearlessness at calling people out on their shit.

2. Why don’t you lighten up and get over it?

Oh please. This is like saying its not cool to eat pizza unless you’re Italian. Or only the French can drink champagne. Learn to share your heritage. Stop holding on so tightly. My ancestors weren’t even around before the 1900′s. They didn’t kill your ancestors. Get over it.

…But should racial sensitivity move all the way over to never watching a John Wayne movie ever again and seeing Italians poorly portray a “First People” (Bitch needs to check their AP style book *snotty wink*). Or a bunch of star fucking hipsters in headdresses coked out of their little American panties? It just seems like trite and really insecure whistle blowing.

…Health disparaties and poverty are worth more of everyone’s attention than hippie fashion trends or things that annoy you about white people…

As a pop culture website, we get this response so often that we even have a policy to speak to it:

8. Don’t respond to a post or comment by saying “why don’t you focus on some real issues like the war/starving children in Africa/police brutality/etc.” Newsflash: this is a blog about race and pop culture. If you’re not interested in discussing the intersection of those two things, please go elsewhere.

Incidentally Bitch is also a pop culture site, so it kinda makes sense that Jessica talk about hipsters there. Bitch readers come to Bitch to talk about feminism and pop culture, but they don’t want to talk about racism and pop culture?

The “get over it” defense is not hard to take down as soon as you realise that by “it” the commenter is referring to colonisation and genocide, the legacy of which continues to beset Native communities in the form of poverty, environmental racism, and health disparities (to recap some of the things Jessica mentioned in the original post).

The whole “but that happened 100 years ago!” defense is similarly dense: a brief look at who is poor and who is marginalised in the richest countries in the world should quiet that one down…though it often doesn’t. There’s no accounting for pigheadedness.

And beyond this? Racism manifests itself in a million different ways, from massive structural inequalities, to the accessories of that fashionable person on the subway next to you. And sometimes it is easier for folks to understand and tackle the small things; for me, it was a long journey to the admission that racism exists and impacts my daily life. Talking about pop culture was a baby step that I could take; it was also something that was familiar and accessible when I didn’t really understand the academic language of postcolonial theory, or couldn’t imagine that words like “double marginalization” “diaspora” or even “immigrant” could apply to me.

It’s bossy to tell people which incidences of racism they should be discussing, and it also denies the insidious nature of racism. There’s no global limit on how many racist topics we can discuss. If our bandwidth has room, we’re going to decontruct it.

3. Why is this my fault? My family didn’t do anything. And anyways, I’m poor/female/an immigrant (insert other identity) so that neutralises my white privilege – I don’t have any.

…Am I immediately part of the problem because I was born into it? You assume I don’t care or involved myself in Native rights and politics because I’m white? How easy it is for all you to dismiss the few uber-defensive Caucasians claiming, “What, I’m automatically racist because I’m [white]?” without reconsidering the allegation. Throwing around blame is not a solution…

…[from a commenter who identifies as a white immigrant] Though we fare better than many others…it’s been a long struggle, especially since my parents’ accents are much too thick for most American-born citizens to understand and has made jobs difficult to land. We are working class and could not even afford state university. Anyway, I wanted to say that it is interesting how homogenized white people are in this country. Our personal heritage is ignored, a Scottish redheaded regarded no differently than a deeply olive-skinned Sicillian, in the United States.

…my ancestors came from Ireland, i am only a few generations off the boat. and when the Irish came to America, they were looked at the same way that assholes look at immigrants today. by other white people…being poor pretty much cancels out all the benefits of white privilege, except for the whole thing about being “color blind.” i’m trying to be more aware of this stuff…but here’s the thing- my ancestors didn’t kill your ancestors, and i don’t really see what benefits i am reaping (other than the one i mentioned earlier)…

No matter what, denying that you have privilege because of other things going on in your life, shows that you have not really engaged with what it means to have privilege.

The bottom line is, if you are white, you benefit from white privilege, and if you live on native land, you benefit from the native genocide.

Let’s take me as a case study.

In my everyday life, I am often the only person of colour in the room. While this can be stressful and upsetting, I also have to ask why it is me, of all the people of colour, who gets to be in the room. Part of it may be because I worked hard. But I also need to acknowledge that a lot of it has to do with the fact that I grew up middle class (even though my parents were immigrants); that have a great deal of educational privilege and that is clear as soon as I open my mouth; and that my mother is white and she taught me by example to be entitled (even though she herself grew up very poor)…In other words, I experience both barriers and privileges, and denying that only means that I will have a dishonest relationship to the world around me.

The fact that I have white/educational/class privilege does not go away because I am a woman of colour. Sure the privilege is mediated through the racism (and other things) that I experience (and on a bad day where I feel like the room is completely ignorant and just doesn’t give two poops about my experience, I often want to escape the room) but neither the oppression I experience nor the privileges I have cancel each other out. It’s more complicated than that.

I also was born on Native land, in Canada, and continue to live on Native land in Texas. Without a doubt none of my ancestors had a direct hand in the colonisation of the Americas; my parents were each the first members of their families to set foot on Turtle Island, and they arrived in the mid 70′s. But by the fact that I live on the land, I benefit from the genocide visited on the people who originally lived here. Do I like the fact that I benefit from something so horrendous and on-going? No. But would I be living here and having my nice life on the land if the genocide hadn’t happened? No. If I can’t admit that I benefit from it – no matter how I feel about that benefit – I have a dishonest relationship to the world around me.

Is the genocide my fault? No. As someone who lives on the land, is it my responsibility to do something about its fallout? Yes. That doesn’t mean relocating everyone who now lives on the land*, but it does mean (to me) educating myself about what happened, showing solidarity, and taking an active interest in indigenous efforts to preserve their culture and gain access to basic human rights. As a Canadian, this is a part of my history, and a part of my business.

The onslaught of pushback that anti-racism receives from folks who simply have no interest in engaging with their own privilege can be silencing, especially if you don’t have your own community of colour who has your back. Which brings me to my final point.

To anyone who ever asks why Racialicious is run solely by people of colour, or keeps such a death grip on the comments section, or runs content almost solely by people of colour – well, your answer is in the sample comments above, which in their own way are all saying: SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP. Even if they were written by well-intentioned people who did not intend to shut Jessica up, that is what they ultimately communicate.

We run Racialicious the way we do because we have to. This is how we survive and build community. When no one will give you the space to speak your own truths on their site, make your own damn site. While we intend to make space for respectful disagreements, we do not publish comments that require our writers to defend whether their experiences, feelings or opinions matter or exist. Because people of colour have to deal with that kind of eroding scrutiny every single effing day.

Despite the gargantuan size of the English-speaking blogosphere, Racialicious is one of the few places where anti-racist people of colour can come together in a safe space to debate the issues (from small to big) of our lives. And truly, that’s not necessarily something we’re happy about; while it’s nice to excel at what you do, there should be more online spaces that are either for people of colour, or just more friendly to people of colour.

But in the meantime, we’ll be holding it down here.

–

* Another favoured response of non-anti-racists to the belief that we benefit from the native genocide is to say “Yeah but, what are we going to do, move away and give back the land?” As I said in a past post:

That kind of zero-sum reasoning distracts away from the fact that many First Nations people in Canada, my own country, live under third world conditions in a first world country…Surely there is a political option to remedy this beyond shameful situation, between ignoring it and moving back to England.

—

Cultural Appropriation Bingo Card courtesy of Elusis

Feminist Intersection: On hipsters/hippies and Native culture

Jessica — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:00:23 +0000

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee, originally published at Bitch Magazine

Lately I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with the hipsters and hippies, as well as the hippie/hipster “culture” at large, and have become increasingly annoyed at their depiction/co-option of my ethnicity as a First Nations person.

Kelsey pointed me to this post on Sociological Images last week which rounds up some of the latest and greatest of this ever continuing trend.

I know my parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles have had to deal with this in their time and it’s certainly not a new thing –but it’s 2010 and not only does it still continue strongly to this day – it’s taken some interesting turns down the erasure of true origins road. This isn’t a hate letter, or reverse racism (as if there were such a thing!). It’s also not an attempt to discourage you from finding out more about Native people – and in fact I strongly ENCOURAGE you to do some actual research and knowledge seeking so you might get our culture right and think twice about things like permission and respect before you act on your appropriation.

So to the hipsters/hippies who appropriate Native culture but aren’t First Nations/Aboriginal/Indigenous, I’m asking you nicely now, to PLEASE stop annoying (the fuck out of) me with the following:

The clothing. Whether it’s headbands, feathers, bone necklaces, mukluks, or moccasins – at least put some damn thought into WHAT you are wearing and WHERE it’s from. I know our people sell these things en masse in gift shops and trading posts, and it seems like it’s an open invitation to buy it and flaunt it, but you could at least check the label to see A. If it’s made by actual Indigenous people/communities B. What does this really mean if YOU wear it?

Organic living and environmentalism as “new” concepts. One of my friends jokes that all Native people should get green energy for free because that’s how we’ve been living for centuries and also taught the colonizers how to live (which may or may not have screwed us in the end). I really do love the resurgence of the green movement and how things are becoming more environmentally friendly – but I don’t need certain members of the movement pretending like they started this or ignoring extreme realities we’re facing like environmental racism and justice. I also think we need actual Native people being in charge of and leading the responses to environmental degradation that are happening in our own territories. It’s not to say we don’t need allyship and support – but it’s also rather irritating when I read an event posting for a cause of some sort for a First Nation where there’s like two Native people in the whole place (who either barely say anything or are supposed to go along with the way the hippies organize without complaint because they’re “doing something for us”).

The appropriation of and silence about our medicines and teachings. I see direct examples of this in some of the alternative feminine and menstrual cycle products that are on the market now. I’m not hating on the DIVA cup or suggesting that the “divine goddess” isn’t a great story to hear, but I am wondering where your assertion of Indigenous midwifery knowledge is – and that in fact the absence of acknowledgment of where periods not being a bad thing or the blood from our menstrual cycles being sacred originates, is a direct erasure of Indigenous truth. It’s not enough to romanticize our medicines and teachings about women’s bodies and power and say, “Look at how thousands of years ago they used to do that!” and then capitalize your product or book off of some ancient-seeming fluff you are trying to present as en vogue. No! We are STILL doing this, we STILL believe in this, and damn it, you need to HONOR where this comes from!

We’re all one race. I’m not here to burst your bubble of unity and friendship, those things are great – but I am here to remind you that while some of you want to be our friends and ignore so-called “cultural differences” – you can’t ignore the history and current day presence of colonialism and racism. I don’t need to list off the statistics of health disparities and poverty in Native communities today to prove this fact to you – just consult the facts. I don’t want to be the angry Indian you won’t be friends with, so do me a favor and when you talk about “earth-based” things and your “right” to participate in whatever culture you want because we’re all human, know that there is such a thing as cultural protocol and that many of us are in crisis now of how to protect Indigenous knowledge.

Your grandfather’s, sister’s, cousin’s great-grandma was a Cherokee princess. This is an old one that we’ve been hearing for decades now – but it’s especially bothersome when I’m on the plane and you want me to educate you about blood quantum systems and status for the next 2 hours of the flight. I won’t do this, and I’m tired of you getting upset at me if I don’t initially present myself as Native (because no, we don’t all have braids and brown skin) but then you look at my laptop stickers and are like, “Mohawk. Hey my third cousin’s sister’s best friend is Native!” and then I just turn the volume on my IPod louder because I don’t always have the answers to your incessant questions – which are really just one question to me – why are we so invisible to you?

–

Image by Jenn Mussari, featured at the Native Appropriations Blog

5 Native Myths You Really Oughta Know About

Jessica — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:17 +0000

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee, originally published at BitchMagazine.org

No one likes to be pigeon-holed into any kind of stereotypical box, but the long history of colonization and oppression of Indigenous people has shoved us so far from mainstream public view (and blogosphere, I might add) that it’s no wonder there exist these warped, outrageously wrong ideas about who we are. No, we don’t all live on reservations (more than 140,000 urban Natives live in LA alone!) and yes, we are currently one of the fastest growing populations. With over 750 First Nations in (what we now call) the United States and Canada alone, it’s unrealistic to think that we’re all the same. Well I’m here to make the record clear, and encourage you to fiercely challenge what you think you already know.

For further insight, a great film has been produced by Cree director Neil Diamond I highly recommend to check out called “Reel Injun” about the portrayal of the “Hollywood Indian”.

From the Planet IndigenUs event in 2008 “More than Bows and Arrows” which explored historical Indigenous misconceptions and stereotypes through Aboriginal artist responses to these false identities.

So since we are following directly on the heels of the Ke$ha and Juliette Lewis hot appropriation messes, here are 5 myths about Native culture you really oughta know about (and if you ever run into them – do spread the word about this):

1) We’re Indians
That great discoverer Christopher Columbus made one of the biggest mistakes in history, and it has forever shaped how Native people are forced to live around the world. Thinking that he had arrived in India (when he was actually in Haiti), when Columbus first saw the Arawawk people, he called them Indians, and voila, that name has since stuck on our people like glue. Even though they probably figured out this blunder within hours, today we still have government institutions like the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs where I still have to register for my Indian Status Card to prove my racial identity.

“Aboriginal” is a term generally used in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and in Canada it denotes three distinctly different groups of Indigenous peoples: Indians (or First Nations), Métis, and Inuit. There is a HUGE amount of diversity between the three groups; many argue that they are in fact lumped-together categories instituted and separated by the government. “American Indian”,”Native American”, “Native Hawaiian”, and “Alaska Native” are terms generally used in the United States and not EVERYONE is okay with them either.

2) Only men can be chiefs
Something mainstream feminism has not done a good job of remembering is that feminism is rooted in Indigenous culture. Many of our societies were matriarchal and/or matrilineal, and women held significant positions of power. In fact the two chief system, with both a man and a woman leading, was not uncommon and is reflective of one of our principal values of balance (and equality!). Although you’ll probably never see this in any Disney movie, where I come from the men are supposed to wait for the women to reach consensus and give direction before they can decide what to do with our land.

3) Teepees and totem poles mark where we live
My relatives in the Haudenosaunee (or what you might know as Iroquois) culture are often offended by this mass assumption, since this is actually only true for most Plains Indian tribes; like the Cree and Dakota. We lived in longhouses made of wood, and definitely not all of us made totem poles.

4) All Natives have brown (or red!) skin
This is an interesting one because for some reason, people still expect to be able to tell my ethnicity just by looking at me. While I myself have darker skin and long black hair, I have several Native friends and relatives who appear “white” or have blue eyes that have to constantly fiend off these automatic racial labels. Natives come in all colors, shapes, and sizes and my advice is just to treat people like human beings. We believe we’re all related anyway.

5) Casinos and cigarettes mean we must be rich
One of the most outrageous claims I’ve heard a few times from some non-Native people is, “Well, we went to your casino, so that’s our contribution to your people.” WTF?! Yes we might have establishments like smoke shacks, casinos, or other gaming industries on our territories, but that certainly does not mean we all benefit from them, or that all the proceeds go directly to much-needed services for our people. The reality is that the government regulates everything we do; and we’re still reeling from 500+ years of colonization. Most of these industries are struggling just to break even, while more than 50% of the children in our communities live in poverty.

Oh and if you need a crash-course on the genocide of Native people in America – be sure to watch the Canary Effect produced by the Bastard Fairies. It basically does a good job of summing it up from then until now in about an hour’s time.

Princely Tails

Andrea — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:52 +0000

By Sexual Correspondent Andrea (AJ) Plaid

(WARNING: Totally NSFW)

Reader Grace nearly caused a pearl-clutching moment amongst us Special Correspondents with a link to these, ahem, enhanced drawings:

I look at these images as I do hentai and plushies: some people getting off on the frisson of (hyper)sexualized ideals of taboo images and items connoted to belong to the kiddie world, like Disney cartoons and stuffed animals. So, I do understand the squick with seeing these resemblances of lust-inspiring Calvin Klein and Armani underwear images because it’s like fucking with someone’s childhood. And childhood, regardless of quite a few people’s realities about their early years on this earth, is held as sacrosanct in its idyllic innocence—especially sexual innocence– in US culture.

Quite a few of these images are sort of the contemporary versions of some cisgay male drawings of idealized dudes that served as counterimages of the “sickly” man with HIV/AIDS that gained traction in the 90s–that’s also why going to the gym was a big thing within some cisgay male communities back then and that aesthetics spilled in the wider popular culture–as well as the hypermasculinity that Disney’s been kicking out anyway.

Where my anti-racism sex itch gets going is demarcating the Black characters as “some dark chocolate” when none of the others are:

Dr. Atlantis’ “overbulge” (working that whole “Black men have bigger dicks than everyone else” meme),

the “underdeveloped” Kuczo,

Kocoum’s kitschy “noble savage” pose (all that was left out was a coyote, an eagle, a dreamcatcher, or a bear faded in the background),

John’s appropriated gear and markings,

and Shang’s “martial arts” stance.

So, for even growing these guys up, the artists didn’t really grow away of Disney’s racialized images.

The next generation – and what women sometimes forget – on December 6th

Jessica — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:00:42 +0000

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee, originally published at CITIZENShift

Editor’s note: Yesterday, December 6th, was the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada, in commemoration of the Montréal Massacre. Jessica Yee wrote the following article to draw attention to the racialized nature of violence against women, among other things.

It’s December 6th 2009, and many people have been asking me what I’m thinking today. What do I think about this day where 20 years ago, a man walked into a Montreal engineering college and shot 14 women, specifically because they were women. Interestingly enough, I had to fight to have a female Aboriginal Elder open and be present at the event I’m speaking at today because the organizers “didn’t want to detract from the meaning of the day” by me asking her to say some words. It’s the 20th anniversary of the École Polytechnique shooting, and people keep asking me, so what do I think about that?

I’m thinking a lot of things in fact. Yes, I’m from the next generation of women who were too young to remember when the murders actually took place, but I suppose I belong to the current generation of women who identify themselves with feminist politics and have heard from the foremothers of this movement in Canada about the significance of remembering the day, and to never forget it. They say, “Women Won’t Forget” on December 6th. But as a young, sex working, multiracial, bisexual, two-spirited, Aboriginal woman, I think that sometimes, especially at these December 6th type events, women DO forget a few things:

Sometimes women forget that as Aboriginal women, we are five times more likely to die of violence than any other race of women in Canada, and that women have been going missing and being murdered in our communities by the thousands, for hundreds of years.

Women forget that while we show up to vigils and talk up a nice speech about some “poor prostitute” who died on the streets, we simultaneously judge, shun, and degrade current sex workers and speak against decriminalization – something that might actually help protect us.

Sometimes, women forget that same-sex violence should be taken as seriously as man to woman violence and that we really don’t talk about violence in the queer community as often as we could.

Women forget that Elder violence is very real and is happening, but also that a lot of it is committed against young women, who deserve the opportunity to speak for ourselves as youth, not be spoken for by yet another generation of first or second wave feminists that don’t want to give up their power yet.

And if you are reading this and thinking to yourself “well, I don’t forget that on December 6th” please, don’t expend your energy to get mad at me. Direct that passion towards reminding another woman now that you’ve read this, or someone else for that matter who is forgetting, or who just doesn’t know.

For the record, I refuse to have another argument with someone about what this day is “only” supposed to commemorate.

What about you?

Photo of poster made to honour the lives of missing or murdered aboriginal women courtesy of the Toronto Star

The Racialicious Halloween Roundup

Thea Lim — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:17 +0000

By Deputy Editor Thea Lim

Well, it’s almost Halloween. And every day that we get closer to Halloween, the more our intrepid readers point out for us some of the season’s most ghoulish examples of racism. Sigh.

Reader Joel sent us a link to this Illegal Alien costume being sold by Walgreens and Target (though word on the street is that the costume has been yanked after complaints).

Carleandria sent us this link that shows you how to make your own dreadlocks wig so that you can be crafty and culturally tone-deaf at the same time.

And Brooke sent us a link to her open letter to those who would dress up as Natives on Halloween, (illustrated by a dazzling array of exquisitely racism “Native” Halloween costumes):

but when did the Native American enter the realm of Wizards, Fairies, Super-heroes, Goblins, or Ghouls? When did it become ok to reduce the diversity, language, and culture of nearly 500 different Indigenous tribes into a tacky “costume” of cheap suede, colored feathers, plastic beads, and fringe? Who decided that the history, identity, and lineage of Native Americans could be easily put on and taken off like greasy Halloween face paint?

In fact, it’s become an extremely unenjoyable October Racialicious tradition to post angry articles dissecting the politics of Halloween. In 2007 Fatemeh wrote “Reasons I Hate Halloween“:

["Orientalist" costumes] reinforce the eroticized and/or dangerous stereotypes associated with Muslim and Middle Eastern men and women. Plus, it’s doubly insulting because (usually) white people will “play dress-up” in these costumes, to supposedly “live like we do” for one night. The only missing detail is: none of the institutional oppression that we face as Muslims and Middle Easterners comes with the costume.

In 2008 I wrote “Take Back the Halloween” (incidentally one of my most commented-upon posts ever, holla!):

So how do people who are often made to feel visually different – you know, like people of colour – experience Halloween?…those of us who are made to feel like we are visually different, or those of us who feel culturally marginalised by mainstream North American culture feel uncomfortable, guilty, angry or just plain sad at Halloween…
People of colour – especially those who grew up or live racially isolated – have a fear of being conspicuous. As much as I like attention, I also devote massive energy to trying to blend in. This effects my personality and how I present myself on a fundamental level. The regular attempt to neutralise your race is a basic part of living as a person of colour in a racist culture…the holiday where you’re supposed to stand out gives me a serious case of the heebiegeebies.

As you can see, Halloween is an exhausting time for us wee anti-racist critics. When everyone else gets to dress up and have a good time, we wind up at home, either sifting through online images of people dressed up as racists – and growing more bitter and gnarled by the minute – or we try to pretend that it is not Halloween. Usually by drinking.

But wait. I should speak for myself. I happen to know at least one Racialicious correspondent who is beside herself with excitement about a certain Mad Men themed costume. And I know of another one who blows all the racists out of the water with an amazing “Dark Captain Morgan” costume. That’s right. Look to your right.

So you can take Wendi and Arturo’s lead and find a way to enjoy Halloween in spite of the haters. Or just eat the pain away with chocolate covered marshmallows – you’ll be in good company.

Update:

The subject of one of the tips listed in this post wrote in, saying she wanted to clarify her costume, the second picture in this post. She pointed out that her wig was not intended to imitate anyone’s culture, heritage, or hairstyle, and sent in images of the full costume. The dreadlocks are actually a deep green, not black as they appeared in the picture:

And the full costume was supposed to evoke the idea of a dark fairy.

But the real reason we are posting this update is because the writer seemed to understand the basics of what we were describing in the post: that dressing up as a person of another race or with cultural markers is not ok, and she sought advice on how to convey these sentiments on her craft page. Since the picture was related to a tip, I’ll leave it up, but a better example of what we are talking about looks like this:

-LDP

Open Thread: Stephen Harper and Colonialism in Canada

Jessica — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:53 +0000

by Special Correspondent Jessica Yee

“We’re so self-effacing as Canadians that we sometimes forget the assets we do have that other people see,” he said, speaking with a rare passion. “We are one of the most stable regimes in history. . . . We are unique in that regard,” he added, noting Canada had enjoyed more than 150 years of untroubled Parliamentary democracy. Just in case that was not enough to persuade doubters, Harper threw in some more facts about the geographically second-largest nation in the world. “We also have no history of colonialism. So we have all of the things that many people admire about the great powers but none of the things that threaten or bother them,” he said.
-Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses a press briefing at the end of the G20 Summit on Sept. 25, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

No history of colonialism in Canada, eh, Harper?

I don’t give a flying f@#! if he’s really referring to “colonizing” other countries (so Afghanistan doesn’t count?), the fact is the man said that Canada has NO HISTORY OF COLONIALISM.

Oh. really. now.

So Mr. Harper, when you apologized to residential school survivors, when you talked about the Chinese head-tax, or Japanese internment camps, all happening in Canada, was colonization not a result of these very things occurring? That’s not even to mention the ongoing colonialism that’s alive and well in Canada (last time I checked Indian and Northern Affairs Canada was still in operation).

Feel free to leave your thoughts on the latest in oppressive Harper-dom.