I was Indian before Indian was Cool

[CandaePrincess]

Here's a debatable topic for Friday. How many of your have tribes that are being over ran by no bloods. I'm talking those who are 1/128th indian??? I'm asking b/c our tribe's pow wow is being ran by wannabe's and those who are maybe 1/16th indian and dance once a year if that at our tribe's pow wow. Our casino and tribal affairs are also being ran by no bloods. There are more of them than those of us 1/4 and up. Our chairman or so called chairman has fired pretty much every native there. If you look white, you'll stay, unless you go against his ideas. We're hoping for some ray of light, b/c this has been going on for some time now.
Why does everyone want to be native. I remember growing up and being called round and brown. It wasn't some great thing to be indian. But I was, and I couldn't change it. Then BOOM 92 year of the indian hits...people start finding out that we get free (Albeit, crappy indian health care), we get grants and funding for our tribe to send NATIVE kids to school and other things, now........EVERYONE wants to be NATIVE.
Anyone know what I'm talking about??????

[River Spirit]

Sounds like the Council need to tighten up who qualifies as enrolled. I will be the first to admit that I think it is a shame when tribes drop below 1/4 for enrollment. I barely qualify myself, but I appreciate the need to be real about this. If a tribe is eventually composed of folks that can only claim a grandparent or beyond and were not raised in the culture; there is no culture.

Why do people look for Native ties, want to be NDN, etc.? I'm sure there are many that do see $$$. But I think a far greater reason is that White society sucks. Nowadays society seems to place little value on a person unless success is measured in dollars and who has the most toys. Families have fallen apart, the days of multi-generational living are over and there is little respect for the elderly and even less for children. People need a connection to the past to form an identity and if their only known history is so dysfunctional or maybe they don't have an extended family at all they go looking for ways to 'belong'. NDNs have a history that predates the Whites, they may have called us savage in days gone by but by sociological standards we were advanced because we had social order. So, folks that feel disconnected to today's society look for a connection to the past. If they find even a glimmer, they latch on to it and begin the process of 'becoming'. It isn't just Native. A more simplified example is the way White America stills clings to immigrant roots even though their families may have been here for 300 years. They view themselves as 'Irish-American' or 'German American' celebrating St. Patrick's Day or Octoberfest with a fervor normally reserved for a resident of Dublin or Munich! And, they've probably never set foot in the 'old sod'. But they need that 'connection'. So they latch on to that heritage. Some, however, look even further and what they grab hold of is Native culture. I'm not justifying what is happening to alot of tribes just trying to give one reason other than greed that motivates individuals to try and put forth their NDN heritage whether real or imagined. Thanks for listening. :36:

[nt_inuk]

ummm

CandaePrincess, u sure nailed it when you wrote, "a debatable topic for Friday" .... but i think it'll last a lot longer then "Friday". :)

Because i can become so passionate about this topic i'll just say, "yes, i totally understand what you and Spirit of Seattle" are saying.

it drives me wild ... wild ... wild ...

[Mato Winyan]

I can remember it going back before '90... but yeah.. that is when the whole southwestern design crap hit the stores ( howling coyotes and furry dreamcatcher/madela/shield/whatchamacallit crap etc) took off.
I think it goes back to Tonto and the Indian Guides from the Y and the culture being used as a novelty.

I also think SS summed it up with the needing to belong...that's it in a nutshell.

[kneegrow_native]

I can remember it going back before '90... but yeah.. that is when the whole southwestern design crap hit the stores

To be more accurate, the release of Dances With Wolves really catapulted the romantic image of the noble savage.

[CandaePrincess]

To be more accurate, the release of Dances With Wolves really catapulted the romantic image of the noble savage.

Okay so that was 91....I was close. DANCES is what made year of the Indin.

All i'm saying is.....if you're not identifiable, you have no clue what it's really like to be native. You don't go through the racism on a day to day basis. You don't get pulled over for being native and then harassed b/c of it. And it's not about looks....you can' look nice, dress nice, be pretty....and they're pissed b/c some damn indian's driving probably a "stolen" car, or it's probably his but he got it from gambling money or some crap.

No person who's 1/8th or less of native and the rest white is going to be discriminated against in public. So why should we have to? Now we are getting screwed over by these same people b/c they want to run the native businesses. They want the control and they dont' think of the families and what's best for our people...they're worried about themselves and how they can make the most money. It's sick and it's sad. And it's worse b/c they're not true natives.

[River Spirit]

One of the contributors to non-NDNs running businesses in and around a rez [United States, I don't know about Canada]...first the government set aside reservations and mandated we move there. Then, with resettlment early in this century they started taking some of that land within 'our' reservations and selling it back to Whites. I can't remember the stats but there are areas of Montana rez that have just as many White businesses and landholders than NDNs.

I think America goes in cycles of being in love with anything Native. I mean, in the 19th century when folks like Buffalo Bill started touring 'civilization' with their cowboys and NDNs that resulted in the first generation of boys playing cowboys and NDNs. Then with the advent of Hopalong Cassidy, Western movies, John Wayne, The Lone Ranger, etc., there was more renewed interest in Native culture--be it in a warped fashion. Suddenly playing at being cowboys and NDNs became popular again. And, of course, White America's insistence of reinacting their Thanksgiving everyear didn't help. Walt Disney incorporated little boys playing cowboys and NDNs into movies and went into the whole frontier thing adding fuel to the fire as 'Davey Crockett' and 'Daniel Boone' hit homes all across the country Sunday nights. The public perception of Indians as contemporary people changed with AIMs takeover of Alcatraz, Sasheen Littlefeather's accepting Marlon Brando's award. More Disney movies, new agers adopting ceremony...the advent of Indian gaming and in the middle of it all has been the spin doctor. It is the media that has instigated a great deal of the interest in Native culture--or what they perceive Native culture to be. Most Americans still have no clue about rez reality. All they see is what the Media shows them. Most of what you read about in California newspapers is tribal wealth from NDN gaming. Combine that with new age shysters and Disney and what have you got? An idealized Utopia that looks appealing to folks missing something in their lives.

[WhoMe]

Here's a debatable topic for Friday. How many of your have tribes that are being over ran by no bloods.

__

Candae Cane,

This topic sure breaks up a long friday.TGIF! It's almost time for "attitude ('tude) adjustment hour!"

I see your frustration about the point in question.

I have a close friend from the Pechanga reservation in Cali who helped terminate all the people registered in her tribe -who couldn't prove they were really Native. These non Natives were also elected leaders of the tribe . . . until the truth was exposed.

Do you feel up to following their brave and bold example?

[Mato Winyan]

To be more accurate, the release of Dances With Wolves really catapulted the romantic image of the noble savage.

I agree.... that was the catalyst... but the romance started wayyyyyyyyy back... I think S of S has it time lined very well. :Thumbs

[Kio-Manche]

Good topic

This is a good topic. And I am glad that the replies have been respectful and of good taste. I have seen threads like this get ugly, and i am glad this one hasn't.
I am a half breed myself... and I am proud of that fact. The white part of my family all live in Germany, and indian side all live here in Oklahoma, and is who I grew up with. Does that make me less than? Does that somehow make me an undesirable? I was born at the Indian hospital in Lawton. I am an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation, but I am only a 1/4 Comanche.... the other 1/4 is Kiowa, but you can only be on ONE (1) tribal roll with these two tribes.
I do know what Candae means about the prejudices, and attitudes, I have dealt with that all my life. It doesn't matter to me now, but it did then. For me though, I have dealt with the prejudices and attitudes of white people, AND full blood natives. It can be quite confusing. Never the less, I simply stick with my upbringing. Which for me, was to take pride in who I am. All of me, not the parts of me. And I honor that lesson, by participating in Comanche Nation functions, Kiowa tribal functions, and doing my best to be friendly to all people.
I got an email once from a lady in Florida who was trying to trace her family history, and had been told that she was a descendent of our family. We tried to help her, to find out the truth. I see nothing wrong with that. Due to all the moving and removing of our people over the last few hundred years, I am sure, that some people got misplaced, displaced and replaced. I see nothing wrong with people trying to find out where they came from. I just consider myself blessed that I know where I came from as far as my indian side is concerned.
My German side is foggier. My mothers parents were killed during WWII, and she was orphaned, then adopted. She has done research over there to find out more about her roots... so its not just a "wannabe" thing. There are actually some who truly "wannabe" connected to their family history. Why? Well, in my moms case, she went to school, got a Ph.d in Chemistry, and worked as a chemist for years, AND then found out through her research that her father was a Chemist! So you never know......Thanks for allowing me my 2 cents....

[River Spirit]

I agree.... that was the catalyst... but the romance started wayyyyyyyyy back... I think S of S has it time lined very well. :Thumbs

I re-read what I wrote and it brought back memories. Watching Daniel Boone as a child... my hero was "Mingo" played by non-Indian singer/actor Ed Ames. At that early age I hadn't a clue that I was part Native. But it was the NDN character I always looked forward to seeing--I didn't give 2 figs for Dan'l Boone. Just reminiscing...

[River Spirit]

This is a good topic. And I am glad that the replies have been respectful and of good taste. I have seen threads like this get ugly, and i am glad this one hasn't.
I am a half breed myself... and I am proud of that fact. The white part of my family all live in Germany, and indian side all live here in Oklahoma, and is who I grew up with. Does that make me less than? Does that somehow make me an undesirable? I was born at the Indian hospital in Lawton. I am an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation, but I am only a 1/4 Comanche.... the other 1/4 is Kiowa, but you can only be on ONE (1) tribal roll with these two tribes.
I do know what Candae means about the prejudices, and attitudes, I have dealt with that all my life. It doesn't matter to me now, but it did then. For me though, I have dealt with the prejudices and attitudes of white people, AND full blood natives. It can be quite confusing. Never the less, I simply stick with my upbringing. Which for me, was to take pride in who I am. All of me, not the parts of me. And I honor that lesson, by participating in Comanche Nation functions, Kiowa tribal functions, and doing my best to be friendly to all people.
I got an email once from a lady in Florida who was trying to trace her family history, and had been told that she was a descendent of our family. We tried to help her, to find out the truth. I see nothing wrong with that. Due to all the moving and removing of our people over the last few hundred years, I am sure, that some people got misplaced, displaced and replaced. I see nothing wrong with people trying to find out where they came from. I just consider myself blessed that I know where I came from as far as my indian side is concerned.
My German side is foggier. My mothers parents were killed during WWII, and she was orphaned, then adopted. She has done research over there to find out more about her roots... so its not just a "wannabe" thing. There are actually some who truly "wannabe" connected to their family history. Why? Well, in my moms case, she went to school, got a Ph.d in Chemistry, and worked as a chemist for years, AND then found out through her research that her father was a Chemist! So you never know......Thanks for allowing me my 2 cents....

Thank you for writing so well about what it is like to belong to two different cultures. I envy you (in a good way)--I think it is wonderful that you weren't in a situation where you were removed from the Native part of your heritage. As you say, for some of us it is important to take pride in our total self and not just pick a part. That is the heartbreaking part of the journey for some who have legitimate ties; as you said, experiencing a backlash, if you will, from both sides of the 'blanket'. It takes alot of fortitude to hang in there sometimes. But, thanks again, for being so eloquent and sharing your story. :flowers:

[River Spirit]

The following is a perfect example of how some reservations have evolved with seemingly disproportionate numbers of Whites calling the shots or involved in business which should be tribal. This is taken from the Grand Ronde website:



The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon includes over 20 Tribes and bands from western Oregon and northern California that were relocated to the Grand Ronde reservations in the 1850's. These included the Rogue River, Umpqua, Chasta, Kalapuya, Molalla, Salmon River, Tillamook, and Nestucca Indians who had lived in their traditional homelands for over 8,000 years before the arrival of the first white visitors. They lived off the land -- fish and game were plentiful, and what they couldn't catch in the rivers or hunt in the forests, they acquired by trade with other Tribes, and later, with the non-Indians.

The Grand Ronde reservation was established by treaty arrangements in 1854 and 1855 and an Executive Order of June 30, 1857. The Reservation contained over 60,000 acres and was located on the eastern side of the coastal range on the head-waters of the South Yamhill river, about 60 miles southwest of Portland and about 25 miles from the ocean.

In 1887, the General Allotment Act became law. Under the law, 270 allotments totaling slightly over 33,000 acres of the Grand Ronde Reservation were made to individual Indians. With these allotments came a provision which allowed the Indian lands to go from federal trust status to private ownership after 25 years. The purpose of the Act was to make farmers of the Indians. However, the result of this action was the loss of major portions of the reservation to non-Indian ownership. Then, in 1901, U.S. Inspector James McLaughlin declared a 25,791 tract of the reservation "surplus" and the U.S. sold it for $1.16 per acre.

In 1936, under the Indian Reorganization Act, the Tribe was able to purchase some lands to provide homes for residents of the reservation. However, the Tribe's attempt at recovery was brought to an abrupt end in 1954 when Congress passed the Termination Act which severed the trust relationship between the federal government and the Tribe. For nearly thirty years, between 1954 and 1983, the members were landless people in their own land. The termination policy robbed the Tribe of its social, economic, and political fabric, leaving a scattered population and poverty which led to a wide range of health, education, and social problems.

In the early 1970's, efforts began to reverse the tide of termination. From the state of social, economic, and political disarray, tribal leaders began the arduous task of re-establishing the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. On November 22, 1983, with the signing of Public Law 98-165, the Grand Ronde Restoration Act, the task was accomplished. In addition, on September 9, 1988, the Tribe regained 9,811 acres of the original reservation when President Ronald Reagan signed the Grand Ronde Reservation Act into law. The reservation lies just north of the community of Grand Ronde. With restoration and the re-establishment of the reservation, tribal efforts have focused on rebuilding the tribal institutions and developing tribal service programs to meet the needs of the tribal members. They have provided the Tribe an opportunity to create a viable community, contribute to the local economy, and provide for the eventual achievement of tribal self-sufficiency.

I got blasted on another thread when I didn't communicate well about assimilation and inter-marriage. This write up says it better than I did. What happened when lands given to us originally were reappropriated and sold to the highest White bidder? A number of things: because we were already surrounded by White communities, the economic base of the area i.e. local business and government were White. We were forced to conduct business with White business owners, go to school at White schools (in some cases, I'm not saying all), so our kids socialized with White youth, many married Whites. And on the reservations, where as the article from GR explains U.S. Inspector James McLaughlin declared a 25,791 tract of the reservation "surplus" and the U.S. sold it for $1.16 per acre. which again allowed the infl,uence of a White populace to grow. I'm not surprised we are having power struggles on some reservations now because those who have legitimate claim to tribal membership by blood are having to compete with new arrivals who may have just in recent generations chosen to identify with that particular tribe. The roots of what is happening today are buried in the past. Not the very distant past, but the past. And perhaps a number of the newer tribal members are motivated by monetary issues, but I don't think it is fair to say all fit this category. As I said before, the need to belong is a strong human characteristic. Take "Joe California" for example, where landlessness is very prevalent thanks to the government. His family may have been drifting for years, several generations; but for whatever reason he decides he wants to 'belong' to a society and has never felt particularly welcome in White society because he is mixed blood. If the BQ requirements are low enough, by law he has the right to become enrolled. He may not have any other connection other than a distant relative but according to the regulation that is enough. I can see where it would upset those who have 'walked the walk' openly for generations and who have tried to live true to their tradition; thus subject to the abuse it engendedred from the majority White society. What I'm hearing is justifiable frustration. But the responsibility also lies with your Councils. Who decides who is going to run your tribal pow-wow? Who is on the Council for that matter? What are your enrollment requirements? In some cases it would be more productive to hold your Council accountable than to lash out at the individual who has offended you. WhoMe's comment: I have a close friend from the Pechanga reservation in Cali who helped terminate all the people registered in her tribe -who couldn't prove they were really Native. These non Natives were also elected leaders of the tribe . . . until the truth was exposed. So, who was in charge of registering them? If they weren't legit they shouldn't have been registered. Why were they allowed to run for tribal office if they weren't legit? Let's accept responsibility for running our own **** and do it right or be prepared to be overrun by the dominant society.

[WocusWoman]

Here's an easy cure; (gently) encourage your children to stick to their own kind, when choosing to marry and make kids. My family and I go through issues on a almost daily basis, with having brown skin and looking native. My own siblings have chosen to marry outside of our race; my own nieces and nephew could pass as white people if they so choose. I will not love them any less; but it makes me sad that all we learned as children will most likely not be passed on to my siblings' children and grand-children. PS- I use the word (gently) encourage; because although my granny is the best old full-blooded indian lady in the world, she also was very racist towards whites. It seems as though most of her 8 kids practically raced out into adulthood; only to marry the first white person they could find...

[River Spirit]

you've hit on a common parent - child dynamic. Alot of us go out of our way to do the complete oppositve of our parent, particularly if it was something that was preached about loudly. So, I appreciate your use of the word 'gently'. Sort of like honey catching more bees than vinegar as my granny use to say. Maybe by their protesting too loudly or being overcritical somehow elicits too much sympathy or we tell ourselves "I'm not going to be like my (fill in the blank)." I have a White friend just like that. Her Dad forbid her to date anyone that wasn't White. So what did she do? She never dated anyone that was White--just to rub his nose in it and proclaim her independence. When it gets down to it that wasn't very nice for the guy--I mean she was basically using him to get back at her Dad instead of caring for him as a person. It was the color of his skin, after all, that brought them together. Human nature is soooooo complicated.