Hi, I'm a Native American, and I'm fed up with the appropriation of my culture by those desperate to be trendy, hip, ironic etc. I myself also wanted to be like Pocahontas, but I was also informed that I had Native in my background, so it wasn’t a totally unrealistic thing. (Or, well, as a child I didn’t think so.)
I have to say, I get so mad sometimes at some of these blogs about Native stuff… I mean, you don’t KNOW a person’s background or past. You also can’t assume just by looking. I have a Scottish grandmother; I look extremely Caucasian. Does that mean I don’t have Native ancestry? No.
Also, ignorant curiosity is a GOOD thing. It IS well intentioned, and it is a great opportunity to inform about what your culture is really like WITHOUT sounding like a cold, stuck-up prick. Honestly, blogs like this make me not ever want to try and find out about anything native ever again, because you make them seem so arrogant and get-the-fuck-off-my-property. Do you really want people to think all natives are like that?
Again, just because someone has “native blood” doesn’t excuse them from racist behavior. It’s not a free pass. I don’t care about people’s backgrounds in the way that you are referring to them, because it leaves them unaccountable for their actions, the impact therof, and their involvement in real cultures and traditions.
No blood quantum will change that. That’s why I get so frustrated with people who argue the “you don’t know my personal native blood cocktail” charade. It really doesn’t matter if what you’re doing is obviously a racist impression / stereotype of native peoples. I can tell the difference.
And looking Caucasian, you can never fully understand what it’s like to experience what it’s like to be a visible minority, one with such heavy baggage. So while you may have native ancestry, there is a whole lot about “being a native” that you can’t understand, and it seems like you don’t want to.
Believe it or not, I do want people to be curious, interested and involved with modern natives, and our experiences. I just would rather people know the real thing, instead of the fantasy perpetuated by a broken system that continues to actively oppress us.
(Source: waltdisneyconfessions)
