Thoughts are like Arrows

Thoughts are like Arrows

September 30, 2016

The other day my sister showed up to my work distraught and frustrated. She began to tell me about an incident that occurred in class earlier that afternoon when paired to work with a Caucasian male. The male refused to work with her when she approached him and made a snide comment about how he thought she couldn’t do the work. She asked why he thought that and he told her, ‘because you’re just a drunk Indian. ALL of you!’  He said it loud enough where others sitting around them could hear and before she could answer, her classmates came to her defense. He left class early and the instructor was notified.

I can’t even begin to comprehend what made this individual think that my sister couldn’t do her work. So, I guess this blog post correlates back to last week’s in the sense that, not only does Hollywood inaccurately portrays Native Americans as either mystical beings, savages, but also greedy casino owning alcoholics who live off the government. People still expect to see us in buckskin, teepees, braids and other traditional regalia and if it’s not that, then we’re just drunk Indians. There’s no in-betweens for these individuals and their perspectives. I think this is part of why I began to hate fall season, because with Halloween around the corner, you have individuals wearing chicken feathers, a skimpy outfit, accompanied with cheap paint, war hooping downtown.

It’s ironic that my sister was called dumb and drunk when in fact she has a full ride (scholarship) to NAU, and she has never had a drink in her life. She said she couldn’t address this individual because everyone quickly came to her defense, but what I’m even more surprised at is the fact that she hopes to reach out to this individual when he returns to class. Even if he doesn’t listen, she intends to forgive him and only hope that he will listen to her. There’s a Navajo saying in our culture and my sister follows religiously, and it basically says to be careful with your words as they have the power of life and death. It should also be noted that in our native tongue, there is no official word for ‘sorry’ and once these words/thoughts leave your mouth, you can never take it back. Keeping these things in mind, it’s imperative to watch yourself (even if you’re being attacked) or karma will essentially come back to you.

Still Here

September 22, 2016

Still Here

Just recently, this past week to the exact, I was reminded on social media about an incident that took place over a year ago. Facebook has this little cool option that allows you to reflect on what happened years ago, by allowing you to look back at memories you posted on that day. About this time last year, I was purchasing a new laptop from Phoenix and I was so excited to be purchasing a new MacBook, that I could barely see past the conversation the salesperson and I were having. He asked where (state) I was from, and I told him Arizona and he was like, “Oh really?” Almost surprised sounding, and it wasn’t until later that I figured out what he was trying to get at. He then asked about a local event that I had no clue was going on, and he made a silly reference about elotes and how Mexicans make the best food. I agreed using a third person reference and he replied, “Oh wait, you’re not Mexican?” I said no and he asked what ethnicity I was. “Oh I’m Navajo,” I replied calmly. “Navajo? What’s that?” he asked again. I told him it’s a tribe and that I’m Native American and he couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. The next words I thought I would never hear again and were so grammatically incorrect for such an educated man, “I though all y’all were extinct?” 

2015. My existence is being questioned as if I’m some type of dinosaur. People ask me why Natives and other minorities alike make cultural appropriation such a big deal. “Y’all just want something to complain about,” is what commenter wrote to me online in the past. Until we understand why it is wrong, and why borrowing things from other cultures can be harmful to a minority group, then you can’t really begin to understand the many underlying factors involving such a big issue. Native Americans are often depicted as mystical beings and maybe that’s why this individual concluded we were all extinct.

I spent the next thirty or so minutes (while finalizing paper work)  giving this person a history lesson on the five hundred or so tribes only located in the United States (and North America), and told him there are more throughout South America. As easily as it could have been for me to explode and become upset, my patience quickly took over. I forgot all that I said but it was enough to leave him in awe and appreciative of the time I took help him understand. Learning from each other and being understanding can do more than become upset. I was happy he was brought in my path, because another Native wouldn’t have been so calm and collected in doing so. 

Get Over It

September 16, 2016

“Get over it”

Three little words that I have heard far too many times in the last few weeks, both online and in person. We briefly talk about the issues happening up North with my brother and sisters of the Standing Rock reservation in some of my classes. Some students have already made up their mind about the situation and correlate us with the Black Lives Matter group, and portray us as violent protestors, which they (BLM) are also not. (I mean some things got out of hand, but don’t punish the group as a whole.) I’m outraged by what is continuing to be allowed in North Dakota, and there are no repercussions for any authority figures involved.  

By telling us to “get over it,” you are continuing to oppress us. The picture I have attached is a Native American rapper, that instead of rapping about sex, drugs, and money; raps about struggles within Native American communities. He paints a white hand over his mouth because he talks about how our government does little to help us, and a majority of our politicians are white. He talks about corruption and how it affects us all. In most cases, he is meant with hated for speaking out. Why does the truth hurt so much for some people? People want to cherry pick at our culture but refuse to acknowledge the genocide and atrocities committed against us. Instead, of listening and understanding, we listen to respond. I think this picture screams volumes if you really think about the message behind it. How about we get over our differences and these invisible boundaries?