question about native american cultures?

Question

Now that dances with wolves has lost its touch and rejuvinated itself to the islanders and african americans...Do YOU the white society think its cool to see a p.rican or an african american playing native and actually passing for one at the traditionalists pow wows? as a native I found this to be offensive,but too many white emcees dont want to ROCK the boat persayyyyy.they dont want to be sued so i was told at the last pow wow...What the hell ever happened to OUR ppl? any other natives feel this way?I no longer have a friend becos i got mad at her for dressing her illegal hubby up as a native an sent him into the circle to dance..to watch him was terribly humiliating for him...i felt bad for him..HE KNEW who he was...africans?dont you feel this way tooo?instead of trying to be whut YOU are not?

WE have peurto ricans playing on drums here in the states(eastside) and we dont like it cos they EXPECT the women who r playing native to walk ten steps behind them...this is why I'm upset! ur prolly one of those wannabes right??? good show then.

Answer 1

I do become somewhat irritated when I KNOW for a fact that someone is not of Native descent and is acting as such. It is in my opinion an insult for that person to be claiming heritage that is not in their lineage.

Although, I can see why some people would be compelled to practice Native culture, or participate in our gatherings; because we are of such an honorable heritage.

I wish that people who are NOT Native, would stop claiming to be, just to spark up a conversation with you, or feel special in some way.

It's complicated, you never know...I have a son who has light brown hair and hazel eyes and he is technically a little over half Native; his dad's gene's beat mine up! :) Me and his father are both Native, enrolled into different tribes...he is called a "white indian" by cruel kids in his class. KIDS CAN BE SO MEAN!

okay, I'm sorry, i am rambling...anyway, if you are Native BE PROUD/if you are NOT Native DON'T CLAIM TO BE. It's just that, I guess...

Answer 2

The hollywood or better say hollyweird have degraded natives culture. The native culture is unique but unfortunately the white people have damaged a lot but today is changing that bad image and I hope someday can be restored,revindicatedd the true native history and dignity

Answer 3

Was this pow-wow a reenactment? (Much like a Civil War reenactment). Were these peopIe guests in the pow-wow or the festivities? That's like saying that Hawaiians get offended when tourists go to Hawaii and participate in the Hawaiian festivities such as Hula dancing. I thought Native American were a warm and peace loving people, you guys are racist too? Wow stop whining. And if you're referring to a Puerto Rican as an illegal, you're wrong. Puerto Ricans are legal citizens of the U.S. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S. And let me remind you that Puerto Ricans are part Arawak Indian, even though we're not Native American.

Answer 4

As a white person I think this is very offensive and wrong. I have a 6-times great-grandmother who was Cherokee, but I would never think of trying to pass myself off as Native American. (Not that I really could anyways!) It's the same with Hispanics and Blacks; I would never assume to try and pass myself as either cultures. And even when I was visiting Germany a few years ago, I didn't try to pass myself off as German even though I was a lot of German ancestry. I'm a white American. That's all I am, and I don't think it's right for me or anyone else to try and be something they're not.

Answer 5

it is a cultural learning experience and although I am part Indigenous People way back when and am proud of this Ancestry I know I am not considered to be of The People by The People. but this does not prevent me from learning about and being proud of what little I have

Answer 6

Ok.. Here I go... I know by the end of my answer, I will be lashed, spit on but I thought since there is a debate, might as well hear my side of the story. I mean no harm and I am saying all this without any intention of hurting people's feelings. I have no intention in disrespecting anyone. Just carrying on the debate.

I am French. White. But I have travelled in many different countries. I lived most of my adult life abroad, and have a background that includes the fact that my father was born in the middle of Africa and lived in an African tribe til my grand-parents returned to France in 1968. I have family in Canada, Congo, China, Japan, Brazil.
So I can simply say that I have a multi-cultural way of life.

Point #1: The responsibility of NA in regards of their heritage

I worked with Native Americans in Paris where I was mainly translating for them and helping to co-ordinate everything for them.
It never occurred to me at the time, being new in that context, but after everything what happenned during the course of those two years, I have witnessed what I can only call a cultural genocide.

The men I am reffering about where all full-blooded. There were in most case Cree, Sioux, Crow, Cheyenne and Ojibway. There was an Apache and for a short period of time a Navajo there.
They were working in Paris, because they were getting paid to dance and do dance exhibitions. When I say that they were getting paid, they received $1000 each per nite. They had sports cars, platinium Visa cards, bought houses CASH and had 100's of European women after them. I know, I was holding the agenda.
Most of the time they were late, absent or coming absolutely drunk and unable to perform. How many times did we had to cancel a show?!! What sort of role model were they?

I left unable to take this anymore and went to spend some time with relatives in Canada. There I met a wonderful people who taught me a lot more about Native Culture. When I told them about what those men were up to, they were horrified. They told me that these guys had obviously forgot what being native was all about, their roots etc.. You should not get paid to dance. That is not what it is about. A powwow is gathering, a reunion, something allowing togetherness and sharing. Putting aside for that moment everything that separate you and celebrating the joy of being with friends and relatives. It is also a way of honoring and remembering those who passed on. It is all that and as well, most of all, a way to perpetuate traditions to pass them on to the next generation.
Those guys in Paris forgot all of that and cashed in on their cultural heritage.
As Wambli Sina Win, the representative of the Native Nations at the Geneva Convention once said, "I could not be one of those natives who dressed and amuse the public while my relatives are dying in poor living condition back home".
The point I am trying to make right here, is that how can you respect them if they don't respect themselves? It is as well the responsibility of all tribes to live with pride and honor.

Point #2: There is no laws protecting cultures

It is very easy to blame others. Everyone can do that, it is an easy journey. It takes more courage and more dignity to try to make a difference.

Because there is such an amount of interrest for NA culture, there is an increasing market to fulfill. I have seen White Americans getting paid to perform as AUthentic Cherokees" or Sioux, with ridiculous names like "Lakota Oyate". As if one man could represent the whole of the Lakota People. But because they are attracting such a large amount of public those who contract them, do not want to stop using those fake ndns, even though they know full well that they are fakes. The public themselves could not give a monkeys if they were real or not. They looked the part, that was what matterred the most to those tourits!
In Europe how many "Holy Men" have settled here selling ceremonies?100's.... I know of one in particular in Germany that became more known than Elvis for it. A real super star.I thought you did not have to pay to pray. Who is to blame? The Medicine men selling the ceremonies or the whites buying them?? It is the same story that the Chicken and the egg. Who came first?

Now, you see there is another problem and the fault lays in how the world evolves. Unless there are worldwide laws making it unlawfull to dance as a Native Dancer UNLESS you have so much % of blood, or to sell ceremonies as a recognized REAL holy person, there is nothing that anyone can do about protecting the culture of one civilisation.

Point #3: The way forward is inevitable:

But lets see this from the point of a white female, shall we?
I am not getting mad if someone tries to talk french to me. I am not getting mad if someone wants to dance ballet or plays classical music or the accordeon. Hell, the number of stuff that was stolen from us over the years and transform by others is comical. It is part of my culture but I do not feel threatned. I mean, for example, American people stole the recepie of the French Toast and are completely transforming it with bluberries and maple syrup, but hey!! It's a free world.
Nowadays in France, we have people coming from all over European countries. Lately it is Poland, Romania. They hardly speak french, there is no jobs, no space. They end up living in hotels paid by the government. We have here generations of Northern Africans, Arabics and Chinese who have lived in France for the last 60 years. We are mixing. It is inevitable.
Nowadays you will have young french white teenagers in the suburbs of Paris, who will speak like Arabics, dress like Hip/hop African American and tag Chinese signs on the walls. This is what our country is becoming. A mixture.
In England, the same thing is happenning with Indian (as in India people) , Pakistanese, Romanian, Chinese and Polish. As a matter of fact, to the poin that English people are now seeking retirement in other countries such as Greece, Spain. So they, in turn are moving and bringing their culture elsewhere.
The way I see it, giving it about 100 years, with the help of the www. , the media and everything else, this planet will not be able to afford being racist, because there will be only one culture. And I bet the universal language will be English. Of course that is if we mange not to blow ourselves up with nuclear bombs, cuz, let's face it between the muslims and the rest of us, it is as well a matter of time before WW3 explodes. Again, more racism, more inability to accept the rare surviving differences that makes this world so beautiful to live in.

In all and to resume my different points here... It is easy to blame the others races for taking a piece of your culture. I have seen on U tube a hip/hop competition in a powwow clip (!). I thought Hip/hop originated from the African Americans. So who is stealing from who? Let's stop being a bunch of hypocrits.
As well, if Native American do not respect themselves and respect others, on what grounds can they demand to be respected in turn. Respect is earnt, not owed.
So, in the end we are all merging. Worldwide media will do that anyways.
I was told someting one day (If I may "borrow" a native saying without causing any anger).
"The world is like a medicine wheel. There are white/red/black/yellow. You take one out and there is no balance, the others have no purpouse without one another".

We just have to become less racists and lot more open minded.
Hoping again, not to have offended anyone, I hope I contributed to your debate and gave some food for thoughts.