TonyFlyingSquirrel
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http://www.waeministries.com/cms/images/stories/the%20arrogance%20of%20ignorance.pdf
The Arrogance of Ignorance, interesting Native Statistics.
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Thank you for this informative addition to our cultural perspective.
There is such a complex and long lived history that has created the situation described in the article that one often wonders, "where do we start?" I can see a parallell to the Colonias in Texas. Although less formalized in structure, the same human questions arise. Of course I mean not to distract our attention from the subject article and people to which it refers. I mean only to say that systemic and institutionalized poverty effects many gorups. The Native tribes weild a double edged sword. On one hand they have been granted sovereignty and been given Federal assistance. These things can be considered a positive factor. What this article highlights is that the assistance is regulary of an insulting degree in its meagerness and the very sovereignty which some view as a benefit has become an excuse to ignore an entire people.
There is quite a long way to go.
What prompted you to post it here?
There is such a complex and long lived history that has created the situation described in the article that one often wonders, "where do we start?" I can see a parallell to the Colonias in Texas. Although less formalized in structure, the same human questions arise. Of course I mean not to distract our attention from the subject article and people to which it refers. I mean only to say that systemic and institutionalized poverty effects many gorups. The Native tribes weild a double edged sword. On one hand they have been granted sovereignty and been given Federal assistance. These things can be considered a positive factor. What this article highlights is that the assistance is regulary of an insulting degree in its meagerness and the very sovereignty which some view as a benefit has become an excuse to ignore an entire people.
There is quite a long way to go.
What prompted you to post it here?
TonyFlyingSquirrel said:
Thanks Tony, that's definitely worth everybody's time to read. To me the most shocking statistic was the poverty rate: 97% in 2006. Compare to the poverty rate in Washington Park (the poorest neighborhood in Chicago I could think of): 40-50%
I have to point out that alcohol Prohibition was a disaster in the US (still is, for other drugs) and it can't be doing this tribe much good either. Even closing the liquor stores would only force drinkers to go farther off the reservation, or turn to smuggling. Education is the best way to fight drug abuse... you need to lower the demand, not try to cut off the supply. Without some money to fund these efforts, I don't know what can be done, though...
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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muyfue
I occassionally post informative articles such as this at the various forums I frequent, given that many of us have developed personal friendships and most of us support each other in areas other than music.
Being that I am 1/2 Cherokee, addressing the needs of my own people is of my highest passions, and one of the central reasons that even my musical persuits have been re-directed and re-defined to be of benefit to these issues. Up until last year, I never really incorporated my heritage into my music other than imagery. Now, I've kind of taken a completely different approach and am really wanting to experiment more, with my music only being a conduit to provide a dialogue. I have some pre-production examples up on my Myspace page with lyrics, but I'm very much still in the infancy stages.
I occassionally post informative articles such as this at the various forums I frequent, given that many of us have developed personal friendships and most of us support each other in areas other than music.
Being that I am 1/2 Cherokee, addressing the needs of my own people is of my highest passions, and one of the central reasons that even my musical persuits have been re-directed and re-defined to be of benefit to these issues. Up until last year, I never really incorporated my heritage into my music other than imagery. Now, I've kind of taken a completely different approach and am really wanting to experiment more, with my music only being a conduit to provide a dialogue. I have some pre-production examples up on my Myspace page with lyrics, but I'm very much still in the infancy stages.
I'm so glad I'm a member of this forum! Thank you for your reply. I've grown to appreciate your friendship very much, sir! :icon_thumright:
Your post and reply to my message has spurred many thoughts:
You say, "I never really incorporated my heritage into my music other than imagery" and that you have a new approach now. I am in the middle of such a transition. I am from Texas by birth and by heritage, yet my family group has lived in the region for...well for as far back as our records go! So I am Mexican, Texan, and American! You've heard the phrase, "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us." That is a true statement for many of the older families of Tejas. Actually it happened a few times.
It's hard to accurately tell what indigenous group I descend from, since the records are so shoddy and they end in the early 1700s. Before that, I'm not sure where to look for my original roots.
Personally, I feel sometimes like I'm "wearing" my culture, rather than living mi cultura. It's disorienting to have a diasporic view of a culture that I know mostly from collective memory. Admittedly, I live in a big city infused with many influences, not in pre-revolution PotoSi. San Antonio is a great place to live! The cultural diversity of the city has broadened my world view...or has it distanced me from the Colonia? from the Reservation?
Some proponents of total exchange acculturation only see me crouching deeper into my own shadow. I can't help but wonder at the instictive urgency to protect and defend the traditions of our anscetors that drives me to learn more about my past. I have to believe that this is a practice held dear by each new generation: A search for a hand hold on our eternal history while marching ever forward in time and through new and fascinating changes...
Yes, our Culture is dynamic. But not so for those on the Reservation.
I've visited your Myspace and I digg it. Good ideas. I like the direction your going.
Actions are born in the mind as ideas, waiting for some brave fool to dig them out of the mind and will them into the world. Create change.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.
Your post and reply to my message has spurred many thoughts:
You say, "I never really incorporated my heritage into my music other than imagery" and that you have a new approach now. I am in the middle of such a transition. I am from Texas by birth and by heritage, yet my family group has lived in the region for...well for as far back as our records go! So I am Mexican, Texan, and American! You've heard the phrase, "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us." That is a true statement for many of the older families of Tejas. Actually it happened a few times.
It's hard to accurately tell what indigenous group I descend from, since the records are so shoddy and they end in the early 1700s. Before that, I'm not sure where to look for my original roots.
Personally, I feel sometimes like I'm "wearing" my culture, rather than living mi cultura. It's disorienting to have a diasporic view of a culture that I know mostly from collective memory. Admittedly, I live in a big city infused with many influences, not in pre-revolution PotoSi. San Antonio is a great place to live! The cultural diversity of the city has broadened my world view...or has it distanced me from the Colonia? from the Reservation?
Some proponents of total exchange acculturation only see me crouching deeper into my own shadow. I can't help but wonder at the instictive urgency to protect and defend the traditions of our anscetors that drives me to learn more about my past. I have to believe that this is a practice held dear by each new generation: A search for a hand hold on our eternal history while marching ever forward in time and through new and fascinating changes...
Yes, our Culture is dynamic. But not so for those on the Reservation.
I've visited your Myspace and I digg it. Good ideas. I like the direction your going.
Actions are born in the mind as ideas, waiting for some brave fool to dig them out of the mind and will them into the world. Create change.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.
The records I have seen show the paternal side of my family coming from England around 1600, and my mom's from Japan. American father, Japanese mother.
It makes good jokes. When people ask why my brother is so stupid, even though he's as Asian as I am, I explain how there are even Asian idiots. They're still smarter than the average idiot
Yeah, we've been going over the condition of the Native American reservations recently in US history. I think it would help if they stop the prohibition, and have taxes on the alcohol. Use the money to help people, and so on.
It makes good jokes. When people ask why my brother is so stupid, even though he's as Asian as I am, I explain how there are even Asian idiots. They're still smarter than the average idiot
Yeah, we've been going over the condition of the Native American reservations recently in US history. I think it would help if they stop the prohibition, and have taxes on the alcohol. Use the money to help people, and so on.
17 people on average living in each home, and 39% without electricity? Better hope there is no judgment day for the rest of us... I was born and raise in Minneapolis, and the Sioux population were, like invisible, like some kind of untouchables or something. So-called "liberal" people who would never dream of saying "nigger" in company would happily tell "injun whore" jokes - it really used to freak me out. The prejudice & treatment of Indians up there far exceeded anything I saw against blacks or Mexicans in Texas or North Florida, for reasons I can't fathom. This stuff seems to carry over for generations and generations, 125 years ago we used to pay a bounty for how many Indians a hunter could kill, for God's sakes.
There was a huge co-opting of the "imagery" during the hippie years, but it never seemed to carry over to any action towards the actual people. Warehousing poor people out of site seems to satisfy all the needs of rest of us.
There was a huge co-opting of the "imagery" during the hippie years, but it never seemed to carry over to any action towards the actual people. Warehousing poor people out of site seems to satisfy all the needs of rest of us.
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