I find this recording incredibly thought-provoking.  I've been looking for something like this blog for awhile, on many cultures, not just American Indian cultures.  However, I've been looking particularly for a more authentic voice from at least one Native American culture.  I was hoping for Cherokee (no offense intended here) and as lame as it may sound to say it after listening to your recording, it's because my great grandmother really was Cherokee, raised on a reservation.  She married an Irish man and left.  I hear tell she regretted her lost heritage when she saw her grandchildren (all raised anglo-american) running around.  I have the misfortune to be one of the "my great grandma was an indian princess" things going on as a child.  Turns out it was just something my dad said so my older sister wouldn't be too afraid to approach her.

I was highly embarrassed and a bit angry with my dad when I first found out there was no such thing.  Thankfully, I found out the truth when I was still a kid though.  I went through a wannabe phase, sorry.  I'd be lying if I didn't admit it.  Buying a feathered hair decoration, etc.  Though I didn't go so far as dreamcatchers in the car (what a silly place, for starters).  All I can say in my defense is that I've never fit into the culture I was raised in.  It's this weird sense of being misplaced as you look around your culture (or lack thereof).  Throughout my life I've made quicker friends of exchange students than kids my own age in public schools.  I still make quicker friends with those outside my culture.  I'm fairly certain it's because we both feel like outsiders looking in at much of anglo-american culture.  This feeling always left me in awe of my great-grandmother and wishing she hadn't died when I was still too young to really talk at length with her about it.  That's part of why I've been looking for blogs like this.  I don't claim I'm Cherokee, I never before thought to even verify and still doubt I'd bother unless I could actually talk my husband into moving to a reservation.  I'd nearly always heard a native american tribe isn't in your blood, but your heart and your way of life.  I can't claim that and I haven't bothered looking too hard for relatives on the roster (especially since no one even knows what my Great grandmother's real name actually was).  I realize I'm talking an awful lot about myself now, but it leads me to something your recording made me think of.

Ignorance is no excuse for a lack of consideration.  We may make cultural faux pas with each other, but when they're pointed out, we should stop (my home state's insistence on keeping The Chief aggravates me to no end; I made a similar point to the priests and catholics but used the American flag trailing in the dirt as comparison).  Not blithely continue without even considering the fact we might need to apologize.

Having said that, I am a culture nut.  I absolutely love learning all I can about pretty much any culture.  I love people and learning about what makes them tick.  I confess to borrow things I find inspiring, or aesthetically pleasing as well.  This includes an unfortunate presence of some "trends" with other cultures in my life.  I do yoga, for example, but not yoga nut level.  I'm just very flexible for a fat chick and once I tried it, I realized it's a way to exercise that I quite enjoy.

I think I'm getting defensive, or at least sounding defensive.  Let me finally get to the thoughts your vlog post conjured up.  Anglo-American culture does do a lot of grabbing, and unfortunately the bulk of it comes off as "shopping" without true respect or understanding (or maybe even liking) of the real people behind the fad.  Most of us are muts, plain and simple.  Perhaps if our parents had kept better tabs on our heritage, and their parents before them, we'd have something.  I think a lot of the grab-bag ethnicity going on is a result of many anglo-americans waking up to realize, they have no culture but the stupid white picket fence "American Dream" that leaves so many miserable.  We're trees falling over without roots, whichever metaphor you want to grab.  Some of us have known ancestors we can try to get back in touch with (I would give anything to find a vlog/blog like this by some Cherokee and Irish folks).  Many of us have no real idea.  Our heads were stuffed full of straw indian princesses and distant possibly asian ancestors.  It doesn't mean we should all be shopping around and taking other ethnic traditions and practices without understanding or true respect (particularly if they don't want us to), but I find it understandable.  When you wake up and realize you don't have a real culture anymore because your ancestors sold it to "fit in" with the Anglo-American dream.  Well, we all want roots, yeah?  So, I come from a humbling background of sell-outs, I guess.  I suppose I'll always be an anglo-american even though I only have a faint clue what that means, I'm not even convinced it's a real, complete culture in and of itself...unless you packaged it with the culture of capitalism and worship of the almighty God Moolah with his white-picket fenced heaven.

This one vlog post of yours was way more helpful than the entirety of the CherokeeNation official site to me.  I want authentic, not packaged up nicely for the tourists.  I'm still studying everything at the official cherokee nation website, including the language, but I appreciate the distinct lack of "trying to sell me something" that your site gives.  For now, all I know first hand is anglo-american culture, my entire family practices it with a strict, religious fervor (something of a black sheep).

In the meantime, I'll have to find and try (or make?) this fried bread.  If I don't like it, then maybe it's not in the blood either, yeah?

Thanks again,

--Saronai

There was A Time when it Wasn't Cool To Be An Indian. If all those white people wanna be Indians now, maybe that's Progress?

You romanticise Italians but Italy and Spain are probably the most racist countries in Europe, I live in UK (you diss Anglos but I never had much of a problem here) but have travelled in most of Europe.  They have the worst reputations for racism, especially in football, shouting monkey chants at the black players.  New York Italians too I have found to be very insulting.

How To Spot Wannabe Indians

Simon Moya-Smith

Recent comments

RTX

Barry Carstetter

ZoeHernandez

§нιησвι