Yesterday I tweeted something quickly during a meeting, an insensitive and misguided attempt to critique media framing around Irish support of Navajo and Hopi Nations. I immediately deleted less than 20 minutes after I posted it, once I realized how off the mark and harmful it was. But in the land of screen shots, the tweet has now circled all over social media and back again, and while I’ve apologized on Twitter, I want to make sure the apology lives here as well. Here is the text of my twitter apology, with a few edits for clarity:
I went to bed sick with anxiety and woke up to folks I deeply respect from the Navajo nation in my inbox telling me how much harm I caused. So I want to reiterate that my original tweet was awful and misguided. Navajo/Hopi are suffering deeply right now, and to imply through my words that Irish support was misdirected was harmful and wrong. The fault lies in the media framing, conflating tribal nations and erasing that this generosity is not a “payback” for any kind of debt, rather a paying forward of Choctaw kindness.
Regardless, it wasn’t necessary to tweet this opinion, especially right now, and I thank the Navajo, Irish, and Choctaw folks who jumped in my mentions immediately to tell me so and helped clarify my words and thinking. I deleted the tweet quickly once I realized how wrong it was, but I recognize I should have apologized immediately and not only later after folks called me in. I have many friends and relations in Navajo and worry constantly for them. I have been trying very hard to support from afar, but there are amazing groups on the ground doing life saving work.
For those looking for ways to support, my college friend Stefanie (@GiveIndigenous)has pulled together a site to streamline how to help: https://indigenouscovidresponse.com, with many links to resources.
So again, I apologize sincerely and deeply for my original tweet. It was hurtful and wrong. It was deleted. If you feel the need to continue to share out the screen shot, I hope you’ll also consider sharing this apology as well.
I realize as someone with white privilege and academic privilege I have to hold myself to a higher standard, and that I have a responsibility to continually unpack and dismantle that privilege. I feel like I’ve been failing on that front recently as I’ve dealt with my own personal and career challenges. But I commit to doing better. For many years I’ve been trying to figure out how to transition Native Appropriations back to what the original goal of the project, which was a forum of many voices discussing issues of representation. It was never meant to be just my voice and my perspective. So in the coming months I’m going to think about the ways to share this platform, especially on Twitter, whether through a rotating “host” like @indigenousX, @IndigenousXca, or @IndigenousBeads, or through a core group of folks willing to curate the feed on issues of representation, like @_illuminatives. I’ll keep thinking, and will make any announcements of changes both here and on Twitter.
Thank you, as always, for continuing with me on this journey as I attempt to learn publicly. I truly apologize for my insensitive tweet, and hope we can continue on together.
Comments
Hi there,
I’m Irish and I contributed to the Navajo-Hopi fund. I think what’s missing in American interpretations of the Irish response is any understanding of where we Irish are coming from. This isn’t helped by some Irish contributors using the terms ‘debt’ and ‘payback’ in comments. Both terms imply obligation and some sort of power imbalance. I can honestly say that isn’t the case. Irish people know the distinctions between the different Nations of Native Americans. They know the Choctaw donated 173 years ago not out of some expectation of repayment but instead out of a sense of shared humanity. Now, we in Ireland are doing the same. The charity of the Choctaw is held up to us as an exemplar of selflessness and brotherhood in dark times. Now, in these dark times, we Irish see another Native American Nation being treated shabbily by the very government which should be protecting them. The trauma of the Famine is still an open wound that bleeds across the Irish psyche. And the Choctaw’s gesture is, to this day, a salve to that wound. We Irish, from our now privileged position, are seeking to tread the path the Choctaw set out for us 173 years ago. If the Choctaw themselves were in trouble we’d pour everything we could into helping them, too. Thankfully, they’re not. But the Navajo and Hopi are. Irish people won’t stand by and let what happened to us in 1847, happen to another native people in 2021. If we can help them stand up we will. And we’ll stand with them and all Native peoples, shoulder-to-shoulder, as equals and friends. And friends don’t owe other friends debts. There’s a gaelic phrase that translates, ‘We live in the shelter of each other’s shadow’. Maybe John Lennon and Paul McCartney put it better, ‘We get by with a little help from our friends.’
Thank you for acknowledging your white privilege. Yes, you should do better.