Dear Drew Barrymore, You know what? You’re a pretty cool chick. You were in ET back when you were little and adorable, and I respect that movie for scarring me for life when I was young and impressionable. You’re a female producer, which is bad-ass. You donate lots of money to good causes, and you seem kinda nice in your …
Week in the life of a Stereotypical Indian: Native Approps Style
Today on Indian Country Today, columnist Vincent Schilling wrote a column detailing his numerous encounters with the “stereotypical Indian” over the course of one week, demonstrating how inundated we are with these images on a daily basis (the purpose of my blog!). I absolutely LOVE the idea, and I want to get a bunch of us to do it as …
Complicating the 2010 US Census Native Data
Back in 2010 when the census came in the mail, I remember sitting with my roommate at the kitchen table filling out our forms together, laughing and joking about our “household.” When we got to the race category listed above, my roommate quickly checked the “Black, African Am, or Negro” box, with a snide comment about how it still says …
The Stanford "Indian": Then and Now
I just came back from an amazing long weekend in the Bay Area, where I was at a training to be on my reunion homecoming committee (5th year reunion! I’m either really old or really young, depending on your perspective). I seriously love my alma mater more than is probably healthy. But this is a place that I credit with …
Gawker uses "Mail of Tears" for a cheap pun
This, my friends, is a post about how the internet is a slow learner. A few days ago Gawker writer Leah Beckmann posted a round-up of crappy reader mail, and in a clear lapse of judgment and lack of awareness of American history, or a blog in her own network’s history, entitled it “Mail of Tears”–complete with a picture of …
Hey Kardashians: Why you so obsessed with me?
Another Kardashian transgression to add to the (growing) list: E! Online posted this pic of the Jenner girls with Kourtney Kardashian and Mason, taken at Mason’s 2nd birthday party back in December. Looks like they were uber creative and went with a “Cowboys and Indians” theme. Wow. Adding insult to injury is the fact that E! used the headline “Cute …
Top 11 posts of 2011!
Hi Friends, It’s almost 2012! How are these for some slightly embarassing statistics–my 2010 blog post count: 158 and 2011? only 58. (Where did those 100 posts go?) But don’t worry, my goal for 2012: 5 million blog posts!!! Or at least more than once every three weeks. Also look for a blog re-design in the new year, as well …
Students respond to ABC’s "Children of the Plains"
“I know what you probably think of us…we saw the special too. Maybe you saw a picture, or read an article. But we want you to know, we’re more than that…We have so much more than poverty.” I know many of you saw the Diane Sawyer 20/20 special “Children of the Plains,” and I let it pass by without much …
Pepper Ann Follow-Up: Why I’m glad I have readers
Yesterday I posted about an awesome Pepper Ann cartoon that dealt with Peppy “discovering” her Navajo ancestry. Then, some readers pointed out some even cooler things I didn’t notice upon first watch, and some pointed out how I had made some really poor language choices in my write-up, so I’ll get to that too. 1) Pepper Ann’s best friend Milo …
Pepper Ann "Dances with Ignorance": Quality TV for an Indian Appropriator Near You!
I spotted this video on My Culture is Not a Trend last night, and had to share. Pepper Ann is/was(?) a cartoon on the Disney Channel, featuring a super awkward, kinda oblivious, but nearly always endearing main character, Pepper Ann. I had flashbacks to the theme song when I started watching this…Pepper Ann, Pepper Ann, she’s much too cool for …