Monuments and Mosques: A Debate Over What's Sacred (An American Indian's Perspective)

CrazyHorse Memorial, South Dakota

(Image source.)

AK note: Today's posting comes from Simon Moya-Smith, the author behind I Am Not A Mascot. Simon is Oglala Lakota, writes for the Denver Post, and offers engaging and poignant commentary about what it means to be a contemporary Indian in America. You can also follow him on twitter, @IAmNotAMascot. 

So the controversy – for the moment – is over the mosque slated to be built near the site of the World Trade Center bombings in New York City. Don’t you worry, though. We’ll get back to that ugly immigration debate momentarily.

None the less, I feel compelled to share some not-widely-known wisdom with my mosque-naysayers, for if there’s one thing citizens in this country get instantly aroused by it is some good old American Indian wisdom, so here you go, folks:

Random Appropriation of the Day! ("Money House Blessing" Air Freshener?)

One of the things I love most about having this blog is getting Random Appropriations from my friends as they go about their lives all over the world. Last week I got a text message from my friend Shane in Taipei showing an "aboriginal" cartoon at the airport, my friend Steven sent me some great ones as he drove cross country this summer, and then this weekend my friend Genia tags me on Facebook...as this. I burst out laughing in the middle of the library. I love it.

Let's discuss.

"Navajo" Fashion Spread in Seventeen

(via my culture is not a trend, click for bigger version)

Cultural appropriation in fashion has now gone seriously mainstream. The favorite read of tweens and teens everywhere, Seventeen Magazine, featured this "Navajo" fall fashion spread in their August issue. On many levels, I find this even more offensive than having a generic "tribal fashion" spread. I know I always point out that those spreads lump a million different Native tribes, images, and traditions into one catch-all, otherizing, "tribal" idea--and at least this one listed a tribe, right? Yeah, not so much. 

Awesome Contemporary Native Art: Indian Shrek and More

(image source, (c) Bunky Echohawk)

Reader Carleen sent over this image, which comes from an exhibition of contemporary Native art that Susan Shown Harjo curated in DC back in 2007. I know it's old, but you know how much I like art and images that call into question preconceived notions about Indian identity, clashing with stereotypes and challenging ideas of Natives in the historic past, as fantasy characters, ect. This painting definitely fits the bill, and let's be honest, it's pretty fun too.

Lots of other great images from the show can be found at the Washington Post here. The show was entitled "American Icons Through Indigenous Eyes", and The Post noted that the exhibition was a "rare chance to see modern works by Native Americans that don't necessarily reflect craft traditions, anthropology or history, but instead a viewpoint and a vision for art." Exactly what I love about contemporary Indian art. There are even some images that play with cultural appropriation--I especially liked this one by David Bradly, called "Land O Fakes":

 Have I mentioned my undergrad thesis was on contemporary Indian art? It might be obvious by now. :)

Today's my first-ish day of class (still "shopping"), so expect posting to return to normal next week!

Colorlines: Must See Political Native American Art
Washington Post: American Icons Through Indigenous Eyes

Earlier:
Masking Tape and Markers=Beautiful Native Street Poetry

"I bead contemporary Native life": The Art of Teri Greeves

Native-themed Banksy Street Art in San Francisco

(Thanks Carleen!)

"Hipsters Like to Put Things on Their Heads": Links, Links, Links...and More!

• Hipster Wife Hunting did a piece on appropriation of Native culture in fashion. I thought it was satire at first. I was wrong. Though, all my curiosities about the hipster headdress have been cleared up in this sentence: "Hipsters like to put things on their heads". But of course! And here I was giving them credit for trying to make a societal statement or something! 

• Rosetta Stone released a Navajo Language version of their software--I want a Cherokee version next, please?

• Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature spots a headdress-wearing, war whooping child in Tommy Hilfiger's new campaign. 

• Style Bubble (UK fashion blog) brings up the issue of cultural appropriation in fashion. Interesting comment discussion too. Also: not offended by the dress in question, if you were curious.

• Sociological Images looks at a vintage tobacco ad showing an ethereal (and benevolent) white woman bringing the gift of tobacco to the wild Natives. 

• Jess Yee writes a great post over at Racialicious about the recent apology by the Canadian government to the Inuit for forced relocation. 

• More coverage about the ongoing crisis of violence against Indigenous women.

• Charles Trimble proposes a tax on "Wanabee" Indians. "This past week I had the opportunity to attend a social event, and to observe white culture in action. There were 80 people at this event and five of them represented to me that they had a great-great-grandfather who married a Cherokee" (story of my life).

• Great narrative piece about confronting racist costumes (i.e. Native headdresses) over at Theloop21.

• Yurok Tribe receives the largest-ever repatriation of sacred objects (over 200 pieces), from the NMAI in DC. Awesome.

Just some cool stuff to keep you posted on what's been happening around the 'ol internets in the last few weeks. Thanks to everyone who sent me these--sorry I was bad about keeping track this time. But I am very much in appreciation for your tips!

Mid-Week Motivation: Adriel Luis Spoken Word+Pocahontas

If anyone needs an extra push to make it through your Wednesday, check out this awesome video via Sociological Images. This mash-up came out of a class assignment to use art to "inspire a critical perspective". Socimages gives the context:

Last semester my colleague, Mary Christianakis, assigned her students a mash up.  The idea was to take two forms of art (loosely defined) and combine them to inspire, instead of state, a critical perspective.  Below is one of the exemplars, by her student, Samantha Figueroa.  It combines scenes from Pocahontas with a spoken word poem, Slip of the Tongue, by Adriel Luis.

 I've watched this almost daily since it was posted, so I thought I would share. Here are the full lyrics to Luis' piece:

Why don't you write?: Some reflections of 7 months of blogging

(Leather postcard found at an estate sale by Jodi--great use of the alcohol, right? geez.)

Many of you have probably noticed the blog has been a bit quiet this summer, going from about five posts a week during the school year to, like, one--if that. I'm not going anywhere, I promise! I've just been finding it a bit hard to balance summer life with its lack of schedule and blogging, which requires a fair amount of discipline. But it's given me some time to think about the direction of Native Appropriations, and definitely lots of time to reflect on what I've learned over the last few months of writing.

Random Appropriation of the Day! (Totem Cups)

 (source)

I initially didn't have much to say about these "Totem Cups" by designer Rob Southcott--they're cups. That look like a totem pole. Oh, but they are made in the land of many great Native appropriations: China.

"Sioux Chief" Drain: Honoring Natives in a Bathroom Near You!

(image source)

It's definitely an honor to have the place where dirty, disgusting water drains in rest stop bathrooms to be named after the most revered position in your tribe, right? According to the Sioux Chief Manufacturing Company, that's exactly what they were going for.

Random Appropriation of the Day! (Crate & Barrel "Hogan" Rug)

Another Random Appropriation courtesy of my parent's house in San Diego. My mom got some beautiful new rugs for our bathroom from the Crate & Barrel outlet, and I don't know if you can read it, but this style of rug is called a "Hogan" rug.

Still missing the Native connection? This is a Hogan:

Random Appropriation of the Day: "Seneca Warrior" Paddle Ball

My sister re-discovered the joys of beach paddle ball when she was on her senior trip to Myrtle Beach, and since I'm home visiting my parents in San Diego for a couple of weeks, we dug around in the garage to see if we still had an old set. Lo and behold, not only did we have an ancient (and complete) set, it happened to be a random appropriation.