heya to this blog's 42 random readers of redface, 14 TV theorists, 7 sitcom enthusiasts, 2 blogspot “followers,” and 1 trilingual rez dog: this blog’s been quiet, obviously, for some time now … the crew is chipping away at several projects, including a book manuscript that will have a companion web site later down the road … so, prepare for the bigger, better, much improved, and lowly anticipated "Brady Braves Experience" and resource center for pop culture "Indians" and Ind'ns, tentatively set to launch via a new site (with links to it from this blog) in Spring 2010 ... meanwhile, feel free to check out the previous 89 posts and stay strong, stay Brady Bravin' strong ...
Peace.
14 April 2009
25 November 2008
Bureau of Brady Braves Announcement ...
heya, brady braves ... as has been apparent lately, bloggin' from the bbb (i.e., bureau of brady braves) staff is rather slow and looks to be that way through december ... but very good news is that the bureau proudly welcomes a new 8-lb-9-oz brady bravin' baby boy ... take good care, (and appreciate the sleep you're receiving) ...
06 November 2008
Todd Palin to Blame ...
Bobby NewBuffalo here with psychoanlaytical spin ... heya, bloggers and bloggees and blogospherans ... a few random highlights, or lowlights, to report from our staff's election night channel surfing (amid the limited dozen channels on the bureau of brady braves' basic cable):
kudos to CSPAN2 for carrying canadian broadcasting corporation's election coverage ... (notice how important u.s. prez election is worldwide but how insignificant other nations' and countries' changes of leadership are in the u.s.? americans asking, "who's stephen harper?")
kudos to CSPAN for enduring call-in comments like those from a female in Florida who said, "I'm White, but this [election] ain't about race" (yes, she said this with seriousness) and who gave props "to the Blacks" for Obama's win but then advised African Americans thus: "don't run with the ball" (i.e., don't go get a swelled head of hubris) ... and so, it's as if Whites "gave" this Obama victory to Blacks but that they better recognize that ... talking of inferior/superiority complexes?
Brian Williams of NBC news gushing over Obama-as-prez-elect, adding on air that Obama is "astonishing" ... Meredith Viera of NBC Today gushing as well ...
kudos to CSPAN for enduring a call from Pennsylvanian who says she voted for "Governor McCain" (governor?!) and that she thinks Obama supporters are "insane" for voting in a "Muslim" and a friend of "terrorists" ... (i didn't realize Obama and Prez Bush are friends ... new news ...)
Williams and Viera still gushing ... Williams says, "astonishing" again ...
i'm questioning why the CSPAN host didn't question the New York caller who identified as a democrat and said he and his family voted for McCain because a democract prez AND a democrat congress is too much power for one party to have! (or maybe a non-White prez is too much non-White for those New Yorkers?)
no new news about Williams and Viera other than their faces freezing with giddiness ...
hey, Obama mentioned "Native Americans" in his victory speech ...
award for most bizarre phrase of the night: to Tom Brokaw who called Obama the first "postmodern president" ... any pomo theorists having a field day with that one?
as to the question of why the Republican party lost, folks from NBC to WGN to CSPAN and beyond have their theories ... but no one's pointing out the obvious: if, as this brady bravin' blog claims, all the world's a cherokee, then blame todd palin for being of yup'ik heritage (or does he actually say he is yup'ik?) ... we all know bill clinton has went on cherokee charades and look where it got him: the white house ... ergo, if palin had claimed cherokee-ness, he'd have pushed mccain and gov palin onto victory with the strong support of a world of cherokees* ...
*theoretical exception: Obama became Crowbama after being adopted into Crow Nation ... all the world ain't a crow, yet Obama is prez-elect ... strange occurrence ... so strange, in fact, that perhaps he is a postmodern president ...
kudos to CSPAN2 for carrying canadian broadcasting corporation's election coverage ... (notice how important u.s. prez election is worldwide but how insignificant other nations' and countries' changes of leadership are in the u.s.? americans asking, "who's stephen harper?")
kudos to CSPAN for enduring call-in comments like those from a female in Florida who said, "I'm White, but this [election] ain't about race" (yes, she said this with seriousness) and who gave props "to the Blacks" for Obama's win but then advised African Americans thus: "don't run with the ball" (i.e., don't go get a swelled head of hubris) ... and so, it's as if Whites "gave" this Obama victory to Blacks but that they better recognize that ... talking of inferior/superiority complexes?
Brian Williams of NBC news gushing over Obama-as-prez-elect, adding on air that Obama is "astonishing" ... Meredith Viera of NBC Today gushing as well ...
kudos to CSPAN for enduring a call from Pennsylvanian who says she voted for "Governor McCain" (governor?!) and that she thinks Obama supporters are "insane" for voting in a "Muslim" and a friend of "terrorists" ... (i didn't realize Obama and Prez Bush are friends ... new news ...)
Williams and Viera still gushing ... Williams says, "astonishing" again ...
i'm questioning why the CSPAN host didn't question the New York caller who identified as a democrat and said he and his family voted for McCain because a democract prez AND a democrat congress is too much power for one party to have! (or maybe a non-White prez is too much non-White for those New Yorkers?)
no new news about Williams and Viera other than their faces freezing with giddiness ...
hey, Obama mentioned "Native Americans" in his victory speech ...
award for most bizarre phrase of the night: to Tom Brokaw who called Obama the first "postmodern president" ... any pomo theorists having a field day with that one?
as to the question of why the Republican party lost, folks from NBC to WGN to CSPAN and beyond have their theories ... but no one's pointing out the obvious: if, as this brady bravin' blog claims, all the world's a cherokee, then blame todd palin for being of yup'ik heritage (or does he actually say he is yup'ik?) ... we all know bill clinton has went on cherokee charades and look where it got him: the white house ... ergo, if palin had claimed cherokee-ness, he'd have pushed mccain and gov palin onto victory with the strong support of a world of cherokees* ...
*theoretical exception: Obama became Crowbama after being adopted into Crow Nation ... all the world ain't a crow, yet Obama is prez-elect ... strange occurrence ... so strange, in fact, that perhaps he is a postmodern president ...
28 October 2008
attn: Comanches in Bronte, Texas
on this day in 1852: Fort Chadbourne became official in western Texas "to protect the local settlers and the Butterfield Stage from the local Comanche" ... near present-day Bronte, 'bout 30 miles from San Angelo and 1/2 mile from the nearest out-of-business Dairy Queen ... according to 2000 census, 0.19% of Bronte's 1,076 citizens is Native ... so, 
a special brady bravin' "heya" to that partial person and his dog ... perhaps a Comanche and his sarii/dog who didn't get the memo 'bout heading north? ...
and for those in Bronte and elsewhere with internet access, you gotta check out the new pro-Obama Ron Howard video, starring Opie, Andy, Richie the C, and The Fonz, at http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d ...
a special brady bravin' "heya" to that partial person and his dog ... perhaps a Comanche and his sarii/dog who didn't get the memo 'bout heading north? ...and for those in Bronte and elsewhere with internet access, you gotta check out the new pro-Obama Ron Howard video, starring Opie, Andy, Richie the C, and The Fonz, at http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d ...
10 October 2008
Sailing with 1492 Sales at Old Navy
heya, brady braves ... here at the bureau, we have recently discovered a place that sells clothes and clothing accessories--it's something called "old navy," but we can change that (as goes with colonizer naming) ... for since we have discovered it, we lay claim to it in the name of patriarchal leader mike "big eagle of large nest" brady ... hence forth, we proudly take ownership as allowed to us through the doctrine of discovery*
*special thanks to christopher columbus, the american discoverer, who helped to facilitate this colonizing takeover ... his name was recently evoked in an old navy promotion for celebrating columbus day and 1492 (aka columbus' inaugural year for soon-to-be enslaving and killing) by choosing from 1,492 items under $14.92! old navy celebrated a bit prematurely as the sale was last weekend, even though Stolen Land Day, er, Columbus Day ain't until october 13 this year ...
btw, Glamour.com's daily style blog promoted the sale in its story "Party Like its 1492 at Old Navy this [past] Weekend" ... the blog is called "Slaves to Fashion," but you'd think the author Tracey Lomrantz could have gotten more creative by briefly calling it "Slaves to Columbus" ... unlike Ms. Lomrantz, some Indigenous Peoples can probably relate to this "1492 party" ...
*special thanks to christopher columbus, the american discoverer, who helped to facilitate this colonizing takeover ... his name was recently evoked in an old navy promotion for celebrating columbus day and 1492 (aka columbus' inaugural year for soon-to-be enslaving and killing) by choosing from 1,492 items under $14.92! old navy celebrated a bit prematurely as the sale was last weekend, even though Stolen Land Day, er, Columbus Day ain't until october 13 this year ...
btw, Glamour.com's daily style blog promoted the sale in its story "Party Like its 1492 at Old Navy this [past] Weekend" ... the blog is called "Slaves to Fashion," but you'd think the author Tracey Lomrantz could have gotten more creative by briefly calling it "Slaves to Columbus" ... unlike Ms. Lomrantz, some Indigenous Peoples can probably relate to this "1492 party" ...
25 September 2008
Heya Silver: It's Tonto Scissorhands ...
heya, brady braves ... reports coming in that johnny depp, one of the bureau's favs in hollywood, is set to play jack sparrow again in pirates 4 and the mad hatter in a tim burton version of alice in wonderland ... but check this out, courtesy of MTV in the UK:
"Mr. Depp has signed up for a big screen adaptation of The Lone Ranger that will be produced by Pirates producer Jerry
Bruckheimer. Alas, 
Johnny won’t be rocking a white cowboy hat, he’s set for the role of trusty sidekick Tonto. Depp’s grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee and Johnny’s embraced his native American roots before in his self directed movie The Brave."
besides offering us further support for our theory (that all the world's, indeed, a cherokee), the report reminds us of one of the much stronger films in the '90s: jim jarmusch's dead man (surely, you weren't thinking dances with wolves), starring depp as white character William Blake and Cayuga actor gary farmer as the indigenous Nobody ... perhaps farmer will re-appear as a pseudo-lone ranger in whitefaced disguise and take out the subservient tonto once and for all? or perhaps this big-screen take, which i hear may be an origin story [as solid as the origin story in batman begins?], will re-envision the lone ranger-tonto relationship through a decolonial framework? oh wait ... nevermind--it's being overseen by Walt Disney Studios ...
"Mr. Depp has signed up for a big screen adaptation of The Lone Ranger that will be produced by Pirates producer Jerry
Bruckheimer. Alas, 
Johnny won’t be rocking a white cowboy hat, he’s set for the role of trusty sidekick Tonto. Depp’s grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee and Johnny’s embraced his native American roots before in his self directed movie The Brave."besides offering us further support for our theory (that all the world's, indeed, a cherokee), the report reminds us of one of the much stronger films in the '90s: jim jarmusch's dead man (surely, you weren't thinking dances with wolves), starring depp as white character William Blake and Cayuga actor gary farmer as the indigenous Nobody ... perhaps farmer will re-appear as a pseudo-lone ranger in whitefaced disguise and take out the subservient tonto once and for all? or perhaps this big-screen take, which i hear may be an origin story [as solid as the origin story in batman begins?], will re-envision the lone ranger-tonto relationship through a decolonial framework? oh wait ... nevermind--it's being overseen by Walt Disney Studios ...
23 September 2008
Ura, Judge DeGiusti
heya, brady braves ... following up from a previous posting ... here's good news from comanche country: "A federal judge today sided with the Comanche Nation and ordered the U.S. Army to stop construction near a sacred site in Oklahoma." the article at http://indianz.com/News/2008/010989.asp continues:
"In a 34-page decision [which can be accessed here, Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti said the tribe demonstrated that it will be harmed by a $7.3 million warehouse at the foot of Medicine Bluffs in Fort Sill. He said the U.S. Army failed to consider alternatives that would not obstruct ceremonies at the site, a place of immense healing and spiritual medicine for the Comanche people.
"The construction of a permanent structure on a site considered sacred by the Comanche people, and the substantial burden the presence of the structure would impose on their traditional religious practices as detailed ... would constitute irreparable harm," DeGiusti wrote.
The permanent injunction, which can be appealed, will stay in place until the case is resolved. The tribe alleges violations of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
DeGiusti said the tribe demonstrated a "substantial likelihood of success" on the merits of the case, so the injunction represents a big victory. Tribal leaders say they weren't properly consulted by the U.S. Army about the construction.
"As a Comanche man, Medicine Bluffs is the spiritual center of my religious beliefs and the heart of the current Comanche Nation," Jimmy Arterberry, a tribal member, said in a court declaration. "The Medicine Bluffs site is an extremely important sacred place to me as a Comanche man."
Arterberry told the court that the warehouse, if constructed, would prevent him from viewing Medicine Bluffs as he prays and conducts ceremonies. DeGiusti noted that the construction site is the last remaining place with an "unobstructed view" of Medicine Bluffs.
The U.S. Army calls the warehouse "essential" to the future at Fort Sill, which will be seeing an influx of activity in the coming years. Due to base closures across the nation, Fort Sill will be training more and more soldiers for military operations around the world.
"The United States is now at war," the Department of Justice said in court papers. "Training is the top priority of the Army. It is the cornerstone of combat readiness. Training is what Fort Sill does."
But DeGiusti said the record, so far, is "utterly devoid" of evidence that the U.S. Army considered a different location for the warehouse that would be less intrusive on the tribe. He noted that the timing of decisions affecting construction indicated the tribe's objections were never considered.
The 94,000-acre Fort Sill was built during the Indian wars of the late 1800s. It is a National Historic Landmark and Medicine Bluffs was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974."
"In a 34-page decision [which can be accessed here, Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti said the tribe demonstrated that it will be harmed by a $7.3 million warehouse at the foot of Medicine Bluffs in Fort Sill. He said the U.S. Army failed to consider alternatives that would not obstruct ceremonies at the site, a place of immense healing and spiritual medicine for the Comanche people.
"The construction of a permanent structure on a site considered sacred by the Comanche people, and the substantial burden the presence of the structure would impose on their traditional religious practices as detailed ... would constitute irreparable harm," DeGiusti wrote.
The permanent injunction, which can be appealed, will stay in place until the case is resolved. The tribe alleges violations of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
DeGiusti said the tribe demonstrated a "substantial likelihood of success" on the merits of the case, so the injunction represents a big victory. Tribal leaders say they weren't properly consulted by the U.S. Army about the construction.
"As a Comanche man, Medicine Bluffs is the spiritual center of my religious beliefs and the heart of the current Comanche Nation," Jimmy Arterberry, a tribal member, said in a court declaration. "The Medicine Bluffs site is an extremely important sacred place to me as a Comanche man."
Arterberry told the court that the warehouse, if constructed, would prevent him from viewing Medicine Bluffs as he prays and conducts ceremonies. DeGiusti noted that the construction site is the last remaining place with an "unobstructed view" of Medicine Bluffs.
The U.S. Army calls the warehouse "essential" to the future at Fort Sill, which will be seeing an influx of activity in the coming years. Due to base closures across the nation, Fort Sill will be training more and more soldiers for military operations around the world.
"The United States is now at war," the Department of Justice said in court papers. "Training is the top priority of the Army. It is the cornerstone of combat readiness. Training is what Fort Sill does."
But DeGiusti said the record, so far, is "utterly devoid" of evidence that the U.S. Army considered a different location for the warehouse that would be less intrusive on the tribe. He noted that the timing of decisions affecting construction indicated the tribe's objections were never considered.
The 94,000-acre Fort Sill was built during the Indian wars of the late 1800s. It is a National Historic Landmark and Medicine Bluffs was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974."
12 September 2008
Brady Bravin' on Book TV
for those of you brady braves who can’t make it to the comanche nation casino for tonight’s fights, you’re still in for mighty fine TV treats on CSPAN2 this weekend …
if'n you're having difficulty with any writing projects, then sounds like you need your BookTV ... this saturday night: ultra-conservative Pat “Build-a-Wall-Then-Build-it-Bigger” Buchanan--your close pro-Indian Country friend and mine--will share what cspan calls "insightful" thoughts about his "writing methods" … if this don't help writer's block, what will? ... and if that weren’t enough, why, buchanan’s talk will be followed by a tour of his library (only on cspan, ennit?) ... no doubt Ruth Beebe Hill and Carlos Castaneda and Chief Red Fox and Ian Frazier books will be featured …
and here’s another eye-catching talk for this weekend's Book TV: "Leslie Sanchez, Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other" (Sunday 1:15 PM ET) ... "need" is such a strong word, ennit? But where’s the Indian-ized version of this talk: "Redfaced Republicans: Why More Indians than just Charles Curtis Should Assimilate and Destroy Indigenous Sovereignties" ...
if'n you're having difficulty with any writing projects, then sounds like you need your BookTV ... this saturday night: ultra-conservative Pat “Build-a-Wall-Then-Build-it-Bigger” Buchanan--your close pro-Indian Country friend and mine--will share what cspan calls "insightful" thoughts about his "writing methods" … if this don't help writer's block, what will? ... and if that weren’t enough, why, buchanan’s talk will be followed by a tour of his library (only on cspan, ennit?) ... no doubt Ruth Beebe Hill and Carlos Castaneda and Chief Red Fox and Ian Frazier books will be featured …
and here’s another eye-catching talk for this weekend's Book TV: "Leslie Sanchez, Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other" (Sunday 1:15 PM ET) ... "need" is such a strong word, ennit? But where’s the Indian-ized version of this talk: "Redfaced Republicans: Why More Indians than just Charles Curtis Should Assimilate and Destroy Indigenous Sovereignties" ...
Boxing Tonight: Comanche Boy
heya to brady braves across ind'n country, especially there in lawton, where you can watch george "comanche boy" tahdooahnippah (13-0-1) in action against jonathan "the native sensation" corn (47-19-2) for the native american boxing council's super middleweight title at the comanche nation casino ... [update: congrats to Comanche Boy on becoming the NABC Super Middleweight champ!]
10 September 2008
attn: pseudo-Indian actors named "Sammy"
heya, brady braves ... google "native american sitcom" right now and here are your Top 5 hits:
5) a definition of "sitcom," along with a supposed Seneca "Native American" proverb thrown in down the page: "He who would do great things should not attempt them all alone."
4) a casting call for an indy sitcom pilot in ny with "[p]ossible pay and future roles if the pilot goes to series" ... besides looking for a "Mr Falafel: A Pakistani character destined to become the breakout star," the company's searching for a Native character: "Sammy: Sammy is a Native American chain smoker, ex-heavy drinker with a stuttering problem. Sammy enjoys chain-smoking, reminiscing about drinking red wine in unconventional manners, and stuttering" ... uplifting and inspirational, ennit? so, move over John Redcorn--here comes Sammy the Indian who "enjoys ... stuttering" and sharing stories of ("unconventional") alcoholism while smoking off-brand Marlboros? based on "Indians"-in-comedic-TV history, look for CBS to pick this one up ...
3) bronze medal goes to a 2008 article in the journal American Indian Quarterly by one of the brady bravin' leaders of this site ...
2 and 1) sherman alexie's entertainingly critical "sit-com american" interview with npr, an excerpt of which is included at the start of the aforementioned AIQ article ...
5) a definition of "sitcom," along with a supposed Seneca "Native American" proverb thrown in down the page: "He who would do great things should not attempt them all alone."
4) a casting call for an indy sitcom pilot in ny with "[p]ossible pay and future roles if the pilot goes to series" ... besides looking for a "Mr Falafel: A Pakistani character destined to become the breakout star," the company's searching for a Native character: "Sammy: Sammy is a Native American chain smoker, ex-heavy drinker with a stuttering problem. Sammy enjoys chain-smoking, reminiscing about drinking red wine in unconventional manners, and stuttering" ... uplifting and inspirational, ennit? so, move over John Redcorn--here comes Sammy the Indian who "enjoys ... stuttering" and sharing stories of ("unconventional") alcoholism while smoking off-brand Marlboros? based on "Indians"-in-comedic-TV history, look for CBS to pick this one up ...
3) bronze medal goes to a 2008 article in the journal American Indian Quarterly by one of the brady bravin' leaders of this site ...
2 and 1) sherman alexie's entertainingly critical "sit-com american" interview with npr, an excerpt of which is included at the start of the aforementioned AIQ article ...
03 September 2008
Indian + Vegan = Indivegan?
straight from the bbb inbox, courtesy of a brady brave at nc a&t university: "On the Fox Sunday gas bag show they said that Palin's parents have a bumper sticker on their truck: Vegetarian = Old Indian Word for Bad Hunter." (apparently, 18th-century pundit andy rooney once said this with "lousy" instead of "bad.") man, i feel for those non-bumper-sticker-applicable Indians who don't even eat meat ... as for Indians as "bad hunters," guess they weren't as lucky as the Settlers ... buffalo, for example, were too busy--as Stephen Colbert's character said in the "Trail of Tears" episode of Strangers with Candy--getting in the way of the White Man's bullets ... but on a brighter note, i wonder if Palin's parents drive a jeep "cherokee" or a "pontiac" firebird? perhaps she'll address this tonight at the RNC ...
update: the closest Palin's rhetoric got to Indians was a very quick post-occupation, post-union, post-hobby reference to her husband's "ancestry": "Todd is a story all by himself. He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers' Union ... and world champion snow machine racer. Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package." with that "throw-in," sounds like a borderline exoticized "package" or recipe: "add in two drops of 'Eskimo' and voila: you, too, can build a fire from snow" ... and how about "ancestry"? like "heritage" (i.e., "yeah, i got a story or two about great-great-great Eskimo grandmothers")? additional reading on Palin and Indigenous Peoples: "Todd Plain No Poster Boy for Yup'ik ..."
28 August 2008
one Flo to go, please
heya ... brady here ... in a rush 'cause i'm [ironically] waiting in e-line for my washington redskins flo card ... what's the "flo," you ask? ... why, it's the latest must-have for us supporters of our redskins ... it'll get us through lines at 'skins' ball games at least 30 seconds faster (guaranteed!) ... and if half-a-minute closer to my $349 seat can happen with prompt payment of just $100/yearly, then that's a bundle of buffalo nickels well spent ...
and it makes sense that such an important and valuable card for getting me through redskins' gameday lines 30 seconds faster would require the following: "It is MANDATORY for enrollment [into flocard] t
hat TWO forms of identification documentation are brought to the enrollment." no problem there--i got xeroxed copies of my "Whirling Rainbow" fan club member card and--thanks to my well-spent $600 to Grand Chief Thunderbird IV--my "Kaweah Indian Nation" citizenship card. (attn: naysayers--i'm confident that the illegalities and disputes of my Kaweah-ness will be overturned anyday now, and then i'm in like flynn and on the go with my flo) ...
meanwhile, nba coach phil jackson is speaking on university of north dakota's "fighting sioux" mascot and logo ... as reported by usa today earlier this week, "Jackson did not specifically say UND should do away with the nickname, but he asked officials to ponder what could be gained by keeping it. Jackson said he had been asked by his Lakota friends to speak out against the nickname. He said UND has a chance to embrace change." what a slap from jackson to his alma mater during und's honoring of him ... it's like you just can't "honor" anyone nowadays without them speaking out against your indian mascots ...
ya ever see that 1999 outside the lines episode on "THE native american sports experience"? (THE one experience as shared by millions of native peoples, ennit? yes, that's THE one) ... it discussed jackson's "lakota teachings": "Phil Jackson, the former Bulls' and current Lakers' coach, uses teachings of the Lakota Sioux in his coaching. He would burn sage to cleanse the team of negative energy and show game film intercut with clips from a movie about a Sioux warrior. [val kilmer in thunderheart?] Jackson says he decorated the Bulls' team room at the Berto Center with Native American artifacts to reinforce in the players' minds that their journey together each season was a sacred quest."
and it makes sense that such an important and valuable card for getting me through redskins' gameday lines 30 seconds faster would require the following: "It is MANDATORY for enrollment [into flocard] t
hat TWO forms of identification documentation are brought to the enrollment." no problem there--i got xeroxed copies of my "Whirling Rainbow" fan club member card and--thanks to my well-spent $600 to Grand Chief Thunderbird IV--my "Kaweah Indian Nation" citizenship card. (attn: naysayers--i'm confident that the illegalities and disputes of my Kaweah-ness will be overturned anyday now, and then i'm in like flynn and on the go with my flo) ...meanwhile, nba coach phil jackson is speaking on university of north dakota's "fighting sioux" mascot and logo ... as reported by usa today earlier this week, "Jackson did not specifically say UND should do away with the nickname, but he asked officials to ponder what could be gained by keeping it. Jackson said he had been asked by his Lakota friends to speak out against the nickname. He said UND has a chance to embrace change." what a slap from jackson to his alma mater during und's honoring of him ... it's like you just can't "honor" anyone nowadays without them speaking out against your indian mascots ...
ya ever see that 1999 outside the lines episode on "THE native american sports experience"? (THE one experience as shared by millions of native peoples, ennit? yes, that's THE one) ... it discussed jackson's "lakota teachings": "Phil Jackson, the former Bulls' and current Lakers' coach, uses teachings of the Lakota Sioux in his coaching. He would burn sage to cleanse the team of negative energy and show game film intercut with clips from a movie about a Sioux warrior. [val kilmer in thunderheart?] Jackson says he decorated the Bulls' team room at the Berto Center with Native American artifacts to reinforce in the players' minds that their journey together each season was a sacred quest."
26 August 2008
Medicine Bluff
heya, brady braves ... as reported last week, "A federal judge has blocked the U.S. Army from starting a construction project at Fort Sill in Oklahoma out of concern for the religious rights of the Comanche Nation. The tribe says it wasn't consulted about the development of a training service center near the foot of Medicine Bluffs, a sacred site at Fort Sill. Work was scheduled to begin on Monday until Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti issued a temporary restraining order. 'The court finds that, given the nature of the interests which plaintiffs in this case seek to protect, irreparable harm will result if the construction project commences,' DeGiusti wrote in the five-page order." that order can be read in its entirety via a link near the bottom of the page at http://indianz.com/News/2008/010446.asp.
in light of this critical situation, we--the staff of the bureau of brady braves--share with you an excerpt from wallace and hoebel's 1952 book the comanches: lords of the south plains (205-206):
"Medicine Bluff is another place commemorated in name and held in great reverence by the Comanches as being the abode of a powerful, benevolent spirit. It is located in Comancheria at the confluence of Cache and Medicine Bluff creeks. The two creeks empty into Red River [Pia Pasiwuhunu] and are overlooked by a precipitous bluff--Medicine Bluff. It is a mile in length, forming a perfect crescent, rising at once from the bed of Medicine Bluff creek, which flows at the base of the perpendicular scarp, to the height of 310 feet. The surface of the face of the bluff is perfectly regular and smooth. Moss covers the sides with a garb of pale green. The greater portion of the face is perfectly bare, though at some places a few stunted cedars have found lodgment in the crevices. From the rear the bluff presents three knolls, the center one being the highest. Mount Scott, about eight miles distant, stands forth with its pyramidal outline like a sentinel guarding the eastern gate of the Wichita Mountains.
There, from the bluff, according to a Comanche legend recounted by Thomas Battey, a powerful spirit looked over and cared for his people, saw that game was abundant and that his children were prosperous and happy. Comanche medicine men erected a cairn about six feet in height upon the summit of the principal knoll. Here the sick repaired or were brought by their relatvies or friends, and here they were left to its invisible and subtle power. Especially those who were past the cure of the medicine men were deposited on the altar and left to be disposed of by the spirit. If the sick had not offended the supernatural powers, they were suddenly healed and returned to their kindred. Sometimes they were transported bodily to the after world. But if they were notoriously bad, they were allowed to die, and the ravens descended from the air, and the wolf came up from the valley and devoured the body, and the bones were gathered up by the Evil Spirit and deposited in the land of terrors. At times the vicinity of the bluff became suddenly lighted up as by a great fire. The dews of night, the rain, and the wind circled about the spot of the altar at the very summit, but none of these agencies of nature trespassed, and the patient was thus left sheltered better than in his own tipi.
To the spirit was attributed the power of resurrection. Once an old warrior, who had long lived among the women of the village, having ceased to hunt or go on the warpath and having been turned out to wait his time to join his fathers, had struggled to the top of the bluff to die and be borne away to the after world. Each night after his departure, when darkness covered the face of nature, the awe-stricken people of the village below observed a great blaze, as if a fire had been built to alarm them. On the morning after the third night, a young man equipped as a warrior was seen descending the bluff, along the trail to the village. He approached the chief's lodge and sat by the fire. The warriors gathered around, but no one recongized him and so remained silent, waiting for him to speak. Lighting his pipe, decorated with beads and feathers of strange birds, the stranger, after all had made the ceremonial smoke, began his story.
When he had reached the top of the hill, he could see the village and hear the laughter of children, the mourning of his kindred, and the barking of the dogs. He could see the buffalo and deer in the distance, and the young warriors in all their pride and strength. Then he asked himself, 'Why do I live any longer? My fires have gone out. I must follow my fathers. The world is beautiful to the young, but to the old it has no pelasures. Far away to the setting suns are the hunting grounds of my people. I will go there.' After these words, he had mustered all he could of his failing strength and leaped into the air from the giddy height before him. He knew no more of the woes of life. He was caught up in midair and transported into a smiling country where there was no rain and no wind, where the great chiefs of all the Comanches were assembled. They were all young and chased the buffalo and feasted. There was no darkness. The Great Spirit was everywhere and everybody was happy.
The story capitvated the minds and imagination of the listeners, and the strange young warrior became at once an oracle and a big medicine man in the tribe. His counsel was all-powerful, and his abilities to cure were considered infallible. Reverence for the bluff was enhanced; and in the years that followed no Comanche would ascend to the summit of the hill except for a most sacred purpose. When white soldiers fired shots at the cliff to hear the echoes, the Comanche guide, Blue Leggings, was horror stricken, and he refused to scale the peak with the soldiers.
At times a young man, eager to take the warpath for the first time, ascended to the sacred spot in quest of his vision. Having provided himself with a shield, in accordance with ceremonial instructions the youth proceeded to the highest point of the bluff, reminaing for three successive days. A part of the cerremony included preenting the face of the shield to the rising sun each morning, as if warding off an arrow or a spear. The sacred surroundings of the place and the Sun, the emblem of the Great Spirit, casting its rays upon the shield were supposed to endow it with supernatural protective powers."
may those "protective powers" intervene now in preventing fort sill from disturbing Medicine Bluff.
in light of this critical situation, we--the staff of the bureau of brady braves--share with you an excerpt from wallace and hoebel's 1952 book the comanches: lords of the south plains (205-206):
"Medicine Bluff is another place commemorated in name and held in great reverence by the Comanches as being the abode of a powerful, benevolent spirit. It is located in Comancheria at the confluence of Cache and Medicine Bluff creeks. The two creeks empty into Red River [Pia Pasiwuhunu] and are overlooked by a precipitous bluff--Medicine Bluff. It is a mile in length, forming a perfect crescent, rising at once from the bed of Medicine Bluff creek, which flows at the base of the perpendicular scarp, to the height of 310 feet. The surface of the face of the bluff is perfectly regular and smooth. Moss covers the sides with a garb of pale green. The greater portion of the face is perfectly bare, though at some places a few stunted cedars have found lodgment in the crevices. From the rear the bluff presents three knolls, the center one being the highest. Mount Scott, about eight miles distant, stands forth with its pyramidal outline like a sentinel guarding the eastern gate of the Wichita Mountains.
There, from the bluff, according to a Comanche legend recounted by Thomas Battey, a powerful spirit looked over and cared for his people, saw that game was abundant and that his children were prosperous and happy. Comanche medicine men erected a cairn about six feet in height upon the summit of the principal knoll. Here the sick repaired or were brought by their relatvies or friends, and here they were left to its invisible and subtle power. Especially those who were past the cure of the medicine men were deposited on the altar and left to be disposed of by the spirit. If the sick had not offended the supernatural powers, they were suddenly healed and returned to their kindred. Sometimes they were transported bodily to the after world. But if they were notoriously bad, they were allowed to die, and the ravens descended from the air, and the wolf came up from the valley and devoured the body, and the bones were gathered up by the Evil Spirit and deposited in the land of terrors. At times the vicinity of the bluff became suddenly lighted up as by a great fire. The dews of night, the rain, and the wind circled about the spot of the altar at the very summit, but none of these agencies of nature trespassed, and the patient was thus left sheltered better than in his own tipi.
To the spirit was attributed the power of resurrection. Once an old warrior, who had long lived among the women of the village, having ceased to hunt or go on the warpath and having been turned out to wait his time to join his fathers, had struggled to the top of the bluff to die and be borne away to the after world. Each night after his departure, when darkness covered the face of nature, the awe-stricken people of the village below observed a great blaze, as if a fire had been built to alarm them. On the morning after the third night, a young man equipped as a warrior was seen descending the bluff, along the trail to the village. He approached the chief's lodge and sat by the fire. The warriors gathered around, but no one recongized him and so remained silent, waiting for him to speak. Lighting his pipe, decorated with beads and feathers of strange birds, the stranger, after all had made the ceremonial smoke, began his story.
When he had reached the top of the hill, he could see the village and hear the laughter of children, the mourning of his kindred, and the barking of the dogs. He could see the buffalo and deer in the distance, and the young warriors in all their pride and strength. Then he asked himself, 'Why do I live any longer? My fires have gone out. I must follow my fathers. The world is beautiful to the young, but to the old it has no pelasures. Far away to the setting suns are the hunting grounds of my people. I will go there.' After these words, he had mustered all he could of his failing strength and leaped into the air from the giddy height before him. He knew no more of the woes of life. He was caught up in midair and transported into a smiling country where there was no rain and no wind, where the great chiefs of all the Comanches were assembled. They were all young and chased the buffalo and feasted. There was no darkness. The Great Spirit was everywhere and everybody was happy.
The story capitvated the minds and imagination of the listeners, and the strange young warrior became at once an oracle and a big medicine man in the tribe. His counsel was all-powerful, and his abilities to cure were considered infallible. Reverence for the bluff was enhanced; and in the years that followed no Comanche would ascend to the summit of the hill except for a most sacred purpose. When white soldiers fired shots at the cliff to hear the echoes, the Comanche guide, Blue Leggings, was horror stricken, and he refused to scale the peak with the soldiers.
At times a young man, eager to take the warpath for the first time, ascended to the sacred spot in quest of his vision. Having provided himself with a shield, in accordance with ceremonial instructions the youth proceeded to the highest point of the bluff, reminaing for three successive days. A part of the cerremony included preenting the face of the shield to the rising sun each morning, as if warding off an arrow or a spear. The sacred surroundings of the place and the Sun, the emblem of the Great Spirit, casting its rays upon the shield were supposed to endow it with supernatural protective powers."
may those "protective powers" intervene now in preventing fort sill from disturbing Medicine Bluff.
18 August 2008
Crowbama's Chosen 10
revealed today are brief bios of the 10 individuals who will join Sen.
[Cr]O[w]bama backstage at the upcoming DNC in Denver ... among them is an Indigene: Holly Miowak Stebing of Anchorage, Alaska ...
"Holly, a 20-year-old Alaska Native Inupiaq, is spending her summer break from Stanford University at the First Alaskans Organization interviewing native elders about their experiences with segregation. Holly is passionate about improving healthcare access for Native Americans, and protecting Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling. The 2008 presidential election is Holly's first as a voter. She says: "This was the first campaign I felt I needed to support. I don't have a lot of money, but I donate what I can because I believe in [Barack]." She will attend the convention with her mother who is the first Native American woman to pass the Alaska bar." (this info courtesy of a personal email from Barack to me ... and a few other thousands ... and thousands ...)
[Cr]O[w]bama backstage at the upcoming DNC in Denver ... among them is an Indigene: Holly Miowak Stebing of Anchorage, Alaska ...
"Holly, a 20-year-old Alaska Native Inupiaq, is spending her summer break from Stanford University at the First Alaskans Organization interviewing native elders about their experiences with segregation. Holly is passionate about improving healthcare access for Native Americans, and protecting Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling. The 2008 presidential election is Holly's first as a voter. She says: "This was the first campaign I felt I needed to support. I don't have a lot of money, but I donate what I can because I believe in [Barack]." She will attend the convention with her mother who is the first Native American woman to pass the Alaska bar." (this info courtesy of a personal email from Barack to me ... and a few other thousands ... and thousands ...)
14 August 2008
what's the word? grand chief thunderbird!
heya, brady braves ... long time, no blog ... into fightin' illini country now ... no "chief illiniwek"-rezurrected spottings thus far (other than seeing pro-"chief" bumper stickers and "we love OUR chief" t-shirts and pro-"chief" yard signs and "chief before charmin" TP and ...) ... gotta love those folks who love their indians (over real indigenous folks) ...
heya, remember stephen colbert claiming 1/13 chickasaw-ness before winona laduke on the colbert report? now check out the colbert retort authored by j.d. colbert, a real chickasaw ... in case the link doesn't work later down the road, it's called "indian is as indian does" ...
as you faithful brady braves know by now, we here at the bureau like frauds; for without them, we'd have lesser material with which to work ... and dangit if we don't find it an outrage that one of 'em's in legal troubles right now in kansas ... as noted today at indianz.com ("leader of fake tribe guilty in immigration scam"), "A federal jury found a Kansas man who claims he is the leader of a tribe guilty for scamming immigrants with promises of U.S. citizenship. Malcolm Webber calls himself the Grand Chief Thunderbird IV of the Kaweah Indian Nation. Prosecutors said he sold $600 'tribal membership' cards to immigrants and told them it would help them cross the border and win U.S. citizenship."
well, sounds like the jury is anti-Family Guy ... so what if webber confused his "grand chief"
moniker with peter griffin's great-grandfather's name "chief grand cherokee" (whom peter initially called "jeep grand cherokee") in the first-season episode "the son also draws" ... and sounds like the jury is anti-thunderbird wine, too ... ol' school'ers--you know what's the word: it's [grand chief] thunderbird [iv] ... and how's it sold? ... good and cold ... but apparently, the jury ain't hearing that ...
perhaps it'd do the kaweah indians good to sit-in on an upcoming panel at the Cherokee Nation's State of Sequoyah Conference ... the session's titled “Stealing Sovereignty: Fraudulent ‘Tribes’ and ‘Individuals’” ... heck, the kaweahs could even be the subtitle's guests of honor, ya know? ... but if all the world's a cherokee and if all the cherokees attend, then there just might be a whole lotta stealin' going on ... still, with whirling rainbows and big chief thunderbirds in attendance, wouldn't seeing the name tags alone be reason enough to attend?
heya, remember stephen colbert claiming 1/13 chickasaw-ness before winona laduke on the colbert report? now check out the colbert retort authored by j.d. colbert, a real chickasaw ... in case the link doesn't work later down the road, it's called "indian is as indian does" ...
as you faithful brady braves know by now, we here at the bureau like frauds; for without them, we'd have lesser material with which to work ... and dangit if we don't find it an outrage that one of 'em's in legal troubles right now in kansas ... as noted today at indianz.com ("leader of fake tribe guilty in immigration scam"), "A federal jury found a Kansas man who claims he is the leader of a tribe guilty for scamming immigrants with promises of U.S. citizenship. Malcolm Webber calls himself the Grand Chief Thunderbird IV of the Kaweah Indian Nation. Prosecutors said he sold $600 'tribal membership' cards to immigrants and told them it would help them cross the border and win U.S. citizenship."
well, sounds like the jury is anti-Family Guy ... so what if webber confused his "grand chief"
moniker with peter griffin's great-grandfather's name "chief grand cherokee" (whom peter initially called "jeep grand cherokee") in the first-season episode "the son also draws" ... and sounds like the jury is anti-thunderbird wine, too ... ol' school'ers--you know what's the word: it's [grand chief] thunderbird [iv] ... and how's it sold? ... good and cold ... but apparently, the jury ain't hearing that ...perhaps it'd do the kaweah indians good to sit-in on an upcoming panel at the Cherokee Nation's State of Sequoyah Conference ... the session's titled “Stealing Sovereignty: Fraudulent ‘Tribes’ and ‘Individuals’” ... heck, the kaweahs could even be the subtitle's guests of honor, ya know? ... but if all the world's a cherokee and if all the cherokees attend, then there just might be a whole lotta stealin' going on ... still, with whirling rainbows and big chief thunderbirds in attendance, wouldn't seeing the name tags alone be reason enough to attend?
28 July 2008
Matt Lauer spotted at IHOP on Mars ...
hey, Lauer-loving Brady Braves ... on this morning's today show, mr. "where in the world is matt lauer?" previewed what was coming up post-commercial break: "You, too, can conquer the space frontier if you have enough money" ... [cue Lauer smile]just alter-spin "space" to "[wherever-Indigenous-Peoples-were/are]," add "guns" and "greed" after "money," and you've got yourself, today show fans, an historical global formula--from "australia" to the "americas"--tried-and-true ... as for the segment's topic? sir richard branson's virgin atlantic globalflyer ... for just $200,000, you can sign up for travelling to space, the new "colonization-awaits" vacation destination ... sweet ...
speaking of sweet, what was the first commercial after the segment on space travel? IHOP's "Discover America Pancakes" ad, of course ... yeah, IHOP's only about 516 years behind on that one ... we all know Mr. Ohio State Capital discovered america ... don't listen to those sources that tell ya Native folks were here pre-1492 ... those are the same sources that'll try to brainwash you into believing that Ind'ns, not IHOP, discovered pancakes ...
so, let us envision IHOP, the space-colonization, today show promoting pancake house, on Mars [sorry, Pluto--you don't count] ... and let us start a campaign for Lauer to appear in the soon-to-be ad campaign "IHOP Discovers Space Pancakes [and then profits from the Indigenous beings of outer space]" ... so sweet again ...
speaking of travels, the bureau of brady braves is relocating (again) this week ... something about ind'ns and relocation, ennit? ... once settled in like a 1907 sooner settler, we'll be back to the blogosphere ... take care ...
25 July 2008
Medicine Bluff: Sacred
dear brady braves ... what follows is an urgent July 24 letter from William Voelker, Chairman of Comanche Nation NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act):
"Dear Friends:
Medicine Bluff, located at Fort Sill, Oklahoma has been a place of immense spiritual importance to Native Peoples since time immemorial. To the Numunuh (Comanche People) Medicine Bluff is a Sacred site and one of the last places of "tubitsi Puha" (True Medicine) that remains in close proximity to the main resident body of the People. The U. S. Army plans to desecrate the lee side of Medicine Bluff with the construction of a Training Service Center. There have been objections to the proposed building for over one year. The site is
located north of Randolph Road directly across the road from the site of an unearthed burial which had to be exhumed only nine years ago. It stands to reason if a burial was disturbed south of Randolph Road the area North of Randolph and closer to the Bluff is even more sensitive. The decision to build in this particular site is totally arbitrary. There are many other suitable places on the base that could accommodate the building of the Training Service Center. We call on all those who still believe in keeping our Sacred Sites safe. In this eleventh hour, only public outcry will turn the tide. If you stand with us in this battle, please send your appeal to:
Major General Peter Vangjel, c/o Chief of Staff COL. Sam White at "sam.white@us.army.mil
Indications are that Friday, July 25, 2008 may be the last day we can appeal this plan that will forever impact this hallowed ground.
Udah! (Thank You!)Wahathuweeka a.k.a. William Voelker"
for video footage on this critical issue from the july CBC (Comanche Business Committee) meeting, see www.campcrier.net/comanche_news.htm.
"Dear Friends:
Medicine Bluff, located at Fort Sill, Oklahoma has been a place of immense spiritual importance to Native Peoples since time immemorial. To the Numunuh (Comanche People) Medicine Bluff is a Sacred site and one of the last places of "tubitsi Puha" (True Medicine) that remains in close proximity to the main resident body of the People. The U. S. Army plans to desecrate the lee side of Medicine Bluff with the construction of a Training Service Center. There have been objections to the proposed building for over one year. The site is
located north of Randolph Road directly across the road from the site of an unearthed burial which had to be exhumed only nine years ago. It stands to reason if a burial was disturbed south of Randolph Road the area North of Randolph and closer to the Bluff is even more sensitive. The decision to build in this particular site is totally arbitrary. There are many other suitable places on the base that could accommodate the building of the Training Service Center. We call on all those who still believe in keeping our Sacred Sites safe. In this eleventh hour, only public outcry will turn the tide. If you stand with us in this battle, please send your appeal to:Major General Peter Vangjel, c/o Chief of Staff COL. Sam White at "sam.white@us.army.mil
Indications are that Friday, July 25, 2008 may be the last day we can appeal this plan that will forever impact this hallowed ground.
Udah! (Thank You!)Wahathuweeka a.k.a. William Voelker"
for video footage on this critical issue from the july CBC (Comanche Business Committee) meeting, see www.campcrier.net/comanche_news.htm.
24 July 2008
another knockout ...
update: congrats to Tahdooahnippah on his 2nd round KO tuesday night ... fight footage currently available, courtesy of the good folks at CampCrier.net, at http://www.campcrier.net/comanche_news.htm.
22 July 2008
Comanche Boy in Action Tonight
the bureau of brady braves sends good thoughts to Comanche Boy (12-0-1) and his opponent tonight. headlining at Remington Park this evening, George "Comanche Boy" Tahdooahnippah making Numunuu proud ... and good to see this morning's following coverage by Robert Przybylo in NewsOK.com:"By day, Lawton's George Tahdooahnippah tries to protect the environment. Working as an environmentalist for his Comanche tribe, he said he's a certified tree-hugger. By night, it's his opponents who need protection. The 29-year-old super middleweight enters tonight with a 12-0-1 record with 11 wins coming by knockout. Tahdooahnippah, the "Comanche Boy,” highlights tonight's main event at Remington Park presented by CatBOX Entertainment.
He's taken the road less traveled to reach this point, but he wouldn't change a thing. A standout wrestler at Lawton Eisenhower, Tahdooahnippah attended the University of Delaware. In his second year there, he started to feel homesick. And that's when he found his calling. Tahdooahnippah, with a background in kickboxing, took a stab at a Toughman Contest. He reached the finals, and suddenly, the wrestler was turned into a boxer. "I've always had the speed and the movement, so it wasn't that tough a transition,” Tahdooahnippah said. "My grandfather used to participate in Golden Gloves tournaments, so fighting runs in the family.”
And with huge support from the Comanche tribe, Tahdooahnippah brings to each fight a distinct fan advantage. It starts with the entrance. A drum beats, native dancers walk out, and Tahdooahnippah enters the ring to rap from more native people. "I like to utilize everyone,” he said. "It's important to get the crowd on your side and bring that energy.”
Tahdooahnippah does his part, too. After each KO, he does his own victory dance. But with two boys, Nacona, 4, and George Jr., 1, and a fiancé, Mia, Tahdooahnippah knows it's time to step up the competition. When training for a fight, Tahdooahnippah wakes up at 6 a.m. to go on a morning run. From there, he goes to his environmentalist job. After work, it's to the gym for more training. So far, it's been working. Tahdooahnippah fought at Remington in April, winning via first-round knockout and is 3-0-1 this year.
With little amateur experience, each fight presents something new for Tahdooahnippah. "I'm still learning the game and all the little nuances that come with it,” he said. "But I'm very dedicated and really want to represent my people well.” Tahdooahnippah trains in a tiny gym in Elgin. He said he hopes his success spurs others into joining the sport and into giving back to the community.
Success in Lawton is nothing new. Grady Brewer won The Contender Tournament two years ago and grew up with Tahdooahnippah. "It's great to have someone like Grady for kids to look up to,” Tahdooahnippah said. "We want to show the kids that they can become something.”All of Tahdooahnippah's knockouts have occurred within the first three rounds. He's only fought 23 rounds in 13 fights. "I'm a crowd-pleaser,” he said. "I'm looking to get him out of there as soon as possible. That's what the people come to see.'"
16 July 2008
the "r-word" chronicles ...
First, belated happy 108th b-day wishes to Martha Berryhill, Muscogee/Creek.
Next, a brady [johnny] bravo [yes, a brady bravo is a good thing] to Ian Thomsen, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, who recently wrote advice to Seattle's NBA franchise owner as he, an Okie, moves the club to Indian Territory/Oklahoma. On what not to call the new team, Thomsen says, "And don't get me started on how wrong it is to call a team the 'Redskins.'" Good to hear from someone at such a recognized sports news source.
Less recognized is something called BleacherReport.com. Robert Johnson, a writer over there, posted one of those articles yesterday, you know, the kind that's replete with the same pro-"Redskins"-as-mascot arguments. Our response, posted at the same site, reads as follows:
"Mr. Johnson: We ran across your article via http://www.indianz.com/. You wrote, "Our story begins nearly 20 years ago. During the early '90s a new fad was born. The phrase 'Politically Correct' entered the lexicon. [...] The 'Native Americans' began to find other places where they felt slighted: sports teams."
OUR STORIES (i.e., Indigenous Peoples' stories) began long before this one, on lands known dominantly today as "America." As for saying that "Indian"-related mascots did not become an issue until "the early '90s" for "Native Americans" (i.e., a non-Native-constructed term), you have thus ignored the work of preceding decades. Since the 1960s, over 3,000 schools (from elementary to college) have dropped "Indian"-related monikers. Folks, including non-Natives, are starting to understand.
Your perspective, Mr. Johnson, is arguably part of a shrinking collective of mindsets that supports "Redskins" and Wahoos as mascots and logos. You seemingly do not know what it means to be Ind'n, to be Indigenous, in the 21st-century. You're a newcomer to these lands, yet this is how you speak to Ind'ns? How can you tell folks, especially Indigenous youth, what should or should not offend them? It's not about being politically correct; it's about being humanly respectful (and respectfully human). Although you show little respect to Native Peoples in your trite, flawed writing, we still wish you well and hope that your research will lead you towards learning in good ways from your elders.
Respectfully,
Brady, http://www.bradybraves.blogspot.com/
UPDATE:
here's Robert Johnson's "starting-to-'get-it'-but-still-far-from-'it'" response to readers (and notice the apology to the if-offended, also known as an "apologizing-but-i-don't-know-why-i-am-apologizing" apology):
"So many responses, so many valid points. When I initially wrote this article, my intent was not to offend, but to point out how crazy this "politically correct" world has become.
It was never my intent to offend any of the surviving relatives of the indigenous people of what is now North America. If any were so offended, then I sincerely apologize.
Many have been quick to label me a racist based on my views. That's fine, you have that right.
I have never had anyone refer to me as a Redskin in anger or disgust. So my niavete I guess would be in the fact that I would never think to refer to anyone in that manner as the team
name has a positive-feeling attachment for me...not a negative one. I'm not alone in this. The Washington Redksns have a huge fan-base. Hundreds of thousands of fans who all probably feel pretty much the same way. The images of a bounty on the head of every "red-skin" is not what I associated with the term, it was my team. I still feel that way. I will be honest and say that until it was brought up, and all of this fuss was created, I never would have known that word would have such power over anyone as to hurt them or cause anger.
This isn't a retraction, and it doesn't mean that my opinion has changed. To be honest, the only thing that would change my opinion would be if the team did change it's name because then all that would be left for me with that specific term would be an out-dated racial slur."
Next, a brady [johnny] bravo [yes, a brady bravo is a good thing] to Ian Thomsen, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, who recently wrote advice to Seattle's NBA franchise owner as he, an Okie, moves the club to Indian Territory/Oklahoma. On what not to call the new team, Thomsen says, "And don't get me started on how wrong it is to call a team the 'Redskins.'" Good to hear from someone at such a recognized sports news source.
Less recognized is something called BleacherReport.com. Robert Johnson, a writer over there, posted one of those articles yesterday, you know, the kind that's replete with the same pro-"Redskins"-as-mascot arguments. Our response, posted at the same site, reads as follows:
"Mr. Johnson: We ran across your article via http://www.indianz.com/. You wrote, "Our story begins nearly 20 years ago. During the early '90s a new fad was born. The phrase 'Politically Correct' entered the lexicon. [...] The 'Native Americans' began to find other places where they felt slighted: sports teams."
OUR STORIES (i.e., Indigenous Peoples' stories) began long before this one, on lands known dominantly today as "America." As for saying that "Indian"-related mascots did not become an issue until "the early '90s" for "Native Americans" (i.e., a non-Native-constructed term), you have thus ignored the work of preceding decades. Since the 1960s, over 3,000 schools (from elementary to college) have dropped "Indian"-related monikers. Folks, including non-Natives, are starting to understand.
Your perspective, Mr. Johnson, is arguably part of a shrinking collective of mindsets that supports "Redskins" and Wahoos as mascots and logos. You seemingly do not know what it means to be Ind'n, to be Indigenous, in the 21st-century. You're a newcomer to these lands, yet this is how you speak to Ind'ns? How can you tell folks, especially Indigenous youth, what should or should not offend them? It's not about being politically correct; it's about being humanly respectful (and respectfully human). Although you show little respect to Native Peoples in your trite, flawed writing, we still wish you well and hope that your research will lead you towards learning in good ways from your elders.
Respectfully,
Brady, http://www.bradybraves.blogspot.com/
UPDATE:
here's Robert Johnson's "starting-to-'get-it'-but-still-far-from-'it'" response to readers (and notice the apology to the if-offended, also known as an "apologizing-but-i-don't-know-why-i-am-apologizing" apology):
"So many responses, so many valid points. When I initially wrote this article, my intent was not to offend, but to point out how crazy this "politically correct" world has become.
It was never my intent to offend any of the surviving relatives of the indigenous people of what is now North America. If any were so offended, then I sincerely apologize.
Many have been quick to label me a racist based on my views. That's fine, you have that right.
I have never had anyone refer to me as a Redskin in anger or disgust. So my niavete I guess would be in the fact that I would never think to refer to anyone in that manner as the team
name has a positive-feeling attachment for me...not a negative one. I'm not alone in this. The Washington Redksns have a huge fan-base. Hundreds of thousands of fans who all probably feel pretty much the same way. The images of a bounty on the head of every "red-skin" is not what I associated with the term, it was my team. I still feel that way. I will be honest and say that until it was brought up, and all of this fuss was created, I never would have known that word would have such power over anyone as to hurt them or cause anger.This isn't a retraction, and it doesn't mean that my opinion has changed. To be honest, the only thing that would change my opinion would be if the team did change it's name because then all that would be left for me with that specific term would be an out-dated racial slur."
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