Yesterday I was contacted by three women: a news director at Maine Public Radio, an attorney from the Maine ACLU, and a leader of Suit Up Maine (formed to "promote equity and equality in civil rights, social justice, health care, the environment, education, the economy, and other areas that affect the lives of all people"). All three expressed interest in the school board meeting coming up on December 6. The facebook event to organize support for Native people in Maine calling for change has 161 people interested and 31 saying they plan to attend as of this morning.
Mockery of indigenous culture and history is commonplace in the U.S. right down to the present moment. Dehumanizing people is foundational to genocide as students of the Holocaust or ethnic cleansing in Rwanda know. Jewish people were compared with rats and referred to as vermin; Tutsi people were referred to as cockroaches. Then, they were slaughtered.
All hate crimes are preceded by hate language is what I told the school board at their November meeting.
Which brings us to the gassing of asylum seekers -- many of whom are indigenous children -- at the U.S. border with Mexico.
A migrant family, part of a caravan of thousands traveling from Central America en route to the United States, runs away from tear gas in front of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Tijuana, Mexico.— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 25, 2018
(📷: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) pic.twitter.com/pz7hkxsN9g
The demagogue with bad hair in the White House tweeted yesterday that many of those being gassed are "stone cold criminals." To say that he offered no evidence to support his claim would just be describing government by tweet as we have come to know it.
When the point is to demonize the Other who allegedly threatens our collective safety, empty threats are far more effective than facts.
The white supremacist culture of the U.S. has built an entire industry characterizing itself as the anti-Nazis. Most of that culture is war porn where beaches are stormed, buddies are glorified, and concentration camps are liberated by the "good guys" (that would be us). A zillion books and movies enshrine the national myth of violent "Christian" saviors. My friend Bruce Gagnon examined this myth yesterday in a blog post: "Was there an ideological contamination from the Nazis?"
Who now has the courage to speak up and say:
The U.S. imprisons thousands of children in concentration camps in Texas right now.
The militarized U.S. Border Patrol is attacking children and their families fleeing violence in Central America that the U.S. creates and funds.
Brown citizens are being stripped of their passports even if they earned citizenship via enlistment in the U.S. military.
White militias are massing on the border with Mexico threatening refugees with further violence if they dare to apply for asylum in the U.S.
White supremacy is a disease. Mocking Native people and harming their children are symptoms of moral sickness. Claiming you do so in the name of Christ is ludicrous.
Silence is complicity in these crimes from here on out.
There's a lot of historical precedent for that, too.
(Special thanks to Hope Savage for all the good meme shares.)
Now, is the time for all Enlightened Souls to take a stand against the inner racist demon that dwells in a space in America's soul. Only Light and Love can dispel the darkness and that can be achieved by bringing it to the Light of day. I so appreciate you and Hope's efforts and energy in bringing this issue to the forefront of not only Skowhegan and Maine but also to others that will be reached through your blog! Given the situation with Nationalism, the situation at the border and the use of tear gas on women and children! (Against International Law!), Now, is the time for Skowhegan to take a deep look at this issue and to THINK about what having Indians as a mascot implies and communicates to those people who are Native Americans.
ReplyDeleteI am of French Canadian heritage. My entire Life growing up in Maine, I was the butt end of jokes, and made to feel that I was stupid and dumb because I WAS French. A lot of it, was meant in good natured fun, I would even laugh with people but emotionally, and self esteem wise, it had a different impact. I remember in my younger years, I felt some shame at being French.
But then, I realized that there is no shame in being born the way you were born, you cannot change it, you can only embrace it!
Last Spring, I had the Blessing of being able to go to the National Native American Museum in New Your City. It's housed in the NY Customs House and looks out over the harbor at the Statue of Liberty. It is within blocks of the 9/11 Memorial. I was humbled by what I saw inside of this museum. I had no idea of the extent of Native American cities and villages that were here prior to the arrival of the white man. There were Native American cities that rivaled the So American cities that the World visits today. One of them that stands out was Cahokia, the site of present St. Louis, Missouri. Another was in the vicinity of Standing Rock and the largest Native American Burial Mound that is still intact is there too. I saw Artifacts and a culture that dates back 15,000 years. My own lineage, Mikmaq, was represented with an ancient but a beautiful Porcupine Quill box! Other Maine Indian tribes are represented as well. I felt sad after viewing what I viewed in the neighborhood where I viewed it. We have taken so much from the Native Americans, yet, they have survived and their culture has survived, and their Wisdom has survived, and for that, we owe them Respect. Respect as a Nation, and a Respect as a People. I suggest a field trip to the National Native American Museum not only for Skowhegan High School students but also the School Board and maybe that pep club too!
Here's one last interesting tidbit about the Museum, the building it is housed in, the Custom's House is made of granite from Hallowell, Maine. Ringing the front of the building, are 4 awe inspiring statues, that were carved right here in Hallowell, they depict Man's Inhumanity to Man. They are very thought provoking, I wish I could remember their names, because in hearing them this would hit home even more. Thank you Lisa and Hope! There are others of us, who are lending our energy to you, in carrying this Torch of Justice!!! Rock on, Ladies!!!
Thanks for this educational and heartfelt comment!
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