2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I'm an Indian, but I'm also a teacher, a computer programmer, a scientist and a writer. I've struggled my whole life with trying to explain to people that "being an Indian" doesn't mean "Living in a Tipi" any more than "Being a White person" means "Living in a log cabin on a prairie."

The requirement to explain to people that I am allowed to be an Indian AND a modern American has always frustrated, often angered me.  because I feel that the words "Indian" and "Native American" carry so much romanticized baggage.

Thank you for writing so much on this. Thank you for giving us complexity, thank you for giving us responsibility. Thank you for opening the doors and helping show the world that Native Americans, just as European Americans and Asian Americans, are a product of their culture, but no caged in a romantic history.

posted 3 years, 7 months ago
view in context