Harjo: Ward Churchill is not the Indian man's burden
Friday, August 3, 2007
Filed Under:
Opinion
" Why is it important for Native peoples to continue to tell the world that [fired Colorado University professor Ward] Churchill is not a Native person? Churchill is now a cause celebre and there are a lot of people who are angry with Native people because of him.
Some Churchill supporters are mad at Native peoples for being mean to a ''fellow Indian.'' Some Churchill opponents are mad at Indians because Churchill claimed to be one.
Some folks are against Indian studies because Churchill says there aren't any Indian studies standards. Some folks are opposed to Indian studies because Churchill has been part of Indian studies.
There are even a number of well-meaning people who think that, by supporting Churchill, they are supporting Native peoples and Native rights.
Like it or not, Churchill is like gum on the bottom of your shoe and we're stuck with him for a bit. All we can do for now is to defend our Native nations and people against his attacks, and take up for Indian studies, too.
Another thing we can do is to ask a series of questions along these lines:
What makes you think Churchill is a Native person? His sunglasses and, if so, why? His lack of graciousness and, if so, why? His lack of support by or contact with any of the Native nations he claims?
By reminding people that Churchill should not be the Indians' burden, you might not win any popularity contests, but I guarantee you some memorable conversations."
Get the Story:
Suzan Shown Harjo: Ward Churchill, the white man's burden
(Indian Country Today 8/3)
Related Stories:
Harjo: Friend of Cheney no
friend to Indians (07/13)
Harjo: Another ignorant bozo
writes about Natives (6/29)
Harjo: HBO
buried history with 'Wounded Knee' (6/15)
Harjo: The Indian tobacco wars in the Northwest
(05/25)
Harjo: Imus has a record of
insulting Natives (04/27)
Harjo: On the
passing of Dad, Freeland Douglas (4/13)
Harjo: Nothing honorable about 'Chief
Illiniwek' (02/23)
Harjo: GOP calls
Indian health care 'race-based' (02/12)
Harjo: House needs Indian Affairs Committee
(1/26)
Harjo: Mel Gibson makes his own
Macacalypto (1/22)
Harjo: President Ford
and federal Indian policy (1/5)
Harjo:
Resolve to help Native people in 2007 (1/2)
Harjo: The 2006 Mantle of Shame Awards (12/25)
Harjo: Tribal money lands in hands of
anti-Indians (12/8)
Harjo: Thanks for
protectors of sacred places (11/23)
Harjo: A call for change after 2006 elections
(11/17)
Harjo: GOP self-destructs at an
amazing rate (10/27)
Harjo: From Abramoff
to Foley, Whiteman magic (10/13)
Harjo:
Sen. Allen uses 'R-word' with impunity (9/29)
Harjo: Urban Indian health funding still at
risk (09/08)
Harjo: Sen. 'Macaca' Allen
no stranger to racial gaffes (8/31)
Harjo: Ross Swimmer still taking care of
Indians (08/21)
Harjo: Good people being
taken out by snakes in DC (07/21)
Harjo:
Ann Coulter's failed supermodel career (06/23)
Parents, museum visit stirred Harjo's passions
(6/16)
Harjo: Mascots preferred over
real Indian people (6/12)
Harjo: Poarch
Creeks worked against Native people (6/5)
Harjo: Indians forced to pay price for Abramoff
(04/28)
Suzan Harjo: Girl-empowerment for
Indian Country (04/15)
Harjo: Scientists
study Ancient One but learn nothing (03/17)
Harjo: NY Times story on drugs accurate but
untrue (02/27)
Harjo: Pseudo-Indians
should pay for identify theft (02/10)
Harjo: Indian art world suffered severe losses
(01/20)
Harjo: The Mantle of Shame Awards
for 2005 (1/4)
Harjo: Indian people have
no word for 'mascot' (12/9)
Harjo: My
photo album of Vine Deloria Jr. (11/24)
Harjo: 'Scooter' Libby scandal and Rosa Parks
(11/11)
Harjo: White man's words trump
Native views (10/21)
Harjo: Native
nations stand up to 'Fighting Sioux' (10/03)
Harjo: Indian people know what it's like to be
uprooted (9/23)
Harjo: We can prove that
Native people ate corn (08/26)
Harjo:
Hanging onto mascots, toys of racism (08/12)
Harjo: Elite group wants control over dead
Indians (08/05)
Harjo: O'Connor trampled
on Native religious rights (07/08)
Harjo: Ruling expected any day on use of R-word
(06/17)
Harjo: NCAA should ban all 'Native'
imagery (05/27)
Harjo: Native people,
like 'extinct' bird, survive (05/13)
Harjo: Native women aren't safe in Indian
Country (04/29)
Harjo: Characteristics
of the non-Indian Indians (04/08)
Churchill tells Suzan Shown Harjo: Kiss my ---
(02/17)
Suzan Shown Harjo: Churchill went
'tribe-shopping' (2/11)
Anti-fry bread
column stirs Indian Country passions (02/07)
Harjo: Eliminate fry bread and other 'Indian'
foods (01/21)
Harjo: The 'good' Indians
versus the 'hostiles' (12/17)
Harjo:
Pine Ridge election about character (10/29)
Harjo: Anderson harassed Indian reporter over BIA
death (07/02)
Copyright © Indianz.Com
Subscribe