Facebook Twitter Email
FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2002

The following is a statement from David Hollis, director of communications for the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, in response to "Indian Casinos Today." April 5, 2002.

For the second time in about a month, The Wall Street Journal has shown that is willing to sacrifice journalistic standards to advance its crusade against American Indians and Indian gaming. On April 4, the Journal cavalierly dismissed complaints that a previous editorial was filled with objectionable Indian stereotypes ("Big Chief Pataki," "Great White Father Pataki," "pow-wows with the Mohawk and with the Oneida Indian Nation ...", "traded beads with unions ..."), and claimed they were just "having fun."

American Indians have never found that kind of hate speech to be fun. Neither have they enjoyed being belittled or reduced to racial stereotypes or shoved to the margins of society by the likes of The Wall Street Journal. And, when Indians, including Oneidas, objected, the response from the Journal was even more flippant: "... the race card has become the first refuge of scoundrels in American politics. The folks who play it are usually trying to deflect attention from the real issue."

The real issue remains that The Wall Street Journal obviously believes that it is acceptable to slander and slur American Indians, that it can engage in hateful speech and laugh about it on its editorial page.

Get the Story:
WSJ takes on ICT (4/5)