In Lakota stories, one of our traditional characters is a spider named “Iktomi." He got himself in all kinds of predicaments because he was selfish, greedy, and told lies. Iktomi is a trickster. Keep Iktomi in mind when you read Washington football team owner, Dan Snyder’s, communiqué from last month. In his letter to Washington Racists fans, Snyder announced the creation of his Washington R******s Original Americans Foundation, or OAF for short. A charity designed to aid Native Americans in their day to day hardships of being Indian. He speaks of going on a “goodwill tour” visiting tribes, speaking to real live Indian people, and becoming enlightened to the needs of a poor, dirty, destitute, crawling-on-our-bellies-in-the-mud people who need the help of good and charitable people like him. His letter is a blow-by-blow analysis of how dreadfully penurious we are! Thank goodness for Dan Snyder to come and list all of our troubles and woes because there were probably some people believing that whole “Indian heritage of nobility and honor” thing. Glad he nipped that in the bud. Inferring from his letter, a more accurate team name should be the Washington I-Don’t-Have-a-Toilet-In-My-House-Skins. And yes, of course, I’m being sarcastic. Snyder’s letter says much of what he has always said, referencing the “deep and enduring values [the team] name represents”. He left out that they were the values of greed, exploitation and genocide. He had a word limit, I guess.Get the Story:
Crystal Willcuts: Iktomi Speaks: The Crooked Tongue of Dan Snyder (Indian Country Today 4/17)
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