Well, as a matter of fact, yes! It is quite a different matter for a group of people to self-identify however they see fit, than for a totally other group to usurp your identity against your express wishes. Surely this is not such a great leap of logic to comprehend!

He adds: "Must you be Native American to idolize the spirit associated with the Native American of 100 years ago."

100 years ago?!?! Are you unaware of the fact that American Indians are living people with a living culture today? That their identity and culture has been preserved through incredible effort and tenacity against all the obstacles of genocide and attempts of forced assimilation?

There is, in the mainstream society, a huge gulf of ignorance of the facts of their present day cultural identity, which is one of the main reasons that all these battles against the stereotyping and trivializing of their culture and identify are having to be fought!

Also from Mr. Kaiser: "Schools in this state have the following names. Sioux [two schools], Redmen, Braves, Chieftans, and others. Do these, mostly Native American schools, disgrace the Native American way?"

Again, if you are Native American and chose to represent yourself as such, that is your right. Just as Notre Dame, founded by Irish Catholics, chose to self-identify as the "Fighting Irish". Just as Minnesota, home to a large Scandinavian population, chose to self-identify in it's choice of "Vikings" as the name for its football team.

(One might also note that the Notre Dame mascot is a Leprechaun, a mythological creature; and that "Vikings" are an historic cultural group that no longer exists. Indians are living people.)

There is a vast difference between a dominant cultural group choosing a self-identifying name to represent itself, than for that group to commandeer another (minority) group's identity. Particularly a group who has been subjected to centuries of efforts at eradication at the hands of this dominant group now insisting on continuing its trivializing of that minority group by using it as a sports mascot.

I find it difficult to comprehend how any reasonable person can fail to grasp this difference.

-- Rebekah Morrigan, Indian Country Perspectives forum (posted 4/23, 1:10 p.m., U.S. Eastern time)

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