Native Appropriations - Latest Comments

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Pam House — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:10:04 -0000

At least JD wasn't talking like "Cap'n Jack" . . .

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Jonathan Kuiper — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:20:38 -0000

I am so not pc in any way shape or form and when I saw the trailer I was ashamed and baffled. I have only recently really started to understand the crimes and scope of horrors that were committed against Native Americans. I'm not sure what I am going to do about yet, but the way my blood is boiling has to be put to some good use. Thanks for your insight.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

FOREST RANGER — Sat, 11 May 2013 20:25:49 -0000

Oh...criticism can be a good thing sometimes. Especially when it's things like this by a skeptical Native American who has studied in college ^_^

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

FOREST RANGER — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:38:58 -0000

I personally find it weary that the film associates Monument Valley with cowboys and Indians. Now I'd love to hear some opinions from the local residents and other people of the Navajo Nation about this film.

Anyway, awesome criticism.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

bRUTH — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:46:42 -0000

This reminds me of the documentary film "Why We Laugh" from Indian costumes to Mascots there are always native people who are swift to belittle those who speak out on racial stereotypes, I'd sure like to understand why. I was a big fan of Johnny Depp till this movie came out. Thought this might cheer ya up "respected elder"(?) talk about someone who should be ashamed. http://woodlandindians.org/for...

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Brian — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:07:25 -0000

But you do have time to come and complain about it on Internet. So since your 'offense' doesn't matter to you and you don't think it's worth defending, it can be dismissed out of hand. The author of this post thinks cultural appropriation and use of harmful stereotypes in major films is offensive and should not be done, and has taken the time to explain her reasons for that, and therefore criticism of it should amount to more than a snarky one-liner if it's to be taken seriously. And fry bread takes like fifteen minutes.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Jason Thompson — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:40:20 -0000

Yeah I could but unfortunately I'm too busy making frybread to feed my kids. I don't have time to write a toss of a blog entry because I was offended by something that really doesn't matter.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Brian — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:50:06 -0000

And that is why business relationships based on puns are bad ideas.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Brian — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:49:28 -0000

Well, you could give some actual reasons for it, and explain yourself as she did. Or you could just be a whiny jerk, that works, too.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Brian — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:48:37 -0000

I'd be interested in your thoughts on Brett Matthews' comic book adaptation of The Lone Ranger, which took great pains to use Tonto in a way that was accurate to the older versions, but not offensive and stupid. In order to make him a 'loner', he was depicted as an outcast from his tribe, dwelling on the bottom rung of society. As a result, he was stripped of his stereotypes and became a more rounded character, but also lost a lot of his cultural identity. Anyway, there's collections available, and I'd love to read your take on it.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Angela Wood — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:10:53 -0000

Personally, I am looking forward to being entertained by my fav. actor.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Jason Thompson — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:56:01 -0000

As a Native American, I'm offended that you're offended.

Now what?

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

EGfromIA — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:34:55 -0000

Great post as always Adrienne. I've really missed you not posting for a while, but I do realize that you have a life! ;) Just yesterday, a friend on Facebook made a post about schools using "Indian mascots" -- it wasn't really pro or con, just a question related to it and asking what people thought. I told her and linked to one of your pieces about FSU, saying that you could put it far better than I ever could. She commented back telling me what great links they were. I'm pretty sure a lot of other people saw that because she has quite a few FB friends, but so far, I'm the only one that shows up in that thread. Anyway, glad to hear you are doing OK and I look forward to your next post.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

EGfromIA — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:23:15 -0000

Well, there is kind of a connection, anyway. Armie is one of the great-grandchildren of the late Armand Hammer, a businessman whose best-known enterprise was Occidental Petroleum. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda was around well before he was, and was the principal business of a company called Church & Dwight. Armand Hammer owned some stock in Church & Dwight later on. I remember an interview show with him years ago, maybe 60 minutes, and he said he really wanted to buy the whole company because of the name connection, but the majority owners didn't want to sell. His story is rather interesting because of his extensive ties to the Soviet Union; he lived there from 1921 to 1930. His Wikipedia entry has some of the facts and some good references.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

TN — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:57:39 -0000

P.S. Armie Hammer is the heir to the Arm and Hammer franchise.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

FX — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:44:03 -0000

You know, I'm so sick of people yelling about the people who are offended because they're too scared or ignorant to say anything to the offending party.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

kittylu — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:47:40 -0000

I agree. I saw that stupid trailer with that stupid accent and his overdone makeup. He would have done much better toning it down. A tan would have been good enough. In the trailers the focus is on the white people and Tonto still seems very peripheral to the central story. Disney tends to smarm up everything and maybe Johnny is trying to runout his contract.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

Angela Jumbo-Wild Semple — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:51:46 -0000

glad to see you that you haven't let them get your spirit and that you're still posting about Tonto. -from one "real indian" to another.

Re: Armie Hammer apparently talked to some Natives who love Lone Ranger

rightojibwe — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:18:51 -0000

Thank you a great post. Yes, I would be happy as well to hang with some of the big wigs, be part of something big. In the end though you are right. Not only about having role in film but in life in general. Why is it a big deal to see an Indian on a city worker crew or on the film set? Because it is out of the ordinary. Indians in society are unseen except for when you want to focus on the negative or the social ills. Then we are front and center. Want a shot of people being fed at the soup kitchen, well there's an Indian. Generally we are ignorant of the lives of other people and what is important to them. Not being seen in a vacuum of time (whether the view is distorted or real) and seen as a people that exist today is something most don't comprehend. Still I love to see Indians in film. Even glimpses of them. There will be always someone playing the role of Indian, Chinese, East Indian, Russian, and Black in the movies, regardless of their own background. I guess it is part of the industry. On another note, Slum Dog Millionaire a great movie, various aspects of life in there. I don't really know how that was received by their community, but it was entertaining. You think? :)

Re: Boston

Kathleen Rushall — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:53:47 -0000

So grateful you are OK!

Re: Boston

Catherine Anderson-Karena — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:15:07 -0000

I wish I could give you a hug too. And thank you for your charity on the same day America dropped a bomb on an Afganistan wedding party killing mostly 30 women and children. Your post reminds us this violence against the innocents - maybe it's mostly about politics, but it's mainly about hurt, fear, terror and horrible horrible sense of seeing part of your world violated.

Re: Boston

Joshua J Mann — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:40:12 -0000

Thanks for this post, and for all of your interesting and insightful writings on this blog. I can really relate, I lived in Boston for about 7 years, and I was very quick to notice what was wrong with the city. Yesterday, all I could think of were the wonderful people and places there. One of the lessons of this tragety for me today is to be grateful and positive about the good things, while continuing to think critically about the problems.

Re: Upcoming Events

Peter Stanton — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:20:32 -0000

The image from that first flier makes my blood boil. Appropriation of totem poles over the past who-knows-how-many decades has been incredibly widespread and ignorant. Best of luck with your events!

Re: Native Appropriations: Halloween Costume Shopping: A sampling of the racism for sale

Oscar David Vargas — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:50:57 -0000

"Is that an ear of corn in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?" LMFAO OMG.

Re: Native Appropriations: Halloween Costume Shopping: A sampling of the racism for sale

Sage M Petahtegoose — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:34:42 -0000

the 3 stooges were created by white people... these hurtful images were created by white people too, and are perpetuated again and again, so its not going to heal as long as we allow it.

its not a cut that can heal, its more like a fungal growth that annoys you and will not go away until you treat it effectively.