*I recommend reading all of this if you have the time. It would mean a lot to me.*
I would like to start off by saying that there are more than 550 indigenous nations in the United States alone. It would be a little bit ridiculous to assume that each person from all 550+ nations/tribes look exactly the same. Not all Native Americans have dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. I’ve seen NDNs on and off the rez that have blonde hair and blue eyes, black hair and green eyes, brown hair and brown eyes, etc. I have met pale Natives, olive-toned Natives, and even African Americans who are part Native. Additionally, I descend from a nation (Seneca-Iroquois) that has historically been known to use cultural assimilation as a means of warfare; Iroquois people, as well as some other tribes in the northeast, would take captives, Native and non-Native alike, and adopt them into clans in order to “replace” those who had died in battle. Usually referred to as “mourning war raids,” this allowed them to both maintain their numbers as well as assimilate their enemies. Sometimes, additionally, white settlers possessed skills and supplies that the Iroquois saw as beneficial, thus they were accepted into the community. As a matter of fact, one of the most admired and honored Seneca war chiefs, Kaiiontwa’kon (“Cornplanter”) and his brother Sganyadai:yo (“Handsome Lake”), were half Dutch. In the 2000 census, actually, the Iroquois people were the sixth most mixed-race nation in the United States, behind the Blackfoot, Sioux, Choctaw, Chippewa, and Cherokee peoples.
With all of that being said, it is important to mention that I am only half Native American (unfortunately, since it is the part of my spirit that I identify the most strongly with). My dad is white, his entire family being of European descent. I would now like to mention (since I am stubborn as they come) that, although I do have pale, European skin and light green eyes, I also possess Native physical characteristics such as the shape of my eyes, the shape of my teeth, my bone and muscle structure, my nose, my lips, etc. I would like to say that I am proud of all of my physical characteristics, white and non-white, as I see them each as a symbol of my ancestors’ survival over the centuries. However, I do not tend to focus much on how Native I “look,” but rather on how I conduct myself as a proud descendent of indigenous Americans. I personally believe that all Native American people, regardless of blood quantum, have a responsibility and obligation to their ancestors to be proud of their culture and to act as guardians for the future generations. I also strongly believe that all Natives have the responsibility to be educated on their own culture and on the social, political, and economic issues that plague indigenous people to this day. To quote one of my biggest inspirations, Sicangu Lakota rap artist Frank Waln (Twitter: @FrankWaln), “Educated warriors are vital to war.”
Before I end this enormous rant, I would like to mention that, although I am very big on acknowledging the ethnic, and therefore physical, diversity of many Native tribes today, I also firmly believe that Native American characters in movies, TV shows, etc. are to be portrayed by Native American actors. By this, I mean that you can not justify casting a white man or woman as an indigenous person by saying that “not all Native people have dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes.” Although I do not, the majority of indigenous Americans do have darker features. When Native children look at themselves in the mirror or look at their family and friends and see their brown eyes, dark hair, or brown skin but then look at an actor such as Rooney Mara in “Peter Pan” or Audrey Hepburn in “The Unforgiven,” they are inherently being told that their kind of Native isn’t “good” enough, isn’t “attractive” enough, or isn’t “interesting” enough. In short, casting a white actor to portray an NDN character is a modern twist on an old story: white folks glorifying Native people in theory, but horribly mistreating them in practice. That is all I have to say on the subject as of right now, though I have much more to learn about the subject. I aim to be an “educated warrior”!
I would ask forgiveness for such a tenuous reply to such a simple question when “I’m half white” would have easily sufficed, but I’m not sorry. I think that it is important that people are educated on these types of dilemmas, as well as the more paramount issues such as land grabs, the controversy surrounding native sovereignty, high suicide amongst Native teenagers on reservations, poverty on reservations, sexual violence directed toward Native women, police brutality, alcoholism and drug dependency on reservations, and cultural fetishization and appropriation.
If you have any more questions, I would be more than delighted to answer them. In the mean time, here are some resources to (hopefully) aid you on your journey into some further research on Native American culture, issues, and the like. 🙂
http://www.nrcprograms.org – National Relief Charities (NRC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for poverty-stricken Native American communities in Northern Plains and Southwest region of the U.S.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nativeamericans – The White House’s webpage of national news involving indigenous nations and updates on larger-scale issues that effect indigenous Americans.
https://sni.org/culture – The official website for my beautiful Seneca nation, the largest of six nations that comprise the Haudenosaunee. Here you can learn a little more about my people today, our history, and our culture. If you have interest in other nations, most also have their own website, and if not, libraries exist for a reason. 😉
http://www.rebelmusic.com – Last month (I believe?), MTV released a short documentary project focusing on some of the issues that Native people face in modern society and how some really inspirationally badass young indigenous musicians are using their art to make a difference. This includes two of my favorite people in the universe, the aforementioned Frank Waln and Inez Jasper (Twitter: @InezJasper), who is a Sto:lo, Ojibway, and Metis woman who is also one of the most empowering women I can think of. You can (and should) watch the documentary by pressing play at the top of the page.
https://www.facebook.com/rebelmusicproject – The official Facebook page for MTV’s Rebel Music, if you’re into that sort of thing.
If you read through all of this or even skimmed it, thank you for giving a shit and I appreciate it highly. My traditions, my history, and my people are my greatest loves and most intense passions. Too many times have I met people who were surprised to learn that Native American people still existed – it is time to educate and to be educated. My people fight the good fight, and I believe I speak for most, if not all, indigenous Americans that knowledge and passion are two of the most effective weapons in our war on injustice and systematic oppression. Again, “educated warriors are vital to war.”
So, in closing, and to borrow the phrase from my Lakota brothers and sisters: hoka hey, everyday is a good day to be indigenous. 🙂
Stay informed! :oD On native culture! Indigenousjew’s answer is awesome.
if you are native american, why are u so pale… :///
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