This week, Architect Johnpaul Jones (Cherokee/Choctaw) received the National Medal of Humanities Medal from President Obama. I was introduced to Mr. Jones by my colleague, Barbara Holland, and was struck by his humility and gracious spirit. For those of you who are not familiar with his name, you will likely be familiar with his work. He was lead … Continue Reading
I was at karaoke last weekend for my sister’s birthday at our favorite local dive karaoke spot. Unbeknownst to us, it was a “Cowboys & Indians” theme, and you know the rest of the story. At one point, I had to go pick up some guy’s sweaty beanie to which his “headdress” was pinned, off … Continue Reading
There has been all the time, in the white American soul, a dual feeling about the Indian…The desire to extirpate [him]. And the contradictory desire to glorify him. –D.H. Lawrence, Studies in Classic American Literature (1923) The tension observed by Lawrence (and present in some of his own works) has not been resolved. White America … Continue Reading
Proving that at least every once in a while, the Supreme Court CAN get it right on behalf of Native people, today the SCOTUS denied cert in yet an another appeal of the Katie John case. The questions presented before the court were: 1. Whether the Ninth Circuit properly held—in conflict with this Court’s decisions—that … Continue Reading
“Lael Echo-Hawk” is not a real name…or so says the new social networking site operated by Google, known as Google+ (or G+). The most our modern education system teaches United States students about the history of the First People on this continent is Christopher Columbus, Squanto, Pocahontas, Thanksgiving (gobble gobble), Sacagawea, and Geronimo – then … Continue Reading
