tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post4362320195291343303..comments2015-10-17T11:17:56.477-07:00Comments on Indigenous Vision and Voice: Not Your Mascot: People Versus Product PlacementAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12875351606427083273noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post-30843341093670256032015-02-17T08:31:16.827-08:002015-02-17T08:31:16.827-08:00I do not have to do anything, James. I wrote my b...I do not have to do anything, James. I wrote my blog and I am involved in the fight to change the mascot. I am not open to the thoughts of ignorant racists, and I certainly do not have time for people like your buddy Nichole. She is proud to be from Skowhegan and identifies with symbols and imagery as well as a name that isn't hers. I stand for my people and generations of traditions and strength passed down so that I can keep it alive and pass it on to my children. That is my heritage, it is not what she feels for her school. Apples and oranges. I slandered no one. I spew no hate. I speak in facts and my own experience. The bottom line is mascots are wrong. Period. Not my opinion at all, and soon they will a thing of the past. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12875351606427083273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post-4087964054446373252015-02-17T08:26:02.793-08:002015-02-17T08:26:02.793-08:00I answered you in a new blog, you can find it here...I answered you in a new blog, you can find it here:<br />http://indigenousvisionandvoice.blogspot.com/2015/02/to-james-and-nichole-from-skowhegan.html<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12875351606427083273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post-67294976744733748792015-02-16T11:28:55.701-08:002015-02-16T11:28:55.701-08:00Thank you so very much!! It is refreshing to me to...Thank you so very much!! It is refreshing to me to hear that people in that area see this for the real problem it is. I will be on a delegation of tribal representatives coming to Skowhegan to meet with the school. It is good to know that there is some common sense over there :) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12875351606427083273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post-29646567344977761532015-02-16T10:45:07.131-08:002015-02-16T10:45:07.131-08:00As a representative for your tribe official or not...As a representative for your tribe official or not, and touching on topics that seem to have so much meaning to you as an individual you must remain open to others thoughts and values, without spewing hate or discontent. This makes you no better than those who refer to Native Americans as “Redskins”. I appreciate your passion, I really do, but our focus is to get things changed that have true meaning (again my own opinion). Yes I am taking up for a friend who is bias in her decision to keep the icon for the school but she has the same reasoning as you in changing it. This symbol I feel to her is a part of her heritage and in that she feels a sense of pride. In seeing these images I feel pride in the fact that my ancestors honor, bravery, and sense of family was so strong that it is the sole symbol for what a team wishes to be. Food for thought I guess, but before you slam, slander, or formulate opinions on how uneducated someone is I ask that you take the time to get to know their point of view first. The wolf that is made of anger only wins when you let it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11257165655307849802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post-70786066048096652852015-02-16T10:43:58.028-08:002015-02-16T10:43:58.028-08:00Maulian,
First and foremost I have to say that I ...Maulian,<br /> First and foremost I have to say that I appreciate the passion that you express in your words especially for the retention of honor of Native Americans. I wish that this was the only reason I felt to write this to you today, but it is not. I myself am ¾ Native American from obviously my Mother and Fathers side. I consider myself to be passionate about things that relate to my heritage as well as others. I have spent most of my life trying to understand why individuals (or how) can take over a country that was already inhabited by people of what they considered to be “lesser”. To this day I cannot come to this conclusion but again is not the reason why I feel compelled to write. The reason simply is that we share a person of interest, by the name of Nichole. I currently go to school with her and have had the privilege to debate many issues with her from Planned Parenthood to evolution the list goes on and on. I have had these debates and I can assure you that we do not always see eye to eye on most matters. Where my need to write comes in is with the latest conversation that you two had on the changing of the High School mascot for the Skowhegan area. To be fair and concise I have read your blog and feel as though you bring up arguable points they are merely just your own opinions of how others see you or myself as a people. I read that you do not consider yourself a spokesperson for the tribes and to be fair neither do I, but being closely related does however make us representatives. I feel as though you are lacking on a few key points however and feel the need to lay them out, (hope you don’t mind). First, Nichole (like her or not) came to me this morning to ask my opinion on this matter and the response was simple “who cares” now; I responded in this manner because really, if a high school chooses to have a symbol of bravery, strength, honor, and family as a mascot then I say go for it! Though like you I do not care for the headdress and feathers worn by some adolescent to make themselves somewhat feel better about oppression and such. But the key here is that Native Americans represent what “whites” have long tried to achieve in life, and through industrialization have grown further from. Second, when I think of political correctness and where it has brought us as a nation, not just the tribes I feel sick to my stomach. You are offended by a simple phrase that today is meaningless to that of our people. Throughout history we have endured so much that the fact that we are even over half Native American is a miracle upon itself. The story you told of you and your father watching the basketball game on TV reminds me of a conversation I had with my grandfather when I was younger, see he grew up in a time when he had to hide his history and culture from bigotry and thank God we will never know that sort of turmoil. The conversation that we had consisted of my anger for having to be something very different than what I was or in turn how I lived and like any older person his patience and wisdom replaced my anger and made me rethink my whole outlook. I feel like arguing the mascot of a high school is grasping at straws as far as just wanting some retribution for the way tribes have been treated, and you my friend are doing the same. Your rants has some legitimacy but when you put your opinion on a public forum you are looking for either a fight or someone to tell you good job. But it is just that; it is your sole opinion and in this manner you must respect that of others, this is what makes us able to figure things out. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11257165655307849802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765433182713096467.post-44073896673717711312015-02-15T12:00:07.961-08:002015-02-15T12:00:07.961-08:00Excellent article! So well written and finally tel...Excellent article! So well written and finally tells everyone the real problem. I'm from Skowhegan, but sadly was never introduced to any Native Americans. The school system and society had such resources and opportunities to educate us all about our indigenous people...but they wasted them all. phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11606682420914802635noreply@blogger.com