One for mistah willies and Bluebottle to ponder...

[Palinka (RIP)]

The growing backlash against hipsters wearing Native American headress at festivals.

Seriously, though, if these hipsters really want the Native American experience then let's round them up and put them into "reservations*" and give them blankets infested with smallpox.


*Reservation n Somewhere to put the native inhabitants of a conquered land, who have survived various attempts at genocide, whose lands have been stolen and whom the new rulers feel a vague sense of shame being around.**

**From the "Palinka Morningstar Bumper Book of Scrupulously Accurate Definitions" - Unavaible at your local bookstore or Amazon; so please spend your money on a bottle of something nice and think for yourselves, instead of believing any old bullshit that the politicians, corporations, advertising agents and media throw your way <full fucking stop>
The author of this non-publication would like to thank: absolutely nobody, thank you very much.

[oettinger]

I concur this post without reading the small prints.
Fuck hipsters and more power to the natives, in any place of the earth



But damn Palinka why do you always have do this to my burning red eyes?
And do the letters get smaller the more I drink?

And yes by quoting or copy-pasting I might read it, but that takes away that mysterious aura

[Palinka (RIP)]

...why do you always have do this...by quoting [...] I might read it, but that takes away that mysterious aura

Knowledge that requires effort is more valuable.

Now we should refrain from comment until mistah willies and/or Bluebottle have had the chance to put in their 2 cents worth.

[mistah willies]

*ahem*



Speaking for all Indigenous People



---is a phrase disingenuous in its simplicity. There is rarely a boilerplate message that can be used to cover the widely dispersed and disparate culture systems and experiences of all Indigenous People across this tiny blue marble, afloat in the infinity of space.

Here, however, it might be adequately used. It distillates down to two strong drinks, which are these:

BAC: Some folks evidently have lost the purity of their own heritage, their roots, their connection to a place or language, or people. Thus the prevalence of sports teams affinity. Where this goes wrong, in this age of internet instant gratification of wants, desires, and "likes" is when some of our younger folks

well, they tend to "support" something by donning attire and other accouterments of a given culture without truly understanding or even knowing of its full history, and the gravitas of persecution therein. We call it "Hipster" and that is correct. But it has existed for even longer than these this new generation, gawd help them with their perhaps honest, but ultimately misguided, (or unguided?) attempt to connect to something, anything of meaning or true value. ---reminds me, I need to buy a new tomahawk from the hardware store tomorrow

ABV: It has been a long struggle to protect the Intellectual Property of each Tribe from those who wish to abscond with it, or otherwise exploit it. Next year, in Vermont, the 566th Tribe will receive Federal Recognition.

Even though such people have existed in this land since before the last ice-age, got pushed down south by glaciers at an inch per year, and then moved back up as them glaciers receded.

What does this mean?

Simply this: The moment that any culture is defined by certain elements of its timeline, it becomes outdated. Archaic. That which does not grow, adapt, evolve, and change with the social climate is destined to wither and die.

Do not put my Tribe in a hermetically sealed case in the museum for perpetuity.

So, yes, my own eastern woodland Tribe did not have long, flowing head dresses. Our Chiefs wore ones that resembled crowns, wiht feathers that stood tall.

Plains Natives did not have all these pines to contend with. Would have gotten snagged.


Dr. P., your diatribe against them hipsters was correct. They need to be taught to consider things that are not wrapped in plastic and then disposed of in a landfill.


Somethings withstand the test of time, isn't that right?


Huh. Maybe the intrepid nature of all we olde Tribes, yours and mine alike, are what them young folks are looking to. If they have a sense of intuition about the depth, breadth and length of struggle for the survival of a culture against those who wish we would simply go away,

then it is up to us to teach them how to join in the battle. Not simply adorn for the sake of a concert, festival, light show, lap dance, music video, clothing line, or any other commercial exploitation.



Now for a shot. You made me do some thinkin here buddy




.

[mistah willies]

But damn Palinka why do you always have do this to my burning red eyes?
And do the letters get smaller the more I drink?

BTW, this made me laugh my fucking eyes out

[booznik]

But damn Palinka why do you always have do this to my burning red eyes?
And do the letters get smaller the more I drink?

BTW, this made me laugh my fucking eyes out

So these eyes are yours then. I found them rolling around. Next to that empty Kraken bottle.

I rinsed them off for you.

[Patchez]

I have always , as a person brought up by folks who had to live off the land in the days of my forefathers, strived to learn from those who have gone before. My forefathers seemed to forgo the asking of the locals how it was best accomplished leading to some great discomfort for my ancestors. Discomfort relived only by the generosity shown by the "locals". They never thanked then for that. Inspite of the whole holiday , which never really seemed to make up for all of the acres of shit heeped upon them since.

For that I am truly sorry. Given the opportunity I would learn from those that did and passed it down.

[mistah willies]

^ ^ ^


Well met, indeed.

Enough time has passed that folks who have lived in the same area for these past few centuries will know the language of the environment in which they now have roots.

TEK is the acronym for Tribal Environmental Knowledge, and such wisdom and connection to the land is not proprietary to Indigenous folks, ya know.

True: those who want to talk on such a level of knowledge must now engage with each other as our climate becomes very different at an accelerating pace.

We live in very interesting times, indeed, and there is little we can do to change this new course, but there are things we can learn from each other on how to be resilient.

Now, who will be in charge of carrying on the fermentation and distillation sciences?

[Frankennietzsche]

Just to be telling tales out of school, there was some rumormongering and speculation that this type of thing directly led to the drummer for the Flamming Lips departing the band. There was some socialite-model daughter of the (some elected office) of Oklahoma who wore one of these headdresses, white as can be. There was some criticizing that ensued followed by some defending. The drummer was in the former camp, and Wayne whats-his-self was in the later, as they may have been involved. It was all thoroughly covered in the comments section of a Gawker article, you can have my assurances on that.

edit:
Here is an article about it.

These people, they all be triflin'.

[GSG]

I find cultural appropriation a difficult one. When does appreciation end and just plain theft of an identity begin? If you have a good understanding of what you're 'borrowing', is it ok? The Beatles for example...

[Palinka (RIP)]

...The Beatles for example...

The Beatles did at least try to understand the culture that they were exploring (especially George Harrison).

Unlike the new "Mindfulness" bullshit, that has been carelessly ripped off from Buddhism (and is a money-spinning bandwagon that has been jumped upon by such diverse entities as, Arianna Huffington, the US Marines and Silicon Valley, to name but three).

Western Societies seem to have no shame when it comes to repackaging other, older cultures into fashionable consumerist items.

How soon before shady characters approach impressionable teens with the phrase, "Hey, Buddy, wanna buy into a culture?"

[Mr. Viking]

I get overly worked up about people living a life of "Irish" culture, which bears little resemblance to what I have experienced. I have time for people who feel their culture is being hijacked or misrepresented.

I am also split because having lived in scotland for a bit I started eating porridge and nearly bought a kilt. I don't hold much faith in religion, so don't think that it adds to the insult, but throwaway trinkets of a culture do offend me, including the headdress. However, I did enjoy playing cowboys and indians as a child. And while that is hypocritically glorifying genocide, so be it. I'm not perfect and I don't have to apologize for it

[mistah willies]

Man o man, we played cowboys and injuns as well as kids,

Kids.


This interesting discussion can go off in many different directions, tangents, and brain puzzles.

Rrrrr. Gotta do some thinking, can't leave this hanging. But after, let's promise to do some drinking after, for a bit, as reward, cool?

Keep in mind, I offer only my own viewpoint; not that of nay nor all other tribes or Indigenous folks anywhere, at any time.

GSG and Frankennietzche (sp? dude, even that takes thinkin hehe)

raise an interesting point, which is this:

Artists have a dichotomy to face. If they are any good, then they will share their Human experience with others in an engaging way. Or like Yoko. They might be like kids sometimes, but why thwart creativity with Political Correctness? Instead of apologies, don't be afraid, see what further education can bring to your artistic contribution? Them Beatles kept going forward, fuck what might come. (DOn't add in their dissolution, that was something else, correct?)

The dichotomy's other side is that those who feel enjoyment of the true artist's creativity is genuine, and they engage likewise, but they may only feel, and not explore the subject matter at hand.


Again, fuck the exploitation of fake artists or commercialism that wants ot shock for shock or make a buck.


Back to kids.


Our kids on this tiny blue marble should indeed be taught to appreciate the culture of other folks. Even dressing up. When done right, we plant the seeds of connectivity in these young minds, and such a thing may divert them from ignorance and prejudice, if done with a good heart in the teacher.

We have to fight against the ignorance of parents or environments that seclude, instead of connecting, and cause fear and suspicion, instead of just, really, getting good data about others.


/end of diaTribe


Thoughts?






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