Thank you Kahlil, for this informative treatise. Your historical research is excellent. I know my f-i-l's and even my spouse's Boy Scout troops were into the "being an Indian Brave" ethos back in the day. I'm sure they thought they were honoring native people, but sometimes other perspectives take a long time to open eyes.
I'm not a sports fan, but I do know native folk are pretty disgusted with these "rituals" and names. Thank you for keeping the topic out there.
Thank you for sharing that personal perspective! It’s true—many things were done with good intentions, but learning how they impact Native communities today is key. Glad we’re having these conversations now.
Thank you so much for so beautifully taking it all apart with such clarity 🙏 i wish my teachers were half as passionate as you about issues that matter
Well done. This is how settler colonialism conducts the erasure of indigenous people. Thank you for this. It is a shame that so many Afroamericans are so colonized they cannot see this degrades them as well.
Appreciate this thoughtful comment. Colonization divides and blinds us to shared struggles. But learning our histories can bring us closer to the truth and to each other.
I love what you do. A thought for my friend as you move forward with history. This Chief is a case study in more ways for Afroamericans, as Malcolm understood. White supremacy is itself a contradiction. There is great confusion about what people call themselves. Remember, an Indian-American naturalized from India. There were no Indians here. IndoAmericans are 2nd-plus generation immigrants. When one takes the oath and naturalizes, they, in case of Europeans 1st generation, become European-Americans. They call themselves "white" but this is the "race" game on top of the colonial game. If you play that game, they have you. Try it out. Call a "white" person whose family is not 1st, 2nd generation, etc "Euroamerican" they will deny it. They will say they are "white". Similarly, I am an Afroamerican. An Afroamerican is any descendent of an African from Uruguay to Canada whose name, ancestry was destroyed in the epmistemicide of transatlantic chattel slavery. And Afroamerican will have a European (Iberian, Anglo, Duthc, etc) surname. We were not naturalized and were enslaved.African-Americans like yourself generally will have African surnames, last names, like Lumumba, speak thier native language, send money home, possess all of their African culture, etc. African-Americans took oaths of naturalization and their ancestors were not enslaved in the Americas and not on Turtle Island. Remember, an Indian-American naturalized from India. There were no Indians here. We are speaking English because we were enslaved. Why not speak it well. Please consult https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_nationality_prefixes When Afro and African-Americans call themselves by the wrong thing (like the Columbus syndrome of Indian Americans) they are confused. That confusion supports white supremacy. Some thoughts for your kind consideration please.
Thank you Kahlil, for this informative treatise. Your historical research is excellent. I know my f-i-l's and even my spouse's Boy Scout troops were into the "being an Indian Brave" ethos back in the day. I'm sure they thought they were honoring native people, but sometimes other perspectives take a long time to open eyes.
I'm not a sports fan, but I do know native folk are pretty disgusted with these "rituals" and names. Thank you for keeping the topic out there.
Thank you for sharing that personal perspective! It’s true—many things were done with good intentions, but learning how they impact Native communities today is key. Glad we’re having these conversations now.
Thank you so much for so beautifully taking it all apart with such clarity 🙏 i wish my teachers were half as passionate as you about issues that matter
Thank you.
Since we learned it wrong, we can relearn it right.
Yup! Unlearning is just as important as learning.
Well done. This is how settler colonialism conducts the erasure of indigenous people. Thank you for this. It is a shame that so many Afroamericans are so colonized they cannot see this degrades them as well.
Appreciate this thoughtful comment. Colonization divides and blinds us to shared struggles. But learning our histories can bring us closer to the truth and to each other.
I love what you do. A thought for my friend as you move forward with history. This Chief is a case study in more ways for Afroamericans, as Malcolm understood. White supremacy is itself a contradiction. There is great confusion about what people call themselves. Remember, an Indian-American naturalized from India. There were no Indians here. IndoAmericans are 2nd-plus generation immigrants. When one takes the oath and naturalizes, they, in case of Europeans 1st generation, become European-Americans. They call themselves "white" but this is the "race" game on top of the colonial game. If you play that game, they have you. Try it out. Call a "white" person whose family is not 1st, 2nd generation, etc "Euroamerican" they will deny it. They will say they are "white". Similarly, I am an Afroamerican. An Afroamerican is any descendent of an African from Uruguay to Canada whose name, ancestry was destroyed in the epmistemicide of transatlantic chattel slavery. And Afroamerican will have a European (Iberian, Anglo, Duthc, etc) surname. We were not naturalized and were enslaved.African-Americans like yourself generally will have African surnames, last names, like Lumumba, speak thier native language, send money home, possess all of their African culture, etc. African-Americans took oaths of naturalization and their ancestors were not enslaved in the Americas and not on Turtle Island. Remember, an Indian-American naturalized from India. There were no Indians here. We are speaking English because we were enslaved. Why not speak it well. Please consult https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_nationality_prefixes When Afro and African-Americans call themselves by the wrong thing (like the Columbus syndrome of Indian Americans) they are confused. That confusion supports white supremacy. Some thoughts for your kind consideration please.