I came across a YouTube video of a story in which a number of American Indian actors had walked off the set of an Adam Sandler film I would say comedy, but it didn't seem like it. The news story was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFTkU4-pMps about Natives and Racism.
Allison Young a Navajo actress was being interviewed and described what had happened on a film set and it was not good to hear. Anyway, I added my comment about the clip and managed to riall up someone who was to be kind, 'Ill informed.'
It was an interesting experience, the man started to spout off about what he thought he knew about the American Indian people. So, I politely put him right on all the bad information he seemed to be putting out as 'fact.' I am no expert, but plainly I knew more about the subject than he did.
My knowledge is mainly of the Lakota people's history and one of the things I managed to shoot him down with was a 'scientific' paper he quoted and sent me a URL in the message for which claimed that Indians had burned and cleared forests and contributed to climate change.
So I told him, saying that in the Lakota way, that only what was required as a resource was taken and no more. The 'paper' did state of the Indian peoples that, "(They) were very advanced, and they knew how to get the most out of the forests and landscapes they lived in. This was all across North America, not just a few locations." Well, I agree with that.
I had to give this person a brief history lesson on your behalf, so I hope you don't mind. It seemed sad that a white man from England was having to tell a white American what he should know. I told him that he was part of a nation that consumed a quarter of the planet's resources. Strangely, he has not replied. Sadly, most seem to have only a Hollywood eye view of your people.
So, sadly folks, General Ignorance is still very much alive and in the saddle in some parts.
I think that if I was Adam Sandler, I'd be looking for a new agent. The film is called the Ridiculous 6 for your info.
If black American people were being lampooned there on the film, there would likely have been a bigger outcry I am sure, sad to say.
There were plenty of negative comments about the film.
Comments
I think you and your sister are absolutely right, at school here when I was 11 we had some loud mouth kid from Texas, he said he couldn't wait to get back (to the USA) and get out of this rat hole (my country).
As Tecumseh quoted, if you have nothing to be thankful, then the fault is yours, I think the people we can identify from that statement are all too obvious in their shortcomings. As David Yeagley said, if you steal something from someone, you are not worthy of it. Those who took your ground aren't.
There is an interesting distinction in your article. I believe many white people will lampoon anyone who is not like then. I also believe they are full of what my sister calls righteous indignation. They are taught from young that they have a special place here in the illusion through their religion and their political system. They look in a mirror and only see the package, never the contents. Maybe it`s not just white people but they stand on my ground and claim it as theirs. Blackbird
The ignorance of some European Americans about their own history is astounding - along with their arrogance when confronted with the truth. They cling to 'Manifest Destiny' - it's in their blood now.
Very true, when I was at school, we spent months on some boring and irrelevant history, yet when it came to look at WW2 it was one hour and ten minutes only. The things I have been successful with have been because I self started the interest and pursued it because I was interested. I find many people today are filling their heads with reality TV and junk TV. They are not asking the important questions. I am researching for a book project on robotics and automation and we need to have discussions on a robot manifesto, otherwise the future may be decided for us, by intelligent machines.