Oakland Police Will Pay 'Deer'ly

I enjoyed reading Patricia Killelea's poem "Report: Police Shoot Baby Deer in Oakland for No Reason". I transfered to UC Davis from Laney college in Oakland, so the location of the event is centered very close to my home, creating a sense of connection between me and the poem. I had seen the video previously before taking the class and I was definitely shocked, but not surprised, at how the Oakland officers handled it. I liked how Killelea chose to write a poem about the event and Juan Avila-Hernandez's run to honor the life of the fawn. The significance of 'Dawn', which appeared in "House Made of Dawn", is present in her poem. 

"Running the fawn wobbles off into dawn

Running the fawn wobbles off into worlds

He is a man      runnning

He is a man      running for the fawn-"

Killelea describes Juan Avila-Hernandez run as a ceremony to honor the passing of the fawn's spirit to the next world. A Native American belief of the cycle of life and death, bringing new life is a theme in her poem.  

"Step   and the blood soaks back to ground

Step    and the blood soaks back to soil;"

This symbolizes the cycle of life and death; and continuation of life with images of blood from the sacrificed fawn watering the ground, so that crops (flowers) will grow; bringing new life. 

"Our steps      sound the dawning,

                      

         So many

Enchanted           flowers

wobbling         between songs

          Stepping over Oakland

           sidewalk cracks"

RIP Fighting Sioux

     I liked the points that were brought up in the "In Whose Honor?" clip. The use of native american mascots for schools is a big issue. Not all of these schools, but quite a few make a mockery of native american people and their traditions. In the clip, examples of misrepresentation that were pointed out included the chants, face paint, and negative connotations or actions tied to the school's celebration of their mascot. I feel that these schools should consider these negative stereotypes that they may or may not be perpetuating. If their mascot's image or name is offensive or they are unable to honor their indigenous mascot without invoking negative stereotypes, then I feel these schools should choose another mascot.
    In the case of the University of North Dakota and their 'Fighting Sioux' mascot change controversy, I'm a little sad to see the change. I play ice hockey myself, and like many people familiar with the sport, the UND Fighting Sioux are a GOOD college hockey team. Arguably the best. Just last year one of their former players, now best American born hockey player in the NHL today, Kane and fellow UND teammate Jonathan Toews together won a Stanley Cup last year for the Chicago Blackhawks. Which is ironic when you think about how they both played for the UND Fighting Sioux and they play for the Blackhawks. Toews is now the youngest captain in the entire NHL, making history, and UND groomed him for a successful professional career. Like myself I know a lot of American hockey players who would love to play for UND, and compete each year for a national championship in their multimillion dollar facility. UND's ice hockey team is the major sport program at that school and their multi-championship team has generated a lot of recognition; and revenue of 'Fighting Sioux' merchandise is definitely going to be missed by the school when they officially change the name next season. I understand the NCAA's concern over the use of Native American mascots, but I feel like the 'Fighting Sioux' name and mascot is not negative, mascots themselves are stylized characters that portray a group of people, and their mascot is not nearly as offensive as several other major school's and even pro team's mascot images. Supposedly the origin of the Fighting Sioux came about because of UND's rivalry with neighboring North Dakota State 'Bisons'. The 'Fighting Sioux' name was intended to honor the warrior Sioux hunters who were skilled at killing buffalo. Several major colleges today who are facing similar mascot controversy, like Notre Dame and the 'Fighting Irish', have a similar mascot origin that is intended to celebrate and honor a a group of people while inspiring school spirit and teaching history. Its important to be aware of the concerns that Native American people have with mascots that negatively portray their people or traditions. A lot of these offensive mascots are outdated and times have changed now and more schools and professional teams should follow this positive trend and create a new image or revise a more respectful mascot out of respect. I do feel bad for the school of UND for being targeted by the NCAA in regards to this issue. there are a lot other high profile colleges that should have been targeted as well. There's a lot of politics involved with the NCAA and their college sports programs, and I  wonder if other schools undergoing the same mascot criticism whose power house team is a more 'popular' sport weren't targeted, because they generate more money for the NCAA, than say the college ice hockey program. It's a business and not very consistent or fair in general. A lot of schools lately are dropping sports programs because of the superior interest in favored sports like basketball or football. Ice hockey is always one of the first sports to go because ice maintenance is so costly. I feel like if UND was required to change their mascot, than other major schools and even pro teams should change their offensive mascots, regardless of how popular their powerhouse sports program is or how much money it makes. I do not believe that NCAA should get involved in these issues though. All it does is bring their business interests into the situation and this does not wholeheartedly keep in mind the interests of the Native American people or the independent school whose mascot represents them.

(For the homies..)

Fighting Sioux Logo Response

LBARTA said: "I have been a proud supporter of the Fighting Sioux for many years. I believe the nickname is treated in a proud and respectful way. You may hear from an opponent’s fans an occasional “Sioux suck” or something to that effect, but who hasn’t said “Gophers suck” or “Badgers suck”. I haven’t heard PETA complain about that, yet. Why isn’t the Fighting Irish hostile or abusive? Have the Irish given their permission. Maybe if people would get a little thicker skin and grow a pair they wouldn’t be so offended. I think that if the Standing Rock Sioux people would be allowed to vote, they too, like the Spirit Lake Sioux, would overwhelming approve of UND’s continued use of the nickname. But, the Standing Rock Tribal Council will not allow the people to be heard."


I decided to respond to this blogged response, because I feel it sums up my beliefs on indigenous team names/logos. I believe that the University specifically chose to honor the Sioux nation, by choosing 'Fighting Sioux' as their school mascot. I feel they chose this name to honor the tribe's history and inspire their students and athletic teams to be competitive in the spirit of the Sioux. I feel it was very wrong for the NCAA to require that the school change their mascot and remove the logos on campus. "Fighting Sioux" is not racist nor does it perpetuate a negative stereotype. I'm more concerned with team names like "Redskins", which I feel is just racist.    The biggest factors that should go into the consideration of removing an indigenous name from a school should be;
a.) The name is racist and perpetuates a negative stereotype.
b.) The logo is racist and depicts Native Americans in a stereotypical way(redskin, over sized mischievous eyes and large smirking almost sinister smile). 


The "fighting Sioux" name does not fit any of the criteria above and I feel the NCAA has zero right to demand the school change their logo. Changing the logo will do more harm than opting to leave the logo. As it is now, the name nor the recognizable logo are racist or are depicted stereotypically in a negative manner. 

visual layers

 Joy Harjo's "Anchorage" poem was filled with a lot of imagery pertaining to changing landscape and the urban environment/experience. In the beginning lines of the poem, Joy contrasts the changed past landscape of Anchorage and the new urban city scape. She visually describes historical acts of nature which have shaped Anchorage's landscape, glaciers and the 1964 earthquake. "It hasn't always been this way, because glaciers ... create oceans, carve earth and shape the city here. When reading the first few stanzas I get a visual image of the different layered landscapes that have made up the city of Anchorage. Attention is drawn to the past landscape and people, the current urban city and the consideration for the future landscape to come. The original landscape she describes as "There are Chugatch Mountains to the east and whale and seal to the west." The image of this space she creates is centered around nature and the next lines describe how nature has changed the landscape. She goes on to describe a temporary urban layer that exists presently. "Once a storm of boiling earth cracked open the streets, threw open the town. It's quiet now, but underneath the concrete is the cooking earth." Here the current urban landscape is depicted as a temporary landscape that will eventually change in the future as a result of nature. In the following stanzas the author and Nora's experience inside the urban city is depicted. These two recognize the present landscape, understand the future landscape will change, and remember the past layers of the landscape. "Nora and I go walking down 4th Avenue and know it is all happening." Nora uses the imagery of a homeless woman to describe the present layer and she and Nora identify her as someone's grandmother who is an indigenous person, and should be culturally and historically  tied to the past layer and she today she lives on the same land which has changed as a result of layering landscapes. "On a park bench we see someone's Athabascan grandmother." The imagery created in the poem describes how the different layers of history and forces of nature have shaped the landscape to make it what it is today, and ultimately new layers will reshape it again. Joy and Nora in the poem recognize the past layers of culture that exist in the present landscape and she makes note to reference the future landscape to a dream, "And know that our dreams don't end here,.." all as a way to create a visual image of the layers that make up the landscape.

Fuck John Wayne

Both poems address stereotypes towards Native Americans and from reading the writings I can understand how harmful stereotypes have been towards Native Americans. I remember taking an American Film class in junior college and watching early popular westerns with high profile acting legends like John Wayne. John Wayne in particular spoke harshly on camera towards Native Americans and perpetuated the red savage stereotype.  Many of the early western american films I saw in that class had a script that included actors pretending to be savage Native American bandits that raped white women and scalped americans. John Wayne isn't the sole individual responsible for current stereotypes towards Native Americans, but I feel his immortalized presence on screen during a great era for American film really was a dagger in the hearts of many Native Americans struggling to self identify in a country of many nations and cultures. After the ages of first contact, stereotypes have continued to be a barrier to Native Americans seeking to assimilate or be their own unique person who share the same interests and cultural norms as the average American.

 It's still very disturbing to me personally the more I hear about Native American tribes discriminating and stereotyping members of other indigenous tribes. Only Approved Indians by Jack D. Forbes illustrates this discrimination among fellow Native Americans. This self hate reminds me of the song "The hate that hate made", by Paris (who happens to be a UCDavis alumni). In the song Paris raps about the hate blacks have developed towards each other and says that this hate was created by centuries of hate and oppression towards blacks by the general population. Some people may not agree with this belief but the concept can teach us a powerful lesson about the damage oppression and stereotypes can have on a culture or person struggling to self identify. Self identity is important to people and it makes me sad to think that newer generations of oppressed cultures perpetuate stereotypes among fellow tribes and neighbors, all in a struggle to solidify their own  identity. Stereotypes only hurt people and creates hate and self loath. This country, this world, is a mixture of many different cultures and races. I feel that self identity is very important to everyone and is important. But we need to find a way to self identify ourselves without stereotyping and oppressing others when we struggle to identify ourselves. 

I should be sleeping.

I would be a Coyote. My coat would be a blend of ash grey balanced with a shining burnt-red muzzle, forelegs, and paws. Coyotes are intelligent, playful, and resourceful. They have a curious appetite and are comfortable journeying across rural plains or even wandering into populated urban centers. Coyotes are tough, rugged survivors and have endured and will adapt to the World changing around them. Their eyes are sharp and piercing. They think and react quick with speed and strength.  And we humans share the coyote's unserious laughter and humorous nature.  Coyotes roam around in both the day and night and I can understand that myself; as I'm writing this well past 3:00 in the morning.. Zzz

(This is me cramped at my desk in class)

Part 2.) This blog assignment has really made me think about the significance of animals in the Dine Bahane. Also in general there is definitely a significance of certain animals to the early native cultures such as the Navajo and Maya. Animals are regarded as spirit like and their gods and holy people are given animal traits or have the ability to transform into animals. In the creation stories, animals like coyote were present and had a role in entering the new world. These cultures lived along side coyotes and its interesting to me that they have been incorporated into native rituals and tales. there is a lot of information out there which discusses the significance of certain animals to many indigenous cultures. The significance of animals to the early indeginous cultures has been interpreted in many ways and hopefully some day the unique role of certain animals stories like Dine Bahane will be understood and enlighten people.

Blog # 1

1.) I chose the blog title "Bink", because that was my nickname growing up. I've been called Bink since as long as I can remember and it has stuck with me. It started when I was an infant. I'm named after my father and his father, so I guess there were too many James's in the house. When I was just a baby and used to fuss, my older cousins and dad would call me a little Bink, and for some reason it would always make laugh and smile. Then when preschool started and my dad told me I was going to school and asked if I wanted the teacher to call me James, Jimmy, or Jim like he goes by. I told him, "I thought I was a Bink..?". My dad said okay, Bink, and I went to my first day of school and for as long as I can remember growing up, teachers/friends/parents all called me Bink. That's how I got my nickname and the story behind why I chose my blog title.

2.) I want to talk a little bit about what I read in Part 1 of the Popol Vuh reading. I really enjoyed reading the tale of the two hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. When reading the myth I felt as though this story must of been significant and told in order to teach a lesson about arrogance, and how it will lead to destruction. The story reads like a fairy tale, and revolves around the two main heros and their concern that man may become vain if they do not act to destroy Vucub-Caquix, an over proud being with vast riches and a false sense of divine right.  No question, this is only a story and not told as actual history, but I feel that doesn't mean the story isn't of any great importance. There is clearly a message to this story and one that was likely passed down from generation to generation. I know Mayan hieroglyphs have been discovered that depict the two hero twins that are from this story. So the story of the two hero twins must have grown to become important figures in both culture's worship and ceremony.