Part 1;
The Reality of Cultural Appropriation;
To Begin With…..
I was Born in America …I am a Native American!
Further more…a great many people including myself have tribal blood in them. Whether
or not Racist Native Americans like it. I will preface this Lengthy Post which
is broken up into sections...by saying, that I am not talking about all “Native
Americans”. I have met many that are great people with wisdom, and open hearts,
minds, and spirits; who have taught me a great deal and shared themselves with
all the world around them. As should we all!!! In the past few years however I
have ran across a great many on the internet that were as wicked and Racist as
they come. People who have called me plastic, and said that I live on nothing
but “Borrowed Knowledge” as they call it, which they say I misinterpret or am
too stupid to understand! I have had My God and my Religion cursed and called a
great many horrible things for merely standing against blatant racism; (But racism is alright as long as it is
against the various white races it seems. Yes… there is more than one white
race). Many of these people have also attacked my sexuality calling me a
perversion and have gone into graphic detail about how disgusting Queer people
are. Further more in similar online and in person dealings with Muslims, in the
past several years I have been told by many Racist Muslims that if I disagree
with them… in any way…about anything; they have the right to cut off my head
because I am an infidel! These people have not erased the fond memories I have
of the wonderful Muslim people I have known in the past. Hateful Pagans and Atheists
have like wise given me a hard time over the years and called me every negative
name in the book. Still…I have known a great deal of terrific pagan people who
have greatly enriched my life! Seeing as the use of the phrase Cultural
Appropriation as a negative thing is becoming more and more prevalent; I must
speak out now and not remain silent about this issue! So I decided to write
this blog post on the issue.
(If you were born in America, you are a Native American)
The racist term “Cultural Appropriation”;
Once a perfectly harmless phrase meaning that one person
adopts something from another cultural into their own lives for whatever
reason; it has been turned into a totally negative racist term as of late. It
is only right that all cultures should inspire each other. Cultural Appropriation is a term used in these times
by people who hate white people... to suggest there is something wrong with
being inspired by someone else's cultural and adopting something from that
culture and adapting it to yourself and your own life, and deciding what it
means for you; as is your divine right as a human being! Cultural appropriation being “a bad thing” is
predicated on the idea that anyone person or anyone culture can own a culture!
This is utter nonsense! No culture owns itself. All cultures belong to the
world, and we are all here to teach one another! To think otherwise is great
Folly!
I want people to know and understand that the concept of
cultural and spiritual appropriation as it is used now; is a lie used by racist
people to propagate the idea that anyone person or groups of people own a
culture. No one from any culture owns that culture. That culture doesn’t even
own itself. All cultures belong to all of humanity and all cultures belong to
the creator. So when you hear people like racist native Americans telling white
people that they can’t do this or they can’t do that because it is
appropriating their culture…tell that racist person or persons or organizations
to shut their racist mouths!
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It is a common misconception that things like wearing
feathers, using ritual tools like medicine wheels and drums, dream catchers,
and working with spirit animals is unique to native cultures. This is an
absolute lie! All ancient human beings used to be tribal and all of them had
these things. Medicine shields were common in
Europe
for instance. Druids had all of these things and much more. Druids for example
sometimes used to wear capes and head dresses made of feathers as do Africans.
Europeans often wore feathers in their hair or put them into medicine bags.
Native Americans did not invent these things.
Though racist Native Americans would like nothing more than
to convince all the white races that Native Americans as they are called, did invent sacredness; and that white people were from
the start… bad, and devoid of any spirituality, ritualism, or medicine ways.
Nothing could be
further from the truth!
So the idea of cultural appropriation as it is being used
now, is nothing but a racist lie! So if you want to walk around in war paint
and head dresses and use ritual items like medicine bags and smudging
sticks…just remember, that you as a human being are free to do just that!
Almost nothing is totally unique to any culture. Sweat lodges were used all
over the ancient world, as well as ritual bathing. Using sacred smoke was and
is common all over the world! War paint and body paint has been used in many
cultures including the Celtic cultures, African, and Australian Aborigine
Cultures.
You are not bad just because you were born white!
You and your ancestors are not devoid of spirit and you have
TOTAL DIVINE RIGHT to express that in any way you wish, that does not
physically harm another person!
Europeans had all the same things that so called natives had,
so the idea that a white person could appropriate something from another
cultures is silly, and furthermore even if we could appropriate something… than
so what?
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There is nothing wrong with taking something that you as a human being
find truth in… and deep connection with… and using it in whatever way you
decide is best for your life! Tell all the racists to shut up! Also…tell them
that white people are not to blame for all of their problems! They had problems
long before us, and would have them even if we never existed! All cultures have
suffered at some point and it is up to us as the human beings alive in the year
2013 to get over it, grow up, and move on with life! Are we supposed to pay for
past mistakes made forever? It’s as if they actually believe that native
peoples never did anything wrong themselves and never hurt any innocent people
in all of history! Well that is just not so! Say it with me …. “I am of
European descent and I am proud of it”!
Beyond that…human beings…all human beings, are equal in the
eyes of Spirit! There is no perfect person in the world. There is no one
culture that is better than another culture.
All peoples are native peoples. I don’t know about the rest
of my fellow Americans but I was born in America, I was born on and in this
land, and am part of it! I am a native American! Another racist term is “first
nation peoples”…what a load of propaganda that is. All peoples are first
nations peoples…all people are descended from tribal societies. So next time
some racist tribes person starts mouthing off to you…tell them shut up and get
lost! We the human beings alive today in this new era of human history don’t
need to have people stuck in the past bog us down with what they believe our
sins to be; as if they are God and know our sins, or as if they had none of
their own! We as humans don’t need to carry the past around anymore. We’ve seen
it, heard it, learned it, studied it, know it by heart, and wallowed in it long
enough! Enough is enough! It is a brand new day people! It is a brand new era
for mankind and we need to step boldly and cleanly into it! Throw off the
shackles of the past and live in the here and now! There is nothing wrong with
looking at the past and learning from it, or even remembering it; but there is
something very very wrong with wallowing in the past and living there.
You know it’s funny
…when I see non white peoples wearing kilts and Celtic sacred symbols and
singing Celtc songs….I am very pleased that they found a connection with my
culture. I don’t go around crying foul and cultural appropriation! Who does
that? Racist people…that is who!
No one owns a culture….all cultures belong not
to themselves but to all of the world! So if
someone starts screaming about cultural appropriation to you and saying it
is wrong; than that person is a racist...probably mainly against white people!
Again… tell them to shut up, grow up, get a life, and stop spouting off their
hate and ignorance to you! They are just sad pathetic people who have nothing
better to do than to go around hating other people! They are racist! Racism
like that must not be coddled or tolerated!
Another
thing that really pisses me off is the stupid concept, conceived of and put
forth by Racist Native Americans; The idea of “Plastic Medicine People”. There
is no such thing as a plastic medicine person unless we are talking about
children’s toys made of plastic. Just because someone is of a different culture
and interprets ritual and spirituality and various diverse cultural concepts
differently than Native Americans; and practices The Medicine Ways differently
than Native Americans…DOES NOT MAKE SOME ONE PLASTIC OR FAKE! IT MAKES THEM…wait for it… DIFFERENT THAN NATIVE
PEOPLES! Plastic Medicine People is just another racist term that when heard
should not be tolerated; but should be stood against with vehement passion!
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Now
to destroy the silly racist concept of “Borrowed Knowledge”. If there is any
Wisdom or Knowledge or Spiritual Insight to life on this earth from any time,
place, people, or religious path; than it comes from God. So all Knowledge is
“Borrowed Knowledge”; we the humans of this planet all have borrowed whatever
knowledge we have, from Spirit! We did not create it, or invent it, but have
been given it from The Divine! A particular culture may have received the
message, interpreted it, and perceived it in a certain way; but they do not own
that knowledge and did not Author that knowledge. They merely had a unique way
of experiencing and living that knowledge! It may surprise some people (though I doubt it, if they have read thus
far) to hear me say that even those unique perceptions are not owned by the
cultures or people who did the perceiving! All Wisdom that has been given to
humanity…All sacred ways; they belong to all of us and they are owned by none
here save God! That is The Truth! So if you feel a resonance with something
from another culture then feel free to take that and bring it into your life
and adapt it to yourself and your world view! That is your Right as a human
being; and no one but no one can take that away from you! If they try…take a
strong stand against them and refuse to be bullied by them, or back down! We
should never bow to tyranny and accept it! We must always fight against it!
And
what of us who are of mixed race? Who then decides for us what part of our
heritage(s) is right for us to honor? We decide for ourselves!
I
am a citizen of this planet! We are all of us citizens of this planet!
****************************************************************************
Part
2;
Dispelling
the great myth;
Contrary
to popular modern belief... Native Americans are not the only peoples who have
spiritual wisdom or “Medicine Ways”.
Here
is a list of things that are not unique to Native Americans but exist in most
ancient and modern cultures;
Smudging rituals
Sacred Feathers
Wisdom teachings
Medicine ceremonies
Medicine wheels
Dream Catchers
Sweat Lodges
Sacred Drums and rattles
Sacred staffs and spears
Sacred Jewelry
Sacred Headwear and costumes
Ritual Masks
Medicine Shields
Sacred Totem Animals
Sacred Names
Sacred Dances
Sacred Songs
Sacred Places
None of these things are unique to only so called Native
American cultures. These things are found all over the world from ancient times
and even today. They are found in all cultures and many different religions in
many many various forms, and known by many various names!
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Part 3;
Images of the beauty of cultural appropriation;
WAIT...WHAT'S THIS... "NATIVE AMERICANS" IN CLOTHS OR CLOTHING ITEMS OF OR INSPIRED BY CULTURES NOT THEIR OWN??? OH MY...THE HYPOCRISY IS AMAZING!
PEOPLE ...WE ARE ALL INFLUENCED BY EACH OTHER, AND THAT IS THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE, OTHER WISE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN PUT ON SEPARATE PLANETS. WE ARE ALL ONE RACE...THE HUMAN RACE!
*************************
Fashion like everything else evolves and changes over time and is multicultural; just like all of us who are of mixed heritage...which is most of the people on the planet by now!
******************************
Certain Propaganda materials annoy me;
for example this sign...
YES IT IS OK...THAT MAN IN THE SMALL PICTURE HAS THE RIGHT TO WEAR WHATEVER HE WANTS TO. ALSO THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE; ALL CULTURES ARE A TYPE OF COSTUME THAT PEOPLE PUT ON IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS WHICH IDENTIFIES THEM AS A TRIBE OR A NATION. CULTURE IS COSTUME AND CUSTOM AND HISTORY AND RITUAL AND TRADITION! SO YES IT IS OK, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT SOMEONE DRESSES IN SOMETHING FROM YOUR CULTURE...WELL YOU ARE A RACIST AND YOU NEED TO KEEP THAT TO YOURSELF AND JUST NOT ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE WHO ANNOY YOU!
certain propaganda pictures are wrong... but so amusing;
for example...
Unlike racist "Native Americans" this cat totally has the right idea! Go Cat Go! We should all learn from this cat!!!
So there is my rant about this issue....it might and probably will at some point be followed up with other rants that are a continuation of this one....because I love driving a point home and beating on a dead horse; on occasion! Now I am quite certain I will get loads of Hate mail over this post...I can feel the backlash now! I don't really care...I am past the point of caring honestly. I have been attacked so many times for being White, Gay, American, Christian, or because of my beliefs that I refuse to stay silent any longer. I will not Put up with Racism anymore! Here I make my stand. I care not what others choose to say, think, or do! Don't be bullied people...Stand up for yourselves. Your Freedom is in your own hands! Live your Freedom, no matter who likes it or doesn't!
LIVE YOUR FREEDOM!!!
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