Tag: Native Americans

Hate Literature: Redskins NO MORE!

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Link: (Find me at 1:17:51) That was taken last Feb. 2013.

 

Finally, Redskins is no longer visible in American sports. We do not need an hateful ideology like Washington Redskins. Last Feb 2013 Symposium, “Racist Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in American Sports” in Washington, D.C. to stop Hate Literature against Native Americans. I did my civic duty by informing the audience: REDSKINS IS RACIST! VICTORY!

From the book, “Silent Victims: Hate Crimes Against Native Americans” by Barbara Perry writes a powerful thought:

“As intended, hate crime plays a key role in the contemporary oppression and segregation of Native Americans. It weights on its victims, discouraging actions, mobility, and engagement with the broader community. However, increasingly, as Native Americans have become more politicized, it has had the opposite effect, in that ongoing racism and violence actually harden the resolve of communities attempting to reclaim their identities and their rightful place in American society. It is this array of themes.”

 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Stop the Hate!

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Written Transcript:

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Why? America belongs to who? Indigenous Peoples’ Day officially recognized in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital. History in the making! Why? Years and years of activism, protests, workshops, conferences, feedback, misunderstandings, errors, etc.

Important: PATIENCE.

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day! There are some cities in America had removed Columbus Day in respect for Indigenous People’s Day. One day, it will be all over America, the land of freedom. Why? It belongs to Indigenous People. Christopher Columbus was a mass murderer, engineered one of the greatest genocide ever, racism, and it is time to throw Columbus out of the picture.

It is important to recognize Indigenous People’s history, tradition, stories, suffering, positive or negative that should be shared awareness. I remember when I was eight or nine years old kid, I just had a conversation with my dad earlier today, asking him whether he remembered the tepee story I built–and my dad said, “Yeah, I remember you were very skilled with that”. How did I learn?

My grandmother, her mother which was my great grandmother, 100 percent Oregon Cherokee and the entire family as well. I never knew. I never met them. Too bad. Why? My great grandmother died due to a child birth where my grandmother was born. She died right there. My family never discussed about that ever. Best to keep White race that way. Scottish, Irish as I was taught growing up. Then I found out that I have Cherokee until I was in 30’s.

I wish I’d grow up learning food culture, story telling, traditions, events, etc that would have been rich experience. Missed opportunities. Back to tepee story. How did it happen? My grandmother had an old book about Native Americans in drawings, pictures, stories, horses, etc and saw something that caught my attention and that’s why I decided to build tepee by myself.

“Hey Dad, look what I had done!” and I remember that day, my Dad was impressed! He allowed me to sleep there one or two nights. Great experience! I did not realize that I had great passion inside, I did not know that I had Native American inside me, only White–and Deaf.

Due to language deprivation, lack of communication in ASL, never knew the stories…but I felt funny because spirits or souls inside me testing my character, connecting to Native American experience, I would go outside all the time, wood chopping, fishing. My brother and I would go fishing together as kids. That was rich experience I would never forget. Always cherish moments.

I took American Indian Literature course in Oregon. Great storytellers, wrote several essays and how to respect and appreciate Native American culture and language, it was champ! I signed up for ‘Environmental Education through Native American Lenses’. For example, how Native American cooking, making natural tea, life experience stories and it was champ learning experience for me! My Nez Perce/Cherokee professor was phenomenal!

I went to a conference called “Racist Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in American Sports” in Washington, D.C. for example, mascots such as Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins, etc; I was only Deaf there with two interpreters all day from 10 AM to 5 PM. Took a stand and asked a question for panelists at a conference where you can find me via YouTube link below at 1:17:51–

I did my civil duty. Why? I do not support Racist stereotypes, mocking Native Americans. Why? I’ve seen enough stories, for example, Hate Crime.

This book: “Silent Victims: Hate Crimes Against Native Americans” published by Barbara Perry.

2016. I stood in solidarity and marched with Standing Rock Protest in DC. A sign was made: “Hate Crime is a gross injustice which denigrates Native Americans”

2019. It is officially “Indigenous Peoples Day” in DC! History in the making! Important to be aware about activism. Need more of your activism out there, open-minded, understanding that Indigenous Peoples’ Day is important. Christopher Columbus? No! He was a White supremacist, Racist, killing awfully LOT, and he was really hateful towards Native Americans. We do not need a holiday like that. Throw Columbus out! Again, celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

Thank you.

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including copyright message.

What Do AGBell and Columbus Have in Common?

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It makes you wonder about those two men (Alexander Graham Bell and Christopher Columbus) who had practiced the greatest threat to human beings.

 

Eradicating DNA Genes

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What is a good example of hate crime? We need to understand what hate crime is. It does not have to be always “hate”, but it also means bias or prejudice in this matter. Let’s focus on the objectification of Native Americans and its history of violence and colonization. Ever since the Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830 proposed by President Andrew Jackson, the images of killing Native Americans even today in 2019 in many ways.

“Crime” is what it is called aversion, which purposely creating a hostile environment to survive and thrive in that practice. Native Americans were treated as savages in all form of violence. We cannot deny that at all. Even in the Bill of Rights under United States Constitution, it was written “the merciless Indian Savages” in there.

We also need to understand that ignoring what hate crime is a human error framework, and a good example of a story, How DNA Tests Make Native Americans Strangers In Their Own Land:

“The DNA industry has, in fact, found a way to profit from reviving and modernizing antiquated ideas about the biological origins of race and repackaging them in a cheerful, Disneyfied wrapping. While it’s true that the it’s-a-small-world-after-all multiculturalism of the new racial science rejects nineteenth-century scientific racism and Social Darwinism, it is offering a twenty-first-century version of pseudoscience that once again reduces race to a matter of genetics and origins. In the process, the corporate-promoted ancestry fad conveniently manages to erase the histories of conquest, colonization, and exploitation that created not just racial inequality but race itself as a crucial category in the modern world.

Today’s policy attacks on Native rights reproduce the same misunderstandings of race that the DNA industry is now so assiduously promoting. If Native Americans are reduced to little more than another genetic variation, there is no need for laws that acknowledge their land rights, treaty rights, and sovereignty. Nor must any thought be given to how to compensate for past harms, not to speak of the present ones that still structure their realities. A genetic understanding of race distorts such policies into unfair “privileges” offered to a racially defined group and so “discrimination” against non-Natives.

In the process, however, they turn ethnicity, a term once explicitly meant to describe culture and identity, into something that can be measured in the genes.”

Since Native Americans heritage has been destroyed for years and years, getting rid of Native American DNA is a hate crime. DNA is a powerful trait. It is a biological nature. This is a critical historical lesson, which reveals the perfect meaning of hate crime. DNA and the Human Genome Project altogether are built by ignorance and paranoia. Pursuit of happiness shall not be surrendered for human “voice”–can Native Americans be free from guilt and hatred from the white society?

“..that leaves Native Americans vulnerable to ongoing violence…. I argue that the largely derogatory images of Native Americans, along with their relatively disadvantaged structural position, leaves them in a position of vulnerability. It is the contexts of hate a crime that “makes them possible and even acceptable. What makes violence a phenomenon of social injustice and not merely an individual moral wrong is its systematic character, its existence as a social practice, its legitimacy.” -Barbara Perry, Silent Victims: Hate Crimes Against Native Americans

How the Native Americans are addressing cultural genocide, becoming a nationwide crisis, and the DNA bias have contributed to a lack of human compassion, and should be leading the effort to address it. Can we learn from that?

“While whites of European ancestry seen enthralled with the implications of this new racial science, few Native Americans have chosen to donate to such databases. Centuries of abuse at the hands of colonial researchers who made their careers on Native ancestral remains, cultural artifacts, and languages have generated a widespread skepticism toward the notion of offering genetic material for the good of ‘science.’ ”

Whose the opinion of the life that belongs to the whole Native American community? As long as we live, whose the privilege to do it whatever they want even when they commit a hate crime? Is it the same way to eradicate Deaf DNA genes? Why should treat Deaf people of the Deaf as the merciless Deaf savages?

Native Americans and Deaf are the forgotten minority.

…..showing no mercy or pity?

Petition link to sign below. Thank you.

https://www.change.org/p/gallaudet-university-behind-closed-doors-gallaudet-university-and-deaf-dna-genes

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

 

Why History Repeats

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200 years ago (1819), Congress passed the law to civilize Native Americans. 100 years ago (1919), what was it like to be in Deaf community that time? What about now in 2019? Do we recognize the history that repeats to belittle ASL and the state of being Deaf?

Open Letter for Nyle DiMarco

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This post is written for Nyle DiMarco:

First, I admire Nyle for defying the mathematical odds in Hollywood industry. That was really big. Math is your best friend but it can be your enemy where it can define your life overnight. Just like that.

Second, this is not about Deaf versus Deaf. It is about educating what Native Americans had been gone through. It can also apply to Deaf community whom they suffer as well what Native Americans do. I hope it would be learning experience for Nyle.

Please no harassing or bullying Nyle about this. Either should I be not harassed or bullied about this. Sometimes we have to remind each other and understand the stigma with open mind.

I was cheering for him on Dancing with the Stars show. That night, Mirror ball on a huge TV with full house of Deaf people were jumping joyfully when Nyle won the show. I was there and jumped joyfully because Nyle defied odds. And not only that, he had spread the message in Hollywood about language deprivation in Deaf community.

It is a huge thing.

And I appreciate his advocacy work in Deaf community. Not all I agree with, but winning two shows in Hollywood, as Deaf person understands the adversity and roadblocks matter the most. Especially the continuation of criminalizing Native Americans to be mock, marginalizes, and judges in Hollywood industry.

For years and years, Native Americans struggles with their lives, it is an unbearable journey. Go back to 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed The Indian Removal Act into law, where the law has targeted Native Americans for their skin and heritage to be bullied and removed from American society.

By 1890s, around 95%, less or more in 90th percentage, had shown that Native Americans were murdered, cut off their hair and such. The language deprivation also applies in Native Americans. It is no brainer.

Today, Native Americans suffer from unemployment, cruel and unusual punishment, one of the highest rates of fetal alcohol syndrome, and think about those Native American women being murdered at highest rate than ever as you can find the source to read online: Police in Many U.S. Cities Fail to Track Murdered, Missing Indigenous Women. It is still going on in 2019. The last two years has been worst, highest. Trump’s America.

Native Americans had also been mocked plenty of times in Hollywood. For example, Adam Sandler, sometimes funny, sometimes not funny, few years ago, there were dozen Native American actors walked off the set of his movie called, The Ridiculous Six because the actors felt offended that the portrayals of Native Americans continues to be mocked and degraded.

Few months ago, there was an article showing that hate crimes against Native Americans increased 63 percent in the first year of Trump’s policy. It has been dully noted in FBI’s data report. We should not ignore that 63 percent is nothing?

Often, Native Americans ends up invisible…and wonder why? “…Especially the hate crime data is notoriously flawed as a result of public under reporting of criminal victimization.” [Silent Victims: Hate Crimes Against Native Americans by Barbara Perry.] When Nyle as a Deaf white man pressed the button “LIKE” on Twitter that Elder Native American man by the name of Nate Phillips who got mocked by White Catholic Boys with MAGA “Make American Great Again” hats has shown the powerful image of mocking Native Americans.

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Nate was struggling with alcohol addiction where he was charged with possession of alcohol at very young age, and we should not judge him on that. That was four and half decades ago and we should not judge him. Nate’s childhood life was hard enough.

Nyle was not even born during that time either.

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be Kind. Always.”

We must understand that in 1960s and 1970s era was really rough time for Native Americans. Especially for Nate Phillips. The society that time and today in 2019 continues to criminalize Native Americans.

There are some things we all need to reflect the history and the stigmatization of Native Americans cannot be ignored. Like in 1960s, Native Americans were the nation’s poorest minority group, and that was bad enough, imagine the painful journey, and in 1970, the unemployment rate were TEN times the national level.

The math when we know that TEN TIMES is powerful and bigger number like an exponent than we really understand, and what is more, 40 percent of the Native American population below the poverty line, and we know that Deaf community is also below the poverty line, too. No?

Native Americans with criminal record even if its 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago, continue to face several problems related to employment, income, education, media, and Hollywood industry. Why do we have to dig out old past about Nate Phillips? He is now 64 years old. That is a cheap shot. It is really a shame.

After taking Native American Literature, Environmental Education through Native American Lenses, and Native Studies had opened my eyes and understand why media continues to mock Native Americans.

Devon Mihesuah in 1996, American Indians: Stereotypes and Realities showing that Hollywood continues to frame popular perceptions of Native Americans. Hate crime against Native Americans is really a BIG problem. We cannot let haters bring Native Americans down.

Police brutality against Native Americans are really high and heart wrenching. I mean, high, high, high that is not even funny. Native Americans are most likely to be killed by law enforcement than any other racial or ethnic groups and they are most overlooked group of all. Like Daniel Sheehan, general counsel for the Lakota People’s Law Project: “Native American people are basically invisible to most of the people in the country.”

 

 

We cannot forget Deaf Native Americans, too. Remember John T. Williams? When Nyle was featured on show called Full Frontal with Samantha Bee few weeks ago and it was good and I was very much glad that it has shared with the public eye to understand about Deaf people suffering in the hands of law enforcement. However, he signed: “your training has barely covered the importance of how to interact with America’s one million Deaf citizens.”

There is most likely a Deaf Native American might be as well as killed any time, any day in White America.

There are a lot of White teens and early 20s got away with it. We cannot deny that. No way. Please stop criminalizing Native Americans.

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

MAGA HATS: Hate-Filled Literature at Native Rally

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Are MAGA HATS making America great again? In the light of hate-filled literature mocking, and intimidating Native Americans is trying to make America great again is not even close. Whose land belongs to in the first place? Silence equals hate. We need to stop hate targeting Native Americans.

CORRECTION: IT IS NATHAN PHILLIPS. NOT RICHARD PHILLIPS. MY APOLOGIES!

Can We Stop Hate in Progress?

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Charlottesville, Virginia. The site of Heather Heyer. October 2017.

There has been a recent funded-study by federal guidelines, 450 human bodies that has been killed by the far right since 1990—the same year where Hate Crime Statistics Act has signed by President George H.W. Bush. That we must never forget.

Last October 2017, I visited Charlottesville, Virginia where ALT-Right movements killed Heather Heyer last August; the white supremacy must be brought up to have it rejected for the sake of humanity. I am all support to stop hate. We do not need white supremacy running our streets anymore. Not in my space. Do we have time to hate? Just yesterday, 13th of November, it was World Kindness Day. That we must never forget.

I remember in 1988 as a 14 years old kid, there was huge news about the murder of Mulugeta Seraw in Portland in the hands of skinheads, with hate ties to bad-ass white supremacy group. I was visiting my mother in Northeast Portland that time. I remember that day very well. I’ve really wished to keep that newspaper. In fact, it had happened on November 13th as well. It has hit Portland very hard.

Portland was put on an international spotlight on a map all because of this. Portland Trail Blazers might had won NBA championship in 1977. But, this one is 849,325 times bigger news than NBA championship. After Seraw’s death, Portland is not the same. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) became the face of kindness. Morris Dees, the lead counsel for SPLC won the case in Portland. Talk about World Kindness Day! It will be always in my memory. It is a powerful trait. That we never forget.

When my hate crime professor talked about Mulugeta Seraw in a classroom in 2007, memories brought up. It was painful but at the same time, we need to remind that we must tolerate against any form of hate. It has opened my eyes to the endless of ideas and responsibilities to talk and write more about hate crime. It is part of my civic duty. We also need to bring up and discuss about hate groups and of course, far right and alt-right.

I am in solidarity with people of color, Muslims, Native Americans, and Deaf people where Trump’s support of white supremacy and its hate groups have in the tide wave of hate crimes. Recently with couple of hours ago, FBI announced that its hate crime report for 2016 has brought up with bad news that for second straight year of increasing—the first time it has actually happened in a decade. We were getting better until Trump showed up in the name of hate. Do we even realize that a decade is long time to heal from pain? We were just getting better. That we never forget.

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The total of hate crimes for 2016:

6,121 incidents. Ouch.

Stop FAR RIGHT and ALT-RIGHT. We do not need another Charlottesville. Anywhere. That is why we need to remind how to teach love, not hate. That we never forget. Let’s embrace social justice! Be sure to read the references below.

“The wicked envy and hate; it is their way of admiring“-Victor Hugo

-JT

Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

References:

https://theconversation.com/threats-of-violent-islamist-and-far-right-extremism-what-does-the-research-say-72781

https://www.splcenter.org/news/2017/11/13/hate-crimes-rise-second-straight-year-anti-muslim-violence-soars-amid-president-trumps

https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2016/topic-pages/incidentsandoffenses

 

 

Indigenous People’s Day: Resistance in the Epoch of Christopher Columbus

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Please support Indigenous Peoples’ Day all over the cities and towns in the country, “Columbus Day” is a commonly used as a white privilege label to support to any bigotry, hostility, and discrimination against Native Americans and its use is often politically motivated. That is why I do not support Christopher Columbus’s legacy in secrecy, war, and violence in Native American lands. To date, if Columbus was alive today, hate crime charges without question where the trial is necessary for Columbus.

There are plenty of literature reviews on Native Americans and criminal justice, found one of the literature reviews focusing ethno-violence and found not a single case of Native Americans as victims of racially motivated violence. It makes them deeper than an invisible cloak. It is literally bad! What had Native Americans done to them? Kurt Vonnegut writes in his book, Breakfast of Champions: “As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North American for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.”

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What is Indigenous People’s Day? It is about celebrating of the Indigenous peoples in North America to celebrate their culture, language, and arts. It is important to appreciate them as part of humanity and it is also difficult to imagine and understand the current strains of Indigenous peoples where they face the connections with colonialism. As for Columbus’ trial, according to the United Nations: 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide:

any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such:

 a: Killing members of the group;

b: Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

c: Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

d: Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

e: Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. (Article II)

Do we need to celebrate Columbus Day what he has robbed Indigenous Peoples lives? It should be student-centered, human-centered, and love-centered that we need to retain our knowledge about Indigenous People in schools. Also, it can be educator-led that we need strong educators to bring in stronger awareness that impacts learning. At a human compassion, we all need a healthy terminology such as Indigenous People’s Day.

Finally, it should be Hate-Free, as Indigenous People deserve an education without financial hardships. They deserve a chance to thrive in their lives, without facing hate and racism daily. We need teachers and learners clearly to share a common interest in positive meaning and we need to re-invest Native American literature more often in our public schools and universities. Can we channel our knowledge toward the essentials of teaching and learning about Indigenous People’s Day? Please visit this YouTube video with captions provided:

 

-JT

Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.