My current event was about a pro-white bumper sticker that was found affixed to the Payne Family Native American Center at the University of Montana. Historically, Lakota (or Sioux) and Northern Cheyenne Native Americans have been persecuted in Montana. The Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes fought against the United States and defeated General Custer at Little Big Horn. The U.S. reaction was to massacre them. The United States then enacted it's policies of removal, attempting to move the Norther Cheyenne to Oklahoma. Many of those who made it tried to return and were decimated. Montana Indians were eventually put on reservations. Montana has long been a location were Native Americans were persecuted, harassed, and confined.
So when a bumper sticker displaying a racist slogan was found on September 19th at the Native American Center at the University, historically tense relations between the local tribes and white people suffered a blow. The bumper sticker declared: "Save the White Race, Earth's most endangered species". It asserts that we, the invading "species", deserve to be here, or alive even, more than the people who inhabited this land long before we arrived.
The center was built in April of 2010 and has become a cultural symbol. Local tribal leaders appeared at the grand opening which shows that the relationship has come a long way between the people of the State of Montana and Montana's Native tribes. This racism puts a strain on that relationship, and this wasnt the first time. Soon after the center was built, a rock was thrown through the window. The Director of American Indian Student Services, Fredricka Hunter said in the article "We will not tolerate racism." But do they have a choice? Investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Question to classmates: How do you think racism affects Indian and white relationships, and do you think that racism will continue?
I think racism effects Indian and White relationships because it basically does not allow them to tolerate each other. The aborigines of our land deserve to be here as much, if not more than we do. The idea of racism is absolutely absurd because judging someone based on their stereotypical customs is never an accurate view on a person. An individual’s characteristics are not measured by the religion, culture, or race but by their personality. No one should ever judge a person by their race because every person is different, everyone has a different personality, your race does not decide it for you. Also, the coexistence of different cultures helps society as whole in the spectrum of biodiversity and shared ideas. I believe racism will always continue because too many people make prejudgment notions towards eachother. I think racism effects Indian and White relationships because it basically does not allow them to tolerate each other. The aborigines of our land deserve to be here as much, if not more than we do. The idea of racism is absolutely absurd because judging someone based on their stereotypical customs is never an accurate view on a person. An individual’s characteristics are not measured by the religion, culture, or race but by their personality. No one should ever judge a person by their race because every person is different, everyone has a different personality, your race does not decide it for you. Also, the coexistence of different cultures helps society as whole in the spectrum of biodiversity and shared ideas. I believe racism will always continue because too many people make prejudgment notions towards eachother. Regaurdless of all education against racism, prejudice people will still remain. Furthermore, I beleive there will always be war and terrorist attacks and that these sort of situations cause racism. However, many of the people in these countries are judged harshly against but have no say in their governments decisions, and so they are facing oppression that they do not deserve.
ReplyDeleteYes I think that racism affect Indian and White relationships because of America’s past relationships. In the past all “races” are stereotyped. These stereotypes have made it difficult for people to build relationships and not judge each other based on the past stereotypes. Racism is based on opinion. Than opinions shape stereotypes. Every person is different and has different opinions about everything. I think racism will continue for as long as people are on this earth. People are always judging each other, before and or after they get the chance to get to get to know that person. People are always going to judge whether they do it intentionally or not, it’s something all humans do. As much as I think racism shouldn’t continue because it awful and unneeded the differences in people opinions towards each other are always going to conflict in one way or another.
ReplyDeleteRacism affects Native American and White relationships because it's racism. The definition of "racism" according to dictionary.com is the following: "hatred or intolerance of another race or other races". If the Native Americans have hate towards the hates then obviously their relationship won't be very strong, and vice-versa. I think after the bumper sticker was placed on that wall the relationship got even worse. I also think that racism will continue forever. It can never be stopped. When a child is raised by his/her parents they teach him/her their morals, and how to grow up. If that child had racist parents then they will more likely grow up as racists. I say more likely because they won't always become racists. Racism is a never-ending chain that can't be broken. Racism is a belief of superiority, just as Christianity is the belief in God.
ReplyDelete