Showing posts with label Current event. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Current event. Show all posts

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Racism at the University of Montana

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?