How offensive, exactly, is having dream catchers?

[Anonymous]

Why is "Native American" offensive, especially when "Indian American" is just based on Columbus not knowing where he was? Genuine question.

[Anonymous]

From Wikipedia: "Dreamcatchers originated with the Ojibwe people and were later adopted by some neighboring nations through intermarriage and trade. It wasn't until the Pan-Indian Movement of the 1960s and 1970s that they were adopted by Native Americans of a number of different nations."

So in other words, the other Indian tribes culturally appropriated it from the Ojibwe (the Chippewa). If you see any non-Ojibwe Indians using one, call them on it. Appropriaters gonna appropriate!!

[Anonymous]

Anyone who takes Victoria's Secret as a cultural meme is not part of a brain trust anyway. Businesses that culturally appropriate other traditions should have their feet held to the fire, but that's the risk everyone takes as part of a Democracy purporting to value Free Speech.

Feel free to call others out as "tacky" or exploitative. That's a free speech right too.

Censorship and prior restraint, however, are never O.K. That's unconstitutional. Don't throw away First Amendment rights just because some people and businesses suffer from bad taste.

As for dream catchers, they're frequently sold by First Nation businesses. That's their right, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is "Native American" offensive, especially when "Indian American" is just based on Columbus not knowing where he was? Genuine question.

Same question. In the far, far suburbs we've all finally caught up with everyone else on using Native American. Now someone is changing the rules?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is "Native American" offensive, especially when "Indian American" is just based on Columbus not knowing where he was? Genuine question.

Same question. In the far, far suburbs we've all finally caught up with everyone else on using Native American. Now someone is changing the rules?

Yes, now the polite word is American Indian, or the specific tribe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is "Native American" offensive, especially when "Indian American" is just based on Columbus not knowing where he was? Genuine question.

Native American is also a name white liberals chose for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:dude, stop with the moronic microaggression posts. we get what you're trying to do. your over the top examples do not mean brown people in this country don't have valid complaints.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Do people in real life actually talk about such buzz words as "microaggressions"?

Don't you people have real life problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!

I give up.

OP is forcing us into de cluttering her house. First, the post about motto placards, next it is the dream catchers her kids made at school or camp and the miscellaneous one that someone brought her from New Mexico. I am guessing next, she will want to know how many scented Yankee candles are too many. I hate this cliche, but OP should put on her big girl panties and deal with it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is "Native American" offensive, especially when "Indian American" is just based on Columbus not knowing where he was? Genuine question.

Native American is also a name white liberals chose for us.

In Canada, they are called "First People." It sounds nice but overlooks the fact that there were other people in the world even if not in Canada

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:dude, stop with the moronic microaggression posts. we get what you're trying to do. your over the top examples do not mean brown people in this country don't have valid complaints.

Agree.

Ha, right? Angry white guy just found out about the word "microaggression" and is desperately trying to be clever.

[Anonymous]

woh woh woh woh woh woh woh woh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not wearing the dreamcatcher. You are not using it as a potholder. You are using it as a dreamcatcher, and it has been shared by Native American culture as such, and you have not taken it away and made it into something else for merchandising purposes. I don't see how this is cultural appropriation.

Please don't use the phrase "Native American" to describe the Indian people. That's definitely a microaggression. The preferred term is "Indian" or, better, to refer to someone by their actual tribal affiliation.

-- Signed, part Algonquin.

Yes! Thank you. I don't even see newspapers using a standard. Sometimes they switch mid article. American Indian is what we use. It's in the treaty language and is the legal term. "Native" is used a lot between Indians too but I don't know anyone who says Native American other than whites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:dude, stop with the moronic microaggression posts. we get what you're trying to do. your over the top examples do not mean brown people in this country don't have valid complaints.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is "Native American" offensive, especially when "Indian American" is just based on Columbus not knowing where he was? Genuine question.

Native American is also a name white liberals chose for us.

In Canada, they are called "First People." It sounds nice but overlooks the fact that there were other people in the world even if not in Canada

They're called First Peoples because they were the first in Canada. Obviously they weren't first in the world...