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Sometimes Writer-Blogger
​Cutcha Risling Baldy​

Humboldt County T-Shirt Controversy that's all up in my Facebook OR Native American Mr. Potato-Head -- now with Aztec Parts!

3/8/2013

42 Comments

 
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I wasn’t going to weigh in, because I’m busy, but also because many of my fellow Native community members were doing an awesome job offering reasoned responses to yet another example of cultural appropriation gone wrong. (This implies, of course, that there is cultural appropriation gone right, somewhere, out there, in the land of cultural appropriation. It probably has something to do with the Cheesecake Factory making Navajo Tacos, though I hear their frybread leaves something to be desired…)

First – a quick and dirty run down history. There is a company. This company wants to make a tshirt. The artist at the company designs one. It’s has an Indian looking guy on it with some feather headdress and earrings and whole bunches of generic “Indian” looking designs in the background. And underneath it says “Chief Life.” A bunch of people respond. Some like it, some don’t, some are concerned, some are concerned about people being too concerned. Friends of mine get involved. The artist asks for honest feedback about the design. People give it to him. He says some people are rude, some people aren’t, but mostly he thinks they are rude. He is surprised by the response so he “redesigns” it to be an Aztec guy, and not some generic Indian guy. (This seems to mean from the pictures I’ve seen that he changes the generic designs in the background to Aztec writing symbols and also adds some Aztec design looking earrings and an Aztec shield to the guys forehead. Everything is the same. It’s like, Mr. Potato-Head Indian Style. Exchange your cultural appropriation parts for others, make an entirely new Indian Mr. Potato-Head.) Again he asks for feedback. People still aren’t happy. And suddenly he’s writing on Facebook that:
“I think it kind of comes down to what happened to Native Americans in the past That makes this so sensitive… The thing is I wasn’t here for that and neither was my genetics.. And what happened to the Native Americans was simply a byproduct of war that happens in every culture and region that has war…”
And
“Native Americans are not the only ones that have gone through genocide… Many many cultures go through it… Like I said before sometimes it’s a byproduct of war… So when I’m having fun with art I’m not trying to read bring up bad memories of genocide that did not happen when I was alive..
And
“And I also think it’s unfair of you to say that the Aztec people are the same as Native Americans when they are by far completely too different cultures…”
And of course
“I think this is just a really sensitive topic for you…” 
With a little
“I know other Native Americans that I can enjoy the art piece that I did…” 
And finally
“The past will always be the past and I say never forget the past but always look for brighter future… I think optimistically…”
Okay – so I write this as an open letter, not trying to be “rude” so as to make him believe that he is a victim of all these rude Native people calling him and being rude but to provide him some of my own insight into this issue. 

Dear Guy On Facebook:

To be fair, I’d never heard of your company before this, and I probably wouldn’t have had this not been passed around Facebook. Also, I was born and raised in Humboldt County. I get how it kind of works there. I know we have this big, fantastic, emerald triangle, legendary existence that makes people give me high fives or nods or thumbs up when I’m wearing a sweatshirt that says Humboldt on it. We cool. I get it. I lived there my whole life, though I was never really that cool. 

Now, as a Native American person I don’t like the shirt. You can put me in that category. I don’t know if you’re adding it up and waiting to take a poll to democratically decide on using your artwork, but if you are, I’m firmly in the no, don’t do it, it’s not a good idea, yes it’s problematic, yes it’s sad, and no it’s never going to work, no matter how many different sets of earrings you stick on the poor man, it’s not going to ever be an image that portrays “respect”, “dignity” or even “honor.” It’s just going to be a stereotypical, Native image that you are using to make money, glorify stereotypes and continue to ignore why these problematic images are damaging, destructive and ignorant. 

Also, truth be told I had no idea what “Chief Life” was. According to my younger, cooler friends (and Urban Dictionary) to “chief” is to smoke marijuana. Me, as an old person, I want to over analyze it. I’m assuming it has something to do with the old stereotype of “smoking the peace pipe” and how Chiefs were supposed to have been big smokers who smoked the peace pipe and did all that smoking (all, completely distorted by the way and in many ways totally wrong, but that’s an entirely DIFFERENT letter). Blah blah blah, it’s “chief” dude. I’m probably using it wrong. 

I haven’t seen you at all address that side of this issue. So far it seems like you’ve been focusing on the image. To paraphrase (quickly): Oh you don’t like the feather earrings? I’ll replace them with Aztec earrings? Oh you don’t like the weird generic designs, I’ll replace them with Aztec writings. The image is too “Plains Indian” and not “Humboldt”, why don’t you look at some Humboldt stuff? Etc. etc. It looks like a mascot, mascots are honorable, no they’re not, yes they are, why aren’t Buccaneers offended? Pretty soon Vikings will start complaining. Something about how anybody can be offended by any image but Chief is an honorable image, etc. etc. 

Except, we’re talking about “Chief Life.” Which, for your company, I’m assuming has something to do with marijuana, and drug culture, and drugs. I ain’t mad atcha dude. I know that this whole “weed” thing sort of lives where we live. I get it. I’m not trying to play super narc-y innocent girl who “oh my word” “I declare” I can’t believe you’re talking about drug stuff. But, Chief Life – it’s just sad. 

It doesn’t make me angry, it makes me sad. Drugs are a huge issue for Native communities. Huge. They aren’t just an issue because people like to do drugs. They aren’t just an issue because Native people can’t handle their business and they turn to drugs. They aren’t just an issue because of the rampant poverty of Native populations. All of those reasons are important. But they are also an issue because of history. They are an issue because of trauma. They are an issue because of what happened at the founding of this very county that you love so much you want to make a tshirt for it and sell it to people. Did you know that it used to be policy in Humboldt County that you could hunt Indian people? There were Indian hunting days. Did you know that it used to be policy in Humboldt County, that it was easier to exterminate Indian people then to have to deal with them? Did you know that on the very places you walk, or live, very near where your business is located, there were massacres of Indian women and children. There were rapes of young Indian girls. And after all that, there were continued attempts to erase a people from the land. And then after that, there were reservations, there was poverty, there was trauma, and there were drugs. It’s health thing. It’s hard to separate sometimes from what we think of as “recreational” but lots of our “recreational” habits, are ways of coping with trauma that passed itself along through generations. This is the part of our people that is overwhelmed when we stand at the edge of the bay, look out and realize that one night, as a tribe was holding a world renewal ceremony, a group of people showed up and tried to kill every single one of them. 

Now, you weren’t there. I know that. This doesn’t mean it isn’t written on the landscape where you live. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel it every single day. It doesn’t mean that it never resonates in our waking lives. Because it does. In policies, in ignorance, in forgetfulness, in the way we talk about ourselves, and each other. Maybe your “genetics” weren’t here, but you are here – now. It’s time to know. It’s time to know where you are. And to “know” this place, is to listen. And to “listen” is to realize that we aren’t talking about an ancient history, we are talking about a recent history. And maybe, just maybe, what you consider “simply a byproduct of war” is, surprisingly, not. Genocide is not a byproduct of war - Genocide is tool of an aggressor. Genocide is a choice. It doesn't just happen because war is hell. Genocide is systematic. Genocide is deliberate. It is not a "byproduct" of aggression, there is intent- an intent to annihilate a group of people.  We should not tie genocide to just another "byproduct of war" and erase this intent. Systematic murdering of a people, enslavement of children, raping of women, massacres, these are not byproducts of war, these are tools of genocide. The "byproduct of war", is the trauma. The byproduct war, is the destruction. The byproduct of war is the loss of life, land, resources, brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters. And for many, many Indigenous peoples the byproduct of war has been survivance. It’s been strength, it’s been coming together, it’s been healing. The byproduct of war has been a culture that refused to die. 

You can go to two museums right now in Humboldt County and see the “byproduct of war.” You’ll see that this “imagery” of Indian people it’s not about what’s “cool.” It’s not about a “Chief Life.” You can see that, and you can draw that, and you can learn – you can read Genocide in Northwestern California or The Tule Rivers Struggle for Sovereignty, or Custer Died for your Sins. You can sit with a Native Elder, or a group of young artists and you can talk, and you can learn. And you can draw and create, and you can still put sunglasses on it. But you still have to answer that one hanging out there, waiting for a response question…

Is the image tied to drug culture? Are you trying to get Native people to tell you it’s okay to use an image of a Native person tied with drug culture? Are you trying to get Native people to say that there is some “image” that they could give you, that you could tie with drug culture that would be “respectful?” Are you trying to get Native people to find some compromise, of semi stereotypical, easy to access, generic images that will somehow be tied to drug culture and then allow you to use that image to tie to drug culture and make money off of that image? 

Let’s say, no. Let’s say “Chief Life” is just like the “Good Life.” It probably is, if you consider responsibility, respect, reciprocity and consciousness to be the “Good Life.” Let’s talk a little about that then, you’re just telling me to live the good life. Chief Life, Aztec Life, whatevs. So then let’s take it another step – 

Sambo Life. (If you don’t know much about Sambo, you should check out here, or here, or watch this.) If you want Sambo can wear sunglasses. Of course he should have big red lips. Super dark black skin. Maybe a backwards cap, some gold/ diamond teeth. How about some watermelon earrings? How about some chicken and waffle earrings? How about he just looks like Kanye West. Although Kanye’s gone all Kardashian so he may not be stereotypical enough for your more discerning audiences who expect to recognize right away what image they are trying to appropriate.

Ooo, Jew life. Let’s put a dude in a Holocaust outfit, complete with tattooed number on his forehead. Some star of David earrings. If you want you put menorah’s as your background. Genocide is a byproduct of war after all. A lot of other cultures go through it. You’re just trying to have fun with your art, so Jewish people should understand. You’re not trying to “bring up bad memories of genocide that did not happen when [you] were alive.” And we all know that the “Jewish Life” is the good life too – like a Chief Life – because Jewish people have money and own Hollywood.

Asian Life. They’re all the same anyway right? We wouldn’t want to get too specific with the whole Japanese life or Chinese Life or any other number of “Asian” cultures. So let’s go generic. Slanted eyes. Big straw hat. Maybe some buck teeth. If you want they can be kung-fu-ing something. The background can just be “ching, chong, chang” written over and over again.  If somebody doesn’t like it you can just change the earrings and make it “Bangkok” life, cause that’s different right?

Mexican Life – sombrero, something to do with gardening, maybe a taco. 

No matter how many compromises you make – these images won’t work. These images – don’t work. 

You have a right to draw whatever you want. You have every right to put it on Facebook and ask for feedback. You have a right to put out 1,000 of them if you want to. You will be making the wrong decision if you do that. Because images, no matter who you are, come with responsibility, and that is the difference in how many Indigenous people see the world. We live in a world of responsibilities, not rights. What are you responsible to? If you choose to use a certain image, you are responsible to understand what repercussions that image has. I know people have shared with you the studies which have found that these types of images have negative effects on Native children. I know people have told you about the history that informs on why they are so “sensitive” to these issues and portrayals. But I want to tell you something very clearly, if you want to put this image out as part of your company, then you should also be very clear about the kind of responsibility you have to it. And you should learn about that responsibility. And should listen. And then maybe, just maybe, you can start to understand. And when you understand, you're going to make a different decision, I just know it. It takes work and time, but it's worth it, because what you will create from this, if you choose to do it in a "good way" will be much more then this generic shirt you've been so intent to defend. 

Am looking forward to the possibility as I too - am an optimist. 

PS – Aztecs are Native Americans. And most every Native nation in the Americas had completely different cultures from each other. But the Aztecs are in the Americas. Much like Mayans, the Oneidas, the Iroquois and the Hupa, Yurok and Karuk. It’s still offensive.

*Spelling issues are directly from what is written on Facebook. I’d blame auto-correct myself, but I haven’t actually talked to the guy to see if auto-correct wasn’t really doing him any justice in this case.
42 Comments
sister from another mister
3/7/2013 05:14:42 pm

Yes. Exactly.

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Marlette
3/7/2013 11:33:36 pm

OMG!!!! Perfect Cutcha...I am never articulate, and I get mad.

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Robert Ulibarri link
3/7/2013 11:43:01 pm

Perfect.

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David Mata
3/8/2013 12:00:19 am

Cutcha, thank you so much!

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Tina
3/8/2013 12:09:32 am

You hit the nail on the head! So many important points articulated. I hope the artest takes it all in and really tries to understand this perspective. I too am an optamistic.

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Cara
3/8/2013 01:10:51 am

This is awesome!

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Jasmin
3/8/2013 01:49:15 am

Thanks so much for your response! I am more like Marlette and I get angry and can't speak. Love the subtle humor in this letter... I was nodding and smiling the whole time I read it! Thanks

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Sierra
3/8/2013 02:23:16 am

Geez I haven't even seen this shirt! We can only hope that he actually reads through this....well put Cutcha.

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Candee
3/8/2013 02:28:53 am

Great job Cutcha!

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Andrew
3/8/2013 02:51:17 am

This is a very well-articulated article against cultural appropriation. Unfortunately, it shouldn't HAVE to be well-articulated. A simple "Don't do it" SHOULD suffice.

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Alicia
3/8/2013 04:08:48 am

Thank you Cutcha!

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Sunshine
3/8/2013 04:10:34 am

Good job Cutcha!

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Cheryl
3/8/2013 04:27:02 am

Thank you for taking the time to give an opinion that resonates with me. While this artist feels separate from the history that has occurred, he needs to consider whether or not he wants to be included in current purposeful disrespectful behavior.

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Wiyaka
3/8/2013 04:27:21 am

WOW! Well said!!!! Your intelligence, constructive criticism and facts are very well articulated! Thank you!

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Allison Murphy
3/8/2013 04:40:51 am

Nice writing Cutcha!! I really enjoyed reading your article.

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natalie
3/8/2013 05:15:35 am

i think he should just make the image of himself and call it quits !

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Jami McCovey
3/8/2013 06:29:15 am

I went to school with an employee who works at Humboldt Republic and I am Yurok and I have Wiyot siblings. It brings tears to my eyes when I hear about the genocides. I live in both Native and non-native culture and I see then mentality of both people, but I truely appreciate your blog on this! Right now, there is a saying in popular cultue called "like a boss" and this is a spin off of that and it will make big bucks in this Capitalist & pot cultured society, I bet. So it is really good that you took the time to address this as well as you did. Thank you.

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Nybe Swordfish
3/8/2013 07:09:55 am

AmAZing response!! Loved it!

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Danielle Carmesin
3/8/2013 07:16:36 am

Cutcha, thank you for taking the time to respond. You are a woman to be reckoned with.

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Barbara Short link
3/8/2013 09:05:02 am

I am so glad you weighed in, because I cant imagine a better response not only to this businessman specifically, but for addressing this topic in general. You educate on so many levels, and provide other counter-examples to illustrate the issue further in case the concept wasn't fully understood by your initial explanation. I am sharing this with my ECE 18 (Teaching in a Diverse Society) class at the CR Hoopa branch---we were just revisiting this topic today. Thank you!

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Kim
3/8/2013 09:14:17 am

Thank you for taking the time to write this. It's so very much appreciated, and well done. Much love to you and yours!

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Jade Tyner
3/8/2013 09:54:53 am

Simply put: Thank-you!

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Michelle Voorhees
3/8/2013 11:35:03 am

Thank you so much for posting this. It's a brilliant response.

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Allen McCloskey-CEO Scotts Valley Pomo Nation
3/8/2013 12:05:05 pm

Marvelous response! Thank you for taking the time to formulate such a well thought out response.

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Karin Glinden link
3/8/2013 12:46:21 pm

Eloquently instructive. Thank you. I'm simply in disbelief about this guy's product, work and thinking process.

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Ana
3/8/2013 01:05:10 pm

He asked for it, and he got it...educated, and not way out.

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Leanne
3/8/2013 01:31:19 pm

Thankyou so much for your eloquence, and your brilliant exposition on stereotypes. Many memorable points and turns of phrases. I will always remember this one especially: "Now, you weren’t there. I know that. This doesn’t mean it isn’t written on the landscape where you live."

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Tallie Thomson
3/8/2013 02:16:45 pm

Nice. Thank you. Even us natives need to be reigned in. It was such a generic image of a Native American that it is easy to dissociate it from myself and my local native culture. And now I feel different about it.

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Nisha Supahan link
3/8/2013 02:17:31 pm

Thank you Cutcha for taking the time to write this! Well said.

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mike lee
3/8/2013 03:53:47 pm

Wow thats a pretty concise argument. Id hate to tangle with you on any debate. So is he saying that stereotyping Native people is OK as long as they are also Mexican?Yeah good luck with that.

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beth
3/8/2013 05:40:44 pm

Thank u for hopefully helping someone to understand, I also am from humbolt county I grew up the reservation hoopa in Humboldt n yes its very drug ridden n yes it is because of the transference of pain n sufferings from one generation to another n them not knowing how to cope correctly. I am against this shirt thing 100%.

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Antoinette
3/8/2013 08:56:24 pm

Well articulated Cutcha.....thank you for speaking out.

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Elmo Fastelk link
3/8/2013 11:27:11 pm

Thank u Cutcha for ur great words.

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Marlene Placido
3/8/2013 11:29:10 pm

Thank you for speaking your truth so clearly.

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David Arwood link
3/9/2013 09:40:14 am

I appreciate your perspective on this issue.

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Misa Joo
3/9/2013 10:43:38 am

Time to write a blog, Cutcha Reisling! If you already do, I'd love to know.

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Cutcha Risling Baldy link
3/9/2013 01:23:23 pm

I heard from the "artist" / owner of the business that he (and here I am quoting him again, which he will probably say is taken out of context) read my article and " I like some of it but other parts you misconstrued my words And took them out of context .. Yet you made them look like quotes from me when you didn't say the exact words that I said In the correct context that I said them.. So that makes it hard for me to take your opinion in consideration... "

Unfortunately he had nothing to say about anything else, about what is happening with the "design" or how he plans to respond to the legitimate concern of many members of our community. Instead he asked me to call him.

First off - I went back and found his words. I will print them now here in their entirety. The only reason why I selected portions of his very long responses was because I, like many other writers before me, wanted to keep the quotes relevant to what I was writing in response to. Also - in my opinion, much of what he wrote proved so problematic that it would be quite an undertaking to actually address all of the offensive, disrespectful, uninformed statements that he was making. I cannot see where he thought these were "taken out of context" or even that I didn't use exact words from him - because I used the exact words (spelling errors and all) for exactly this reason.

I will perhaps one day use these quotes and write an entire book chapter on them, as every single stereotypical, privileged, uninformed, insensitive response that a person could have to these issues - this guy had in two statements. I leave it up to you all to decide. To maintain my sanity I must refrain from joining in a back and forth with this guy right now. I feel if more people were able to view the conversation going on between him and community members in it's entirety then it would be obvious just how frustrating this exchange has been for many community members. At this point there has been no official announcement about the tshirt design. Thank you all for your comments and support. The strength of our continuing to rally, laugh, and come together means much more to me than any trite message being passed around Facebook.

******************************************************************************
I will be putting his postings in their entirety in the next comment cause I've run out of room on this comment -- thanks.

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Cutcha Risling Baldy link
3/9/2013 01:24:51 pm

POSTING #1:

I think it kind of comes down to what happened to Native Americans in the past That makes this so sensitive... The thing is I wasn't here for that and neither was my genetics.. And what happened to the Native Americans was simply a byproduct of war that happens in every culture and region that has war... As far as Native Americans being mascots I wish it wasn't took in as a sensitive level... There's mascot Vikings.. But I don't see the Viking people saying we don't want to Be reminded of our violent pasts... There's mascot buccaneers... There's mascot crusaders... There's mascot cowboys... There's mascot patriots.. A mascot Is a character from our past history... I look at mascots as more of honoring a piece of history... Not insulting the group Or culture its involving.. So sorry if I'm being naïve but I don't see a chief mascot as being disrespectful... This image is not a Mascot it's more just a point I'm trying to prove... This image is not meant to be disrespectful ... Nor is the Viking logo... Nor is the buccaneer logo.... Nor is the cowboy logo... Nor is the patriot logo... These are all characters that are being honored by being associated with whatever team or Art there associated with... And I apologize that you look at me associating Native Americans with Humboldt Republic.. But never wasn't my intent to be Insulting... Anybody could look at any image and try to make it seem negative by saying certain words to make it negative... Same thing that anybody can look at an image and try to make a positive by using certain words to make it sound positive... The question may lay do you look at a glass half full or half empty... I was the one that created this image and I'm letting you know I'm not trying to be stereotypical I'm sorry it's one image I cannot put every single kind of Native American in this design.. You know how big the design would be if I put every Native American from every tribe in it...
Thursday at 5:33pm via mobile

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POSTING #2:

@marlette You ask me if I know Vikings actually I do.. Just because they don't wear helmets with horns on them today Doesn't mean they're not of Viking Culture ... And they still do believe deeply in their past biking culture and study it today ... They have just adapted to modern times ... Also I'm half Italian half Irish... And Vikings invaded Ireland Constantly but when I see you Viking logo I don't take any offense to it... And when St. patties day comes around and everybody's drinking and wearing four leaf clover shirts and saying everybody's Irish on St. patties day... I take no offense to it and I say yes everybody is Irish on St. patties day and I have a joyful night.... I do have a sympathetic feelings of what happened to the native Americans do the genocide... Native Americans are not the only ones that have gone through genocide... Many many cultures go through it... Like I said before sometimes it's a byproduct of war... So when I'm having fun with art I'm not trying to read bring up bad memories of the genocide that did not happen when I was alive.. I wish all cultures could share each other's cultures Without one another pointing the finger in his assuming it's a bad day... I didn't mean to be disrespectful by any means when making this... And I also think it's unfair of you to say that the Aztec people are the same as Native Americans when they are by far completely too different cultures... I think this is just a really sensitive topic for you... I know other Native Americans that I can enjoy the art piece that I did ... And I understand that not one person can speak for the next and not everybody will enjoy every single piece of art that I do... The past will always be the past and I say never forget the past but always look for brighter future... I think optimistically...

Thursday at 6:50pm via mobile’

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Cutcha Risling Baldy link
3/9/2013 01:41:54 pm

Here is my post that I left on his Facebook page-

I think you are missing a key opportunity to seize this moment and actually gain a whole group of customers, potentially loyal customers, who are waiting for you to show that your small business is one of integrity and respect. What happens now is really up to you. I think you should stop and realize that with the attention you are getting in this moment you can either became a business that people can stand behind, or one that believes the best way in which to build your brand is to take down others who you have decided are “hypocrites” or even others who you think are being “just one opinionated group of people.” You may not lose your “people who actually come into your store and actually support you and your cause” but you won’t gain many new potential supporters and with this design you will become known as a business that supports appropriation and stereotypes and the continued degradation of Native American culture. Your images will be used to show problematic portrayals of Indigenous people. They will be used as a punch line. They will be used to show the continued disrespect of Indigenous nations. They will speak for you. People will not be able to hear your words “I didn’t mean to be offensive” because your image and its message is offensive and the image and message will speak for you. You can write it on your Facebook, you can stick on your website, you can do all of those things but you must also understand that the image speaks louder than you ever will. And when it is out there this is what Humboldt Republic will become. Not a community, but a division. And you might want to stand in your righteousness and bathe in the words of those who scream “but I’m not offended” but then you’ll just be another one of those who appropriated a Native image because you felt like you had the right to do that, because you couldn’t possibly print another image, or come up with a better design, or apologize for doing it in the first place and move on to the next project.

Maybe you’ll sell a whole bunch of t-shirts, maybe, but that doesn’t make it right. Maybe you’ll get some free advertising, but that doesn’t make it right. Maybe you’ll have a few people pat you on the back and tell you “way to stand up to those bad apples” but that doesn’t make it right. And whatever “moral” side of you is still fighting with the other side of you, that moral side of you asked for “honest feedback” and that moral side of you seems to be waiting for a group consensus to tell you that there is some way in which you can respectfully use this image and this message. That’s not going to happen. Because whether or not you get permission or support from one group of people, or even a majority of people, this problematic image and the message with the image remains, while not the end of the world – totally unnecessarily degrading. It’s degrading to Native people. It’s degrading to your work, it’s degrading to our community (Native and non-Native) and it’s degrading to your brand.

I am thankful knowing two things (1) that this “one opinionated group of people” will continue to speak out even when confronted with insults, derision, and disregard and (2) that no matter what image you choose to put out, even if it remains as problematic and frankly, insulting as this one has become, I will still teach my cousins, my daughter, my nephew, and all the young people who I know to hold their head high and realize that no matter how much you try to claim a “Chief life”, no matter how many images you continue to appropriate because you think it’s cool, no matter how many people write back and say “I’ll buy one” - that for the young people in my life their culture, their people, their way of life, their home, it will remain – untouchable by some passing tshirt design and unrelenting in the pursuit of a more balanced community and society that values respect, even in something as small, and seemingly insignificant as a tshirt design.

I really hope you don’t use it. I hope you take it down. I hope you invite some of these Native people to come and meet with you, not to get permission for your design, not even to do another design, but to just talk a while. I really hope you remind your customers and your friends that while yes, it is a free country… you want it to be a better country and a better community. Shouldn’t this be what Humboldt Republic is about and what it will continue to be about?

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Hillary link
3/10/2013 01:10:44 pm

Thank you, this is brilliantly said.

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Thomas Lamar Farnum
4/7/2013 04:42:12 am

Thank-you Cutcha for not only entertaining us with your writing, but more importantly for your truth-telling. It gives me hope that the future generations will know and understand that images, as well as words, matter. Since I am one of the last hold-outs to joining Facebook, I do not know how this controversy is going presently. Hopefully the artist has moved on to something more positive.

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Roxane
8/17/2013 02:29:23 am

You are my Hero!

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    Cutcha Risling Baldy is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Native American Studies at Humboldt State University. She received her PhD in Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis.  She is also a writer, mother, volunteer Executive Director for the Native Women's Collective and is currently re-watching My Name is Earl...


    (5) Top Posts

    On telling Native people to just "get over it" or why I teach about the Walking Dead in my Native Studies classes... *Spoiler Alert!*
    Hokay -- In which I lead a presentation on what happens when you Google "Native American Women" and critically analyze the images or "Hupas be like dang where'd you get that dentalium cape girl? Showing off all your money! PS: Suck it Victorias Secret"
    In which we establish that there was a genocide against Native Americans, yes there was, it was genocide, yes or this is why I teach Native Studies part 3 million
    5 Reasons I Wear "Indian" Jewelry or Hupas...we been bling-blingin' since Year 1
    Pope Francis decides to make Father Junipero Serra a saint or In Which I Tell Pope Francis he needs to take a Native Studies class like stat

    I need to read more Native blogs!

    A few that I read...
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