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Chief Wahoo and My PC Confrontation*My brother was a huge Cleveland Indians fan and his beloved Indians cap is now mine; I'm not an Indians fan but for sentimental reasons, I wear it all the time (including today).
It took me a couple seconds to realize that she was not down with Chief Wahoo but this didn't occur until after I stopped laughing at her saying "peoples." My delayed reaction wasn't noticed, however, as Protest went off the deep end, bashing me from this angle and that for my insensitivity to the Native American plight. Eventually, she ran out of things to complain about and asked if I had a response... She said it in that tone your mum uses when she calls you out on being bad and asks if you "have anything to say for yourself." In those situations, my head usually drops in shame and I pout. But not today. "Thank you for your opinions ma'am but I AM an indian and if I want to offend myself with a baseball cap, that's my business." Protest's mouth fell open but all that came out were "I can't believe you"-type scoffing noises. I call them the sounds of inarticulate indignance, but soon enough, she got some words out and the topic shifted. "I'm sorry young lady but to be an Indian, you have to meet specific blood numbers set by the government! With your white hair, I doubt you meet those!" "You mean the government-imposed blood quantum that determines how white I am and whether or not I can belong to this ethnic group?" "Uh.. well I wouldn't put it that way." "But that's what it is." "So what? You don't meet them!" "My father's an Apache and my mother is English-German. To be a member of the Apache nation, you need 1/8 blood, so since I'm 1/2, it looks like I'm covered..... Got any more brainbusters?" "Oh..." She looked defeated, I was pleased. But it wasn't over. "Well... do you speak your native tongue?" "Yes." "What would your ancestors say to you?" Was she asking me to lecture myself out loud about the hat? I didn't respond to her but I don't think my ancestors would have anything to say. They missed the John Wayne era where Indians were portrayed as savages and drunk injun sidekicks, so I doubt Chief Wahoo would resonate with them... my grandfather, on the other hand, would definitely object. "Your peoples (again with peoples) are proud warriors and can't be pleased with your hat and the fact that you're destroying your own culture instead of bettering your life and leaving the reservation for education!" At that point, I left the scene. We weren't going to accomplish anything. This exchange pissed me off because we could have had a good conversation about these issues, ya know? Chief Wahoo is a fiery red, hook-nosed, wildly grinning caricature that is about as politically correct as a depiction of two black children in overalls with big eyes and big lips eating watermelon. And given the brutality and systematic dehumanization that has befallen American Indians, why is Wahoo so goddamn smiley? Maybe he's just amused that team mascots are the only mainstream images of Indians that the majority of Americans see... maybe he's a bumbling, drunk fool. Whatever it is, nothing can be done about it since we don't have a Jesse Jackson-type squawking and boycotting each time someone's feathers get ruffled. But alas. Rather than make an attempt at calm, rational, intelligent discussion, that stupid cunt got in my face, lit into me like an pissed off hen, and then questioned how Indian I actually am (or maybe how Indian I'm not). And now Protest is probably off at a poetry slam or some coffee house telling her group about the misguided, lost cause she met today and they're getting up in arms about it. Ugh.  Posted at April 25, 2006 10:02 PM Permalink • Filed under: Personal |
So it happens that while I was going about things earlier today, some random woman (hereby known as "Protest" since she looked like she missed the bus to next one) got in my face and said, "How dare you! The Native American peoples suffer from oppression, poverty, and alcoholism and you mock them!!"
Comments (19): Chief Wahoo and My PC Confrontation
hedge
April 25, 2006 10:21 PM
what a bitch... an idiot like her probably feels good about what she did today.
Nixon
April 25, 2006 11:00 PM
Something tells me that this bitch knows the asshole that fucked up your family's Seder!
Andrew Taylor
April 26, 2006 7:35 AM
The worst of that is, the lady probably butts into peoples lives and does this ALL the time!
A.J.
April 26, 2006 8:50 AM
Chief Wahoo has always seemed like an offensive, racist symbol to me. Take away the feather and change the color of his skin from red to brown and Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be in Cleveland boycotting faster than we could imagine. And they wouldn't lay off until the organization crumbled or got rid of the symbol.
Patrick Houlihan
April 26, 2006 10:15 AM
What? The Flash I know and love would have warned the lady to fuck off and then physically assaulted her in an INcredible Hulk moment when 30 seconds had passed and the lady was still on the same city block. What was up with the restraint? Were you tired? Are you sick? :)
Paul Katcher
April 26, 2006 10:17 AM
Maybe she's the reason Native Americans are prone to drink.
As a satanic, I'm deeply offended by the Duke Blue Devils' logo.
Matt Geiger
April 26, 2006 1:02 PM
This is good progress patrick, we have to praise this behavior :)
Patton Maxwell
April 26, 2006 1:11 PM
I have to admit, I kept waiting for the part where you said, "and then I kicked her in the face!!!" Channeling rage and not maiming people is less hot but it'll probably keep you out of jail :-)
Unholy Moses
April 26, 2006 2:19 PM
As a Kansas City Chiefs fan, I would like to state for the record that the team name came from H. Roe Bartle, a Native American Indian chief. Granted, it was honorary, but he was considered a full-fledged member by the Arapaho nation ...
Just thought I'd throw that out there. :-)
Alonso Warner
April 26, 2006 4:42 PM
I don't know an Indian that isn't at least somewhat bothered by the Redskins and Chief Wahoo, but excluding the abnormally sensitive (and psychos like that crazy bitch who confronted my cousin), I don't think most take offense to the majority of mascot names out there. My only problem with the KC Chiefs is that I'm a Raiders fan and you fuckers make me sick :)
busterbros
April 26, 2006 5:44 PM
Is this more or less offensive?
Swami Wahoodi
Unholy Moses
April 26, 2006 5:48 PM
Alonso--
I'm a Chiefs fan and the Chiefs make me sick, so ...
Of course, since I don't have cable anymore, I'm going to miss my opportunity to scream at the TV this weekend when they draft some unknown asshat strong safety they think they can convert to #1 wide receiver.
Sorry for the thread hijack, BTW.
Silver
April 26, 2006 7:34 PM
Isn't Bill Kuharich leading your draft prep this year, Moses? If that's the case, I'd be sick too!
Linc Klieman
April 26, 2006 10:01 PM
That's not the same Kuharich that orchestrated the Ricky Williams draft for the 'Aints, is it?
Mickey Winans
April 26, 2006 11:17 PM
Yeah, it's the same guy. He hasn't been in charge of the draft since he screwed up with Williams and if I'm Herm Edwards, I don't want that guy getting his second shot to get things right at the beginning of my first year in a new town.
Unholy Moses
April 27, 2006 11:40 AM
Actually, no matter who is allegedly in charge of the draft, only one guy really has the control:
Carl Peterson.
Herm and Co. may ask for this player or that, but King Carl has the final say. Which is probably why KC hasn't won a playoff game since '93 ...
NFL Adam
April 27, 2006 11:59 AM
Take Chief Wahoo, give him pasty white skin, a red beard, green hat and a shamrock and you have the Notre Dame logo.
Us Irish have it pretty bad, too. We are known for drinking, fighting, and cutting soap.
Patrick Houlihan
April 27, 2006 2:43 PM
Sure but how many Irish does the ND logo actually offend? My grandparents stepped off the boat from Ireland in the 60s and they, like many, embrace it as a symbol of the Irish spirit. There's nothing good or positive to be taken from Chief Wahoo. He may as well have a balloon over his head that says "How! Me smokem peace pipe."
Creighton Mullins
April 28, 2006 2:47 PM
The Irish are surely burning up about the ND logo, which must be why they're sending their president to deliver the commencement address. http://newsinfo.nd.edu/content.cfm?topicId=15702