liberation

youarenotyou:

madamethursday:

isitscary:

I’m sorry, but why would you gain the trust of inner city children, give them an opportunity to go on something as scenic, adventurous, and different (for those who have never gone, at least) as hiking, and then completely betray them by writing down what they say and posting it on a blog named GHETTOHIKES?

You’re not entertaining people, you’re exposing and making a spectacle out of children that probably look up to you not only as a mentor, but also as an upstanding parental figure.

Seriously, this is fucking disgusting. 

Extremely appalling and a horrible breech of trust. Not to mention so fucking supremacist in so many fucking ways. I love how only hippie white folks have valid observations about nature and their floaty, hippie quotes are totally valid. 

But the kids should just be glad that someone is bothering to notice them. Ten says that this is a Great White Savior type who is getting credits on a resume for this shit.

UUUGGGHHH DKFMSDKFGNDSFGSDFKD

fuck the creator of that blog.

(via youarenotyou-deactivated2012022)

ayiman:

This ask brings up a valid point (however, it’s CULTURES, only some of whom wore the okimawostotin, please and thanks)

Who is this fuckyeahramalama person tho?

Who told them they could have an opinion?

Anyways, here’s yet another apologist that I’m gonna break down.

fuckyeahramalama:

Going on your first point: if a Native American wore it and they hadn’t earned it, would it still be racist?

You are missing the point.  A Native person donning the headdress inappropriately is still committing a transgression.  Further, being of indigeneity is no excuse; the headdress as you know and understand it is a symbol of just a few cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of North America.

It is still disrespectful.  It still plays to incorrect stereotypes about us and our race.  No Native person in touch with their heritage would wear one in the manner you’re defending, because to do so is to align oneself with forces which erase the meaning the headdress holds, supplying new ones which would suit people like you.  

The issue seems more about what the headdress represents than the actual race of the wearer.

The issue is the undermining of cultures in the process of reclamation and de-colonization after resisting hundreds of years of genocide and racial oppression in the form of restrictive laws and public sentiment.  Inappropriate depictions of the headdress plays to those very same oppressive forces.  It denies the original meaning and denies us our right to reclaim those meanings by insisting that, despite being the creators, we’re the ones who are in fact wrong about the headdress and it’s use.  People will claim that it’s just a costume, or a prop or a pretty feathered hat, and in so-doing attach new definitions to something that are in line with narratives that do not include us.  (ie; AMERICA IS A WHITE COUNTRY.  AMERICA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION, BY GRACE OF GOD, etc etc).

While I agree the bastardization of cultures is an issue, in a melting pot like America you can’t expect everyone to be fully aware of what they’re doing.

There is no such thing as a melting pot.  The idea of a melting pot is bullshit and in complete denial of the reality of race relations in our world today; that disparate cultures can come together and influence existing cultures as they are in turn influenced.  This is a convenient lie that tolerant liberals tell themselves.  Tell me, how much of a French or Dutch influence you see in the US beyond some place names?  The dominant culture in the US is still very much white and Anglo-Saxon and English despite the presence of an enormous Spanish speaking population and a collective history that includes many other disparate influences.  In reality, all marginalized cultures are sideswiped by the dominant cultural paradigm, leaving room for the dominant group to consume aspects of marginalized cultures it assigns value to, while discarding or ignoring the rest.

Ignorance is another big issue, but the defining trait of racism is the intent upon oppressing so called “inferior races”.

Racism is a system.  It is a legal framework, cultural mores and a narrowly defined perception of history that upholds the supremacy of one group at the expense of all others.  In the case of the USA, and in virtually every other country where the colonial flag has flown, this has meant the cultural dominance of a white-capitalist-patriarchy at the expense of everyone else.  Ignorance is a tool to reinforce this system of oppression, and it provides easy excuses for failing to recognize or take action against it.

In the white-capitalist-patriarchy, all people of colour, as well as groups marginalized on the basis of sexuality, gender and religion, are categorically inferior.  There is no need for scare quotes, this is a reality.

I don’t know the reason the picture was taken, but probably because it looked pretty, not to further the struggle for the equality of minorities.

Intent is irrelevant.  The impact is something quite different.  It further disseminates an incorrect and highly distorted image of Native people that plays to stereotypes of historical savagery and primitiveness while highlighting their obviously wanton sexuality in contrast with white cultural (stemming from Judeo-Christian) norms.  That it does all of this while simultaneously celebrating white beauty is demonstrably harmful in that it contributes to a collective denial of the population-at-large to recognize us as modern people with a place in modern society, and to accord us the respect we deserve as members of this society.

That it does this is what makes the act of cultural appropriation inherently racist.

And that is what I “open my mouth” to, intentional suppression, not a harmless picture. I’m posting my opinion on it same as anyone else, yet I am not the one slinging negativity like it’s going out of style.

Your feelings are irrelevant.  Centering your feelings in a discussion on racism, culture and cultural theft is self-centered, myopic and says to everyone that what we believe is irrelevant in the face of your hurt feelings.  This is a common tactic among white-supremacists, as it smugly implies that the feelings of a white person should be of paramount importance.

Unlike you, we rarely have the luxury of refusing to engage with things that upset us, as things that upset us confront us every day.  We can’t just happily ignore things and chalk it up to a bunch of big meanies, but how nice for you.

What does that do but discredit the perpetrator of such nonsense, and in turn take credibility from what they are standing out against? It gets us nowhere.

You appear to be saying our rudeness undermines our position, but who is this us you’re speaking of?  Would you deny my differences?  My differences are very important to me so I have no idea what you’re trying to imply.  

Frankly, if I had a dime for every time someone in your position declared that rudeness wouldn’t get anyone anywhere, I’d probably be able to buy a car, just so I could drive to your house so I could place a burning bag of dog shit in front of your door.  How’s that for rude?

You know what never got people of colour anything?  Asking politely for them from white folks.  If you think MLK asked politely for equal rights, you’re joking.  POC have had to blindly claw for everything, and they still have to claw for the rest.

The picture had no intention of offending anyone, and in my opinion is not racist.

Appropriation is inherently racist because it denies agency to the culture of the originators and confers it onto outsiders, in this case, the white-capitalist-patriarchy.  Your opinion as an ayahciniw is irrelevant, as this affects you in absolutely no way, save for your ability to use us as a stupid costume or as an object of fixation for white culture vultures.

Not everyone agrees. Do I leave asinine responses and anonymous hate mail?

I don’t know, this response of yours I’m currently destroying is pretty fucking asinine.

No, I don’t. Who wants equality for differening races but not for differing opinions is a hypocritical fool, and I refuse to engage them.

And I refuse to engage people who maintain opinions which directly contribute to the harm and oppression of other people, especially my people.  This includes you and the opinion you’ve advanced here. 

But thank you for being polite.

“Thank you for not hurting my feelings about an issue that is bigger than me or my feelings because that’s the most important thing.”

(Source: cerebral--assassino)

velocicrafter:

ayiman:

nakkyy:

hopefullyitsbeautiful:

“The legend of the dream catcher is believed to have originated with the American Red Indians. The dream catcher allows good dreams to flow through the spirit hole in the centre of the web. Bad dreams are trapped in the web and then disappear with the morning sun.”

“The American Red Indians”

-_-

“The legend of the lager can is believed to have originated from the British White English Honkey Crackers.  The contents of the lager can can be used to chase away bad spirits.  In the morning, if the ritual was conducted properly the previous night, The British White English will evacuate all they have drunk, thus cleansing their body of the bad spirits they have accumulated in the days prior to Friday night.” 

fixed it.

(Source: mycrookedworld)

numol:

karnythia:

so-treu:

and by “learned” i mean reminded. and by “the past 24 hours” i mean my life (but especially the past 24 hours):

• they really believe they should be able to say whatever they want to whomever they want however they want and not hear shit about it
• they can only hear other white people (i.e. chorus of POC to white person: “you’re wrong.” white person: “no i’m not!” single solitary white person to first white person: “you’re wrong.” first white person: “OMG I SEE THE LIGHT NOW THANK YOU UGH IF SOMEONE ELSE HAD JUST PUT IT LIKE THAT I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT A LOT SOONER”)
• they really think the world revolves around them and their feelings
• and by extension, they can only feel when they are directly implicated in what’s going on. no ability to empathize without placing themselves in the center of whatever’s going wrong
• and then they have honestly no idea why folks are telling them their shit stinks. which i guess would be pretty confusing, considering how the world has told them since day one that their anus is lined with gold and only shits rose petals.

Anyone want to bet on how long it takes for “You’re being so mean to white people” to appear in this thread? My money is on 10 minutes, but I could be too optimistic.

#if you feel offended then you’re who i’m talking about

inb4 NO IT IS YOU WHO ARE RACISM argument.