The offending moonbat berating little children
Posted on 11/27/2008 4:16:10 AM PST by Bulldawg Fan
Wampanoag Indians in a History Channel scene, filmed at Plimoth Plantation (AP Photo) (CNSNews.com) – A nine-year-old girl was recently asked to remove her “Indian” costume before entering the Wampanoag Homesite of the Plimoth Plantation, a historical site that allows visitors to experience Plymouth, Mass., as it was in the 17th century.
The outdoor museum features a 1627 English village beside a Wampanoag home site. The purpose of the museum is to educate visitors (school-children and adults) about what happened between the Native Americans and the colonists, especially during the first Thanksgiving.
The nine-year-old was one of thousands who flock to the colonial museum during the Thanksgiving season. She dressed as an Indian and her friend dressed as a pilgrim to celebrate the occasion.
Linda Coombs, associate director of the Wampanoag Indigenous Program, asked the girl to remove her homemade beaded costume before visiting the site, reducing the child to tears and upsetting her mother, the Boston Globe reported on Nov. 24.
“Native people find it offensive when they see a non-native person dressed up and playing Indian. It’s perceived as us being made fun of,” Coombs told CNSNews.com.
Coombs said she understands it was not the girl’s intention to be offensive – that she was only trying to “honor the Indians.”
“I could see that she’d put a lot of effort into making this dress and that it meant something to her … I could see by taking this dress off, I was dashing this whole thing that was going on in her mind,” Coombs said.
So she gave her a necklace from the gift shop in exchange.
“I wanted to acknowledge that she was giving up something that meant something to her and that I could appreciate everything she was feeling,” said Coombs. “Typically, in our culture, you give something away to show you appreciate what someone else has given up. And I wanted to mark that moment with her.”
Coombs said good intentions do not matter because she and the other Native staff members perceive the costumes as mockery before the wearer has a chance to explain his or her intent.
“Costumes are offensive because of what has happened in history – the Hollywood pseudo Indians, the Italian actors playing Indians, the crappy dress they put them in, the Halloween costumes. When other people dress up as Native people it’s offensive, period,” Coombs said.
She compared people wearing Native American costumes to white entertainers who put on blackface in old minstrel shows.
Visitors to the Wampanoag home site are asked not only to refrain from dressing up like “Indians” – they are asked not to use words like “how” or “chief” or “squaw.”
Cultural sensitivity requests are posted on signs in front of the museum and on their Web site, plimoth.org.
The Web site also advises visitors not to refer to the Wampanoag people as either Indians or Native Americans. “The term Native American suggests that Native People were always American but this country was populated by Native People long before it was called America,” the site states.
Instead, they prefer to be called Native People or Indigenous People.
Guests are asked not to engage in stereotypical “Indian” behavior, such as war-whooping and dancing around the fire.
The museum also requests that people not ask questions like, “Are you a real Indian?” Not just because of the word “Indian,” but because of the world “real.”
“The tour guides here are real people, Native people. Our nationalities are not fodder for joke material, because then you get into the aspect of racism and historical erasure,” Coombs said.
Most people have no idea that what they say or wear might be hurtful, insulting or offensive, she said.
“That’s why we’re trying to educate people about our culture and to correct stereotypes and wrong information,” she said. “We’re here to make a bridge between people, not to just send them packing.”
Viewer Comments
I bet they dont mind collecting American money for an entrance charge. My suggestion is either to offer them "Native Peoples" currency or if they won't take that, just stay home.
The offending moonbat berating little children
I can understand the “Chief”, “Squaw” and “How” being rude...but sometimes you just have to get over it. I doubt any of the “Real” Indians there live in Tepees or eat stewed dog....
PUKE!!!!
Sounds like it’s time to take ones wampum elsewhere. Plimoth Plantation is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, not a jackbooted fascist PC camp.
Complete and utter BS. I've done a lot of work out on the REAL reservations in Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, and South Dakota, and up in Alaska Native villages, and guess what? Indians call themselves Indians and have no problem with that term. The only ones who do are the pompous self-appointed "leaders" who peddle this politically correct non-sense to promote their own self-serving agendas.
They sure as hell don’t. The Wampanoags are more interested these days in getting their casino built.
1. The kid *is* a native American, she was born here, you savage.
2. We native Americans find it offensive when you Indians dress like Europeans, so strip, Squeals Like a Pig.
3. On second thought, cancel #2, you fat loser.
This ugly cow is offensive just standing there with it's mouth shut.
Based on that picture, she’s ugly on the outside as well as inside. Hassling 9-year-olds and expecting donations. I wonder how much “Great White Father” money was used to build this little paradise she is in charge of.
“Native people find it offensive when they see a non-native person dressed up and playing Indian. It’s perceived as us being made fun of,”
So she gave her a necklace from the gift shop in exchange.
You don't want white people dressing like Indians, yet you have a gift shop selling Indian apparel?
Hypocrite!
Bring some beads or a little pipe tobacco as an entrance fee. If they don't accept it, accuse the pseudo-indians of racism.
I'm offended that this Indian is wearing my native US american dress. She should take it off.
On second thought ...
The rack on that squaw’s seen many moons...
You're busted kid!
LOL!
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