Stereotypes and Misconceptions
Challenge your thinking and listen critically to "Apache" by the Sugarhill Gang. As great as I think this song is and you may think so too, it actually has stereotypes and words that are offensive to American Indians. Can you identify the stereotypes and offensive words?
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Before you watch these two videos to the right, ask yourself what do you think you know about American Indians.
After you watch, do you still think you know who American Indians are?
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Are you wondering:
- What do American Indians look like?
- Do they go to school like I do?
- What do they like to do for fun?
- What do some of their cultural gatherings/ceremonies/cultural expressions/competitions look like?
I know that I still have questions about Native Americans, and you may too. Here are a few answers provided by the National Museum of the American Indian for questions that I was curious about.
"What is the correct terminology: American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native?"
"All of these terms are acceptable. The consensus, however, is that whenever possible, Native people prefer to be called by their specific tribal name. In the United States, Native American has been widely used but is falling out of favor with some groups, and the terms American Indian or indigenous American are preferred by many Native people."
"Do All Indians Live in Tipis?"
"No, most American Indians live in contemporary homes, apartments, condos, and co-ops just like every other citizen in the twenty-first century. Tipis are the traditional home of Plains Indians, but in other regions of the Western Hemisphere Native people lived in many kind of dwelling such as hogans, wigwams, longhouses, or igloos."
"Do Indians have to pay taxes?"
"Yes, Indians have to pay federal income taxes, the same as other American families. The confusion may lie in the different status of Indian tribes, which are governments and, as such, not taxable by states or the federal government. In addition, U.S. taxes are not levied on federal payments used to compensate individual Indians for the taking of private land, such as treaty land, or the income from trust land, which is held by the United States. With regard to state taxes, Indians do not pay taxes on income earned on reservations or state sales taxes for goods purchased on reservations, but Indians who live and work off reservations do pay those taxes. And because tribes are governments, they have the right to tax people—tribal members and non-members—living on their reservations."
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"What is the correct terminology: American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native?"
"All of these terms are acceptable. The consensus, however, is that whenever possible, Native people prefer to be called by their specific tribal name. In the United States, Native American has been widely used but is falling out of favor with some groups, and the terms American Indian or indigenous American are preferred by many Native people."
"Do All Indians Live in Tipis?"
"No, most American Indians live in contemporary homes, apartments, condos, and co-ops just like every other citizen in the twenty-first century. Tipis are the traditional home of Plains Indians, but in other regions of the Western Hemisphere Native people lived in many kind of dwelling such as hogans, wigwams, longhouses, or igloos."
"Do Indians have to pay taxes?"
"Yes, Indians have to pay federal income taxes, the same as other American families. The confusion may lie in the different status of Indian tribes, which are governments and, as such, not taxable by states or the federal government. In addition, U.S. taxes are not levied on federal payments used to compensate individual Indians for the taking of private land, such as treaty land, or the income from trust land, which is held by the United States. With regard to state taxes, Indians do not pay taxes on income earned on reservations or state sales taxes for goods purchased on reservations, but Indians who live and work off reservations do pay those taxes. And because tribes are governments, they have the right to tax people—tribal members and non-members—living on their reservations."
Read More...
Ignorance has always been the weapon of tyrants; enlightenment the salvation of the free. ~Bill Richardson
Books to Explore
These two books are great resources which will answer common questions about American Indians and will challenge and correct misconceptions.