Many Americans now know that it is insensitive to celebrate the Pilgrims, and the Conquistadores, and the other European invaders, who came to the U.S. and wrought so much havoc amongst the Native Americans, here in the U.S. and in Latin America. Over 75 million Native Americans died as a result of the Euro invasion.
In November, a fraternity at UCI thought it was a great idea to hold a “Pilgrims and Indians” party. As you might imagine, many others disagreed with that notion.
Many Santa Ana residents attend UCI, and our co-blogger, Sean Mill, graduated from that school, ergo my interest in this issue.
Here is M.E.Ch.A. de UC Irvine’s response to this scandal (it should be noted here that Assemblyman Jose Solorio was a member of this organization, when he was a student at UCI):
M.E.Ch.A. de UC Irvine condemns parties that bastardize the cultures of underrepresented students on our campus, such as the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity’s “Pilgrims and Indian” party, which occurred on November 23, 2010. While we recognize the fraternity’s right to free speech, it is not acceptable to do so at the expense of the culture and history of marginalized students. These parties promote cultural insensitivity and lack an understanding of the struggles and oppression connected to holidays such as Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving was created to appease the American population at the end of the Civil War and it is also representation of the genocide of indigenous people in the United States. No student should be exposed to this kind of representation of their identity and culture, as it fosters a hostile environment on a supposedly safe campus.
M.E.Ch.A de UCI demands a response from Student Affairs and will not accept a “slap on the wrist.” The students responsible for these parties need to be held accountable and should attend a cultural sensitivity training, such as a Reaffirming Ethnic Awareness and Community Harmony (R.E.A.C.H.) workshop in order to challenge their positions of privilege and educate them on the cultures they mock.
M.E.Ch.A stands in solidarity with the American Indian Student Association (AISA) and the Native community in demanding a change in the UCI discrimination policy for these types of events, an increase of Native faculty and an increase in Native American courses. These demands should not be unreasonable nor impossible to achieve on a campus that is supposedly dedicated to the diversity and well being of its students. These demands will not only improve campus climate but also spread awareness to student of color issues and increase the retention of those students.
This is a important matter that cannot be taken lightly or overlooked. We hope you take this situation seriously and take steps to change policy in regards to these parties.
In Solidarity,
M.E.Ch.A de UC Irvine
And here is the response from the American Indian Student Association of UCI:
The American Indian Student Association at UCI is asking for your support and solidarity with us in regards to an event that occurred on November 23, 2010. In light of Thanksgiving, the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at UCI decided to throw a “Pilgrims and Indians” party.
As soon as AISA was made aware of this event, it was reported it to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity and an official complaint was filed through the school. While the right steps were taken to ensure that our voices were heard; they were seemingly NOT heard. Although the school administration, faculty, and the fraternity involved were notified about the grievance filed and the situation; the party still went on. Advertisement for the event were still distributed throughout the UCI community through the attached fliers, Ring Road tabling and throughout the internet via a Facebook event. To make matters worse, university shuttles served as transportation for students JUST FOR THIS EVENT!
AISA members have went out of their way to voice their opinion on the issue. Dedicated their time educating and explaining why this event was exceedingly disrespectful to the Native community. Yet AISA members were subjected to seeing students of all stature prancing around adorned in rainbow colored headdresses, skimpy “loin clothes” and warpaint. Making a mockery of our culture and a direct attack on our communities experiences for the sake of entertainment.
As university students and as Native community members, it is not acceptable for us to have to endure these repeated cases of hostility towards us as people of color and Indigenous peoples especially in an educational institution like UC Irvine that advocates its dedication to diversity. This events and others that make a mockery of peoples experiences and identity are not to be tolerated. They create a hostile campus climate for people of color that are not safe and welcoming. That is why we are taking a stand and making sure that our voices are heard at the University of California, Irvine. We will not back down, and though we only have a .01% representation on the UCI campus; our voices are loud. Numerous other cultural and campus organizations stand in solidarity with us. This is not an isolated incident to Natives or other cultural groups, and we demand that this outright racism and disregard for who we are as Indigenous peoples and disrespect of our culture stops immediately.
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Admin, the more you write, the more apparent your racist views are. It's unfortunate for Native Americans they didn't have the technology, might, and immunity to small pox to defend their culture and way of life. Spain and England quite easily conquered The New World. That's just a product of the time people lived in. Had Native Americans been more advanced and wanted to expand into Spain and England, they probably would have. Back then Native Americans seemed to be just as violent and territorial as any other group of people. Warfare between Native American tribes was quite common. Like I said, it's unfortunate what happened. However, just as a child might be born our of rape, you can't hold it against the child. You seem to blame Hispanics and Anglos for anything ailing brown people yet not do anything to make their lives better.
I don't see brown people leaving America anytime soon (except the ones here illegally). I also don't see any other group of people leaving America anytime soon (except the ones here illegally). It's unfortunate there are people with narrow minded and hateful views like yourself that try to spread hatred to others.
Mochi,
That was the best response!
You are right, it was a time of conquering new worlds and yes if the American Indian's been more advanced it would have been them doing the conquering!
Very well said!
Michelle,
Usually cultures that become militaristic come from a farming environment. They are able to field armies because they produce more food. Europe had large land animals and wheat. The largest domestic animals in Latin America, and North America, were dogs and turkeys. And there was no wheat. Thus these cultures never developed the sort of large, invading forces that we saw come out of Asia and Europe. Nor did they get to the point of smelting iron. Their weapons were formidable, but obsidian blades don't match up well against armored knights with guns and cannons.
The Natives of Latin America were very advanced. Sadly the Euros destroyed much of their civilization. The same thing happened in North America. Very sad. The Euros have a lot of blood on their hands.
BTW, the U.S. is still misbehaving on an international stage. We have no business being in the Middle East. Nor should we have bases in Europe or Asia. Obama has failed to call our troops home and in fact he has exacerbated our armed conflicts.
"The Natives of Latin America were very advanced. Sadly the Euros destroyed much of their civilization. The same thing happened in North America. Very sad. The Euros have a lot of blood on their hands."
MQ says:
And latin America does not?
for God sake they take the lives of each other like life has not value! Children beg and are abandoned on the streets and as far a the native Americans goes their brutality towards different tribes is unbelievable!
The world runs red with the blood of many a man, woman and child. Europe has seen its share of blood shed and so has North and south America!
And I agree with you, America should not interfere with cave men in gap. let them fight, die and hopefully create a country such as this one! I just pray for the women of the middle east... I can only hope their hell is not going to get a lot worse, if that is at all possible!
Admin, I agree with your statement that Native Americans had advanced societies and technology. Time and space are important though when comparing their technology to European technology. I personally don't think one culture is better than the other. However, at time of contact, Native Americans (who really aren't native considering they came from Siberia) and Europeans (not counting the ones already there) were not on par as far as military technology goes. Clearly Europeans had more technologically advanced weapons.
This is similar to why Stephen Hawking worries about aliens. If they can make it to earth to look for resources, they probably have much more advanced weapons than what humans will have. Aliens could make treaties with no intention of honoring them. They might even have the nerve of calling the humans "earthling givers" when they renege.
They also might introduce diseases with no known cure. For the survivors, they could end up living in a society vastly different than what they were used to. The aliens might debate amongst themselves as to why earthlings can't assimilate. Maybe it's genetic? Maybe it's cultural? Maybe it's both? Maybe the aliens will realize what they did was wrong? Then what? Do the earthlings make peace and live happily ever after? Or do they hold a grudge for something they could have just as easily done to another planet given a few more centuries.
Let's hope it would never get to that. Let's hope any alien visitors will truly come in peace.
Michelle, notice how Admin says Euros have blood on their hands? It's a statement made in present tense. He holds innocent white (Hispanic and Anglo-Saxon) people accountable for crimes they did not commit.
Most people agree, that if a child's father commits a crime, you don't send the child to jail. This is not the case according to Admin. He wants innocent people to pay for what he thinks is an injustice.
Admin seems to have a history of going out of his way to be offended so that it justifies his anger towards Hispanics and Anglo-Saxons. It's bizarre because the Native people I know, couldn't care less. They are just nice family people. I am lucky I am not friends with hateful angry people that perscribe to the hateful views like Admin's. It reminds me of how militant Jews bring up past Muslim offenses from hundreds of years ago and vice versa.
Ghandi had a great statement. An eye for an eye makes the world go blind. Admin could never be anything close to that because his mission of inciting hate wouldn't have anything to be fueled by.
Mochi,
I was not talking in the present tense.
Secondly, are you a Native - or even a minority? If not, why are you talking for them?
It is a fact that 75 million natives died after the Euros invaded the western hemisphere. That is beyond dispute.
By the way, "America Before Columbus" was on National Geographic last week. It's a great unbiased look at life before and during contact. For anyone interested in this time period, I highly recommend it!
I'm probably no more or less Native than you. I could be a minority depending upon what your definition of a minority is.
I don't think I'm talking for Native people other than a few friends I have that are. They don't share hateful views of the world like it appears you do.
75 million isn't a fact. It's an estimate on the high side. It's not something I will argue about because I too believe a lot of (probably most) Native Americans died from European diseases without ever seeing someone from Spain or England. That's not exactly blood on anyone's hand.
Remember, Native Americans gave Europeans syphilis to bring back to the Old World. Back then, neither Native Americans nor Europeans really understood how stuff like that was spread. They didn't even sterilize medical instruments in that time period.
My guess is someone with such hateful views as yourself probably thinks all 75 million received a blanket infected with smallpox just so you can pass the blame to Conquistadors and Pilgrims?
Just curious, do you think Spain and England should have to pay (monetarily or otherwise) for their colonial past? When do you think the hate for your fellow homo-sapiens should end? 1000 years from now? Maybe 2000? Maybe you prescribe to the model of hate militant Arabs and Jews follow? Do you feel ashamed to be of Hispanic Conquistador descent? I'm assuming you are of Hispanic descent for that last question.
Mochi,
Your skin may be of golden brown and your eyes of dark. Mine of light green and of skin so pale...but both our blood run red!
Thats for you!
I hope your skin is brown that would be sweet:)
Michelle, it's not brown unless I stay in the sun a lot. I agree with you. People are the same but different. All of our blood runs red and we should all look out for each other.
I say accept people for who they are and stay away from people that want to incite hate and hold grudges regarding things that happened hundreds of years ago. It's unhealthy to wallow in that much hate. It hasn't worked out for militant Arabs and Jews and I don't think it's going to help out angry people of Hispanic Conquistador, European Pilgrim, or Native American (Siberian) descent.
Michelle, it’s not brown unless I stay in the sun a lot.
MQ says:
Ok, don't rub it in:)
"I say accept people for who they are and stay away from people that want to incite hate and hold grudges regarding things that happened hundreds of years ago."
MQ says:
I would also add that humor is very important. Humor has always broken barriers!
I have brilliant fun with my English friends, even though Northern Irish Catholics really were treated very badly by the English we are able to deal with each other because of are mutual love of slagging each other...very simplistic, but has saved many a life! Being PC with someone based on color, religion, creed or what ever is completely intellectually insulting!