"Navajobama" One More Reason Race Always Matters...

Despite the lengths White America is willing to go in their eternal struggle to redefine their place in the history of ethno-centric misanthropic atrocities, the efforts of the victims hopelessly incapable of divorcing themselves from identifying with their offender should never be underestimated. In this case in point we have representatives hailing from historically maligned populations not only speaking with the tongues of White racist America, but seeping to the level of employing similar visual umbrage in the name of “progress.”

Why this is happening to the Dine’ people is beyond me. Haven’t they suffered enough? Their elders are being intimidated by BIA and other armed officials on their own land, forcing them to go through “checkpoints” on privately owed farms and ranges. They have been targeted by current presidential wannabe Senator John "I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live" McCain for forced removal from lands they have existed in since 1500 AD. According to the United Nations, John McCain and by extension the United States is guilty of genocide in violation of several international laws in particular the 1948 Convention on the Crime and Punishment of Genocide for removing the Dine’ from their ancestral territory by coercion and force of arms. (See: Navajo Resettlement & Navajo Accommodation Agreement, Navajo Settlement, and amendments to PL 93-531, PL S.1003)

Even housewife’s choice mascot Oprah Winfrey got her licks in by making a major production of her visit to Indian Country by pressuring the Dine’ to hold an authentic traditional Navajo Pow-Wow for her visit. The Dine’ people do not Pow-Wow but that wasn’t the point. Ms. Winfrey’s predominately White and wannabe White audience expected an Indian floor show and the Dine’ government desperate for revenue and acceptance, capitulated. Even after dying for them, the disrespect continues unabated. While not a Dine’ tribal member, the loss of Hopi Pfc. Lori Piestewa weighed heavily on their hearts as her people share what little is left of Indigenous territory in North America with them. What hurt more were the lies used as pro-war propaganda making a mockery of the facts behind how their sister really lost her life in the service of Pax Americana.

Ms. Piestewa was as disrespected in life as she was in service to the United States. As an Indian, the White American mind could not envision her as anything other than an anachronism of paradise lost, a remnant of a pre-Anglo-Saxon American age of quarrel. The news articles and press releases reflected this “Indian Warrior” bias and “responsible” Native America, fearful of losing their status as wards of the colonial state, accepted the tall tales and allowed the misinformation apparatus to misrepresent her and her honour. Our self-worth it seems in many ways is as separate from our hearts and minds as we are now from the land.

Thankfully not all of us are so willing to lie down and die so easily. Reznet posted a column dedicated to collecting opinions on the new “Navajomaba” t-shirts featuring Barack Obama sporting a Plains-style war bonnet. As expected, people had plenty to say, although I find most of the merchandise on the site questionable. “Ghettobama” “Frobama”, “Showbama” and “Unabama” all smack of anti-African male bias, so a shirt insulting Indians really should not be surprising. So for all those who make a habit of excusing Aboriginal and African dismay as the unnecessary and counter-productive anger carried by non-White malcontents, think about the responses sent to Reznet and ask yourself it it sounds like just a few “Angry” Indians…

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Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2008-03-08 08:11.

The person who thought of this idea should be fired...

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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 12:09.

This is disgusting. Wasn't it reported in the news this year, that Obama said the night before, he was watching a REDSKINS game? We are fighting these stereotypes and mockery in Michigan schools. Obama is making it easier for me to vote McKinney or Nader if it comes to that!
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VERY WRONG
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 10:16.

Geez, who the heck are they trying to portray this guy to be exactly by coloring a headdress on him? As like that one person's comment said......NAVAJOS DON'T WEAR HEADDRESSES! The Western World is trying to throw this into the arena of politics making this just as bad as "Obama Girl." Leave our d@mn culture ALONE!
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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 08:56.

It's sad ,awful , pathetic,and totally racist not only to the Navajo nation yet to all of the tribal nations all across America.I pray that common sense will see the error of those who created this hideous t-shirt!
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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 08:37.

What’s next, Pocahillary tank-tops? This is not a good idea; we’ve been dealing with images, icons, and mascots far too long to endorse such derogation of Naïve symbols, especially those misappropriated for profit.
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And the winner of the jidiot award goes to....
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 08:28.

My daughter's new word for idiot is jidiot.. I kind of like it.. so I would nominate and VOTE for the makers of this t-shirt to win the JIDIOT award of the month! Obama doesn't have an ounce of real knowledge of Native issues... hey let's dress Obama up and make him the new Chief Illini... Hail to the Chief.. ayeeeeeeee.....
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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 07:26.

I think it's agreat idea! See, this way, we can see the idiots who wear this T-shirt coming from a mile away and we can avoid them altogether!
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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 07:07.

Who's idea was this? He hasn't said anything about our people, it might have been here on reznetnews, or indian country but wasn't he 50 miles every direction from rezes up north, and notta one word about indian affairs, bagoneznaa'! Peltier for prez! Must a been a white guy's idea, or a wanna be ndn, cause real skinz got more sense than that.
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navahobama (addemdum)
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 06:41.

by the way, does anyone notice how strikingly similar (exactly) the resembalnce the image is to "chief illiani" from illinios, university of illinois?

maybe one should contact them and see what they think; as in suit for copyright infringement?

i dunno, makes one think, eh?
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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 06:26.

So who came up with the decidedly NON-Navajo headdress, anyway??? Please, somebody get these people into an NDNS101 class and fast!!

Lesson 1: Navajos do NOT wear big old headdresses like that one. Those are from Plains people.

Lesson 2: These headdresses are for ceremonies, NOT for silly t-shirts.

Lesson 3: Do you know how long we've been trying to get rid of these stereotypes in Arizona, anyway??? This reeks of Oprah's producers calling up the Navajo Nation and insisting that pow-wow dancers perform for her--[yes, that happened]

Lesson 4: if this weren't so ridiculous, it would be sad. But what do you expect when you're dealing with clueless non-Indians?
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This is incredibly
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 05:39.

This is incredibly offensive. Whose idea was this?
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Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 04:06.

I am personally shocked. I find the design offensive.





"Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2008-03-07 06:26.

So who came up with the decidedly NON-Navajo headdress, anyway??? Please, somebody get these people into an NDNS101 class and fast!!

Lesson 1: Navajos do NOT wear big old headdresses like that one. Those are from Plains people.

Lesson 2: These headdresses are for ceremonies, NOT for silly t-shirts.

Lesson 3: Do you know how long we ve been trying to get rid of these stereotypes in Arizona, anyway??? This reeks of Oprah s producers calling up the Navajo Nation and insisting that pow-wow dancers perform for her-- yes, that happened

Lesson 4: if this weren t so ridiculous, it would be sad. But what do you expect when you re dealing with clueless non-Indians?"

Labels: american racism, first nations, native americans, Obama

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Posted by: The Angryindian  ⇔ http://angryindian.blogspot.com/   editor.novajoservo@gmail.com  
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