Call For Proposals: Harvard University's Nation Building Course

Hi Everyone,

I hope the holidays have been treating you well! I, personally, am quite happy to be home in California and not in the blizzard currently happening in Massachusetts.

I wanted to share something that comes from the academic side of my life, this spring I'm the teaching fellow for the Harvard University Native American Program's course called "Nation Building II". The course is for graduate students across the university to perform independent projects with tribes, communities, and Native organizations. I took the course last year and worked on a great project with Haskell in Kansas, helping to work on some monitoring and evaluation plans for their summer youth program. It was fun, rewarding, and (I hope) helpful for Haskell!

So, if you work with a tribe, community, or Native organization and have a project that would benefit from some collaboration with Harvard graduate students, please read the call for proposals below.

Some sample projects from years past can be found here (scroll down a bit): http://www.hunap.harvard.edu/academics/teaching

Feel free to comment if you have any questions, or email me at the blog address (nativeappropriations@gmail.com) and I'll get back to you ASAP!

______________

Call for Project Proposals from Native Communities and Leaders

NATION BUILDING II PROJECTS

Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP)

HUNAP and Nation Building II:

HUNAP is one of Harvard's 17 Interfaculty Initiatives of the Office of the President and Provost. Consistent with the Harvard University charter of 1650 calling for the "education of English and Indian youth," HUNAP has developed partnerships with established faculties at Harvard to build viable programs of research, teaching, and outreach on issues affecting the lives of indigenous peoples. As part of this mission HUNAP funds the Nation Building II graduate course offered through the Kennedy School of Government and the Graduate School of Education.

A Nation Building II Project is a field based research project requested by a client that focuses on some of the major issues Native American tribes and nations face. These projects are based on the “sovereign” choice of a community to partner with a university to study native issues, including sovereignty, economic development, constitutional reform, leadership, health and social welfare, land and water rights, culture and language, religious freedom and education. 

The project is completed by graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in Native Americans in the 21^st Century:  Nation Building II.  The Projects are conducted under the guidance of faculty members with relevant expertise.  Students participate in a weekly colloquium where they present their work-in-progress to fellow students and faculty.  The lead faculty member for Nation Building II is Prof. Dennis Norman, Harvard Medical School and faculty chair of HUNAP.

Students are not writing term papers for a scholarly audience.  Rather, they are charged with doing research that is likely to assist their client.  From the students’ perspective, the learning comes from figuring out the links between what they have studied and the real challenges that Native decision makers and organizations face.  From the clients’ perspectives, Nation Building II Projects provide a source of assistance in the form of talented and committed students with the capacities to look into problems and issues that the press of daily events prevents the client from digging into.

The HUNAP Nation Building II Projects deal specifically with the issues facing Native nations or organizations working in Native affairs.  Students participate in a weekly colloquium where they present their work-in-progress to fellow students and faculty.  The lead faculty member for Nation Building II is Prof. Dennis Norman, Harvard Medical School and faculty chair of HUNAP. 

Students are not paid for their work, but instead produce their Nation Building II projects in fulfillment of course requirements.  Students typically work in teams of two, and HUNAP supports short-term field visits of the students on an as-needed basis.  Over the last seven years, more than 80 Nation Building II Projects have been performed on behalf of tribes and tribal organizations.  Examples of Projects include:

•  Creating a Nation Building Museum: Considerations for the redesign and reorganization of the Hall of the North American Indian: Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology.
• Options for a Constitution: Heiltsuk First Nation
• Strengthening Families for the Future: Exploring Historical Trauma at Mashantucket Pequot
• Tribal Regulation of Genetic Research: One Sky Center, Portland, Oregon

First Step to Request a Project

Email Dennis Norman at dennis_norman@harvard.edu with contact information so we can arrange a phone conversation to clarify and help come up a project that can meet your needs and is practical to accomplish in a one semester course. Deadline for initial contact mid January 2010, project descriptions must be ready for the 1st day of class Jan 26th.

After Phone Consultation, How do I submit a proposal?

Email your proposal to dennis_norman@harvard.edu.  In the body of the message, give brief answers to the listed questions, numbering each answer to correspond with the question.

1) Your name and title ; 2) Your organization; 3) Mailing address; 4) E-mail address; 5) Phone number; 6) Fax number; 7) Proposed title for this project; 8) A one-page description of the problem or concern you would like our students to work on; and 9) A brief explanation of how you expect to use the final product.

Deadline for written proposal 1/25/09

If email is not accessible, fax or send a typewritten proposal to:

Prof. Dennis Norman

Harvard University Native American Program

14 Story Street, Suite 400

Cambridge, MA 02138             

Fax: (617) 496-3900    

Telephone 617-726-3285

Are all submitted proposals assigned to a team of students?

The number of Nation Building II Project proposals received by HUNAP typically exceeds the number of students available to undertake projects.  For this reason, we cannot guarantee that all Nation Building II Project proposals will be selected, though HUNAP makes every attempt to match students' interests with prospective clients' requests.  All clients will be contacted if either their proposal was selected or not and will be considered for the next years class if acceptable to the client.

Where can I find additional information?

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact Prof. Norman by email at dennis_norman@harvard.edu, or by telephone at (617) 726-3285. 

Anthony Green Head Tattoo

Lead singer of the band Circa Survive, Anthony Green, has a newly revealed head tattoo of the Circa Survive "safe camp" symbol, located on the left side above his ear.

Anthony Green Head Tattoo

Drive Men Crazy With These Gorgeous Tattoos For Girls

Tattoos for girls have taken on a whole new look and meaning today. More girls than ever are getting attractive, sexy tattoos placed on their body. If you are looking for fresh ideas of tattoos for girls that will drive men dotty read on.

You need to consider the following pointers for fresh tattoos for girls if you fancy a tattoo that will drive the man, or future men, in your life certainly gaga. It is not just the tattoo that will be fundamental but the part of your body where the tattoo is located and the placement.

First, it will be important to make sure your body art work is done by a professional tattoo artist that has lots of experience. You want to make certain it is done right since this tattoo will be with you the rest of your life. It is okay to bring in samples of art you have found, but also ask to look at work they have done that may be similar. You also desire to make sure the tattoo artist you select has your health and safety as a master concern and operates in a very sanitary environment.

Here are the top tattoos for girl’s designs today:

Butterfly tattoos are extremely popular. There is so much that can be done with butterfly art work on the body. The butterflies can be exceedingly colorful and can range in size. They can also be flying as a group and trailing to a certain part of the body.

Star tattoos come in a close second as the most popular designs for girls. Stars also can come in different shapes and sizes. They can come in different colors. Stars can also be trailing. Shooting star designs are very popular and have very positive meaning when placed permanently on the body.

Flower tattoos are always very popular for girl’s tattoos. The more colorful the flower, it seems the more popular this design is. The hibiscus flower seems to be in high favor today. This is a flower that has an extremely playful and exotic look and comes in countless colors. Another flower that is often chosen is the daisy. Daisies have extremely significant meaning representing a free spirited individual. If the art work is done well daisy tattoos can be very pretty and appealing.

The shape of the female body has many attractive curves and hidden areas that can accentuated with proper tattoo placement. If a tattoo is located in the correct spot it can be very attractive and considered quite sexy.

Here are top areas for tattoo placement that will drive men crazy:

The lower back area is a part of the body where there are very natural curves that all come together. The right design in this area can be very appealing. This area does not always show and is sometimes seen as a flash when the woman bends over. This causes the viewer to feel they have seen something perhaps they should not have.

The panty line area, or actually just above it, is another suggestive area for placement. This is an area that can be seen when wearing a bikini or nothing at all. It is well hidden most of the time and that is what makes it so appealing, because it can't be seen all the time.

A single foot works well for body art, especially if you are someone that has good looking feet. This can be very attractive and enhance a great looking well manicured foot.

The side of the body tattoos is becoming quite popular. Tattoos that trail, especially along the side of the body, in the area from the middle back to middle of the waist line is a great idea. Often seeing something that reveals just a portion is quite suggestive and appealing. This type of a tattoo cannot be fully viewed from the front or back, but completely from the side.

Programming Notes

(The Indian Head test card, a symbol of programming breaks, AND an appropriation. Clever, right?)

Hi Friends,
It's finals time at school, which means, of course, I've putting extra time into the blog (procrastination!). I realized I've been making subtle updates to Native Appropriations over the last few months, but hadn't really shared...so I thought I'd let y'all know:

• www.NativeAppropriations.com: I bought the domain name! For now, it just auto-redirects to the blogspot address, but it leaves the door open for the future, and makes it easier for you to tell your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and random hipsters on the street about Native Appropriations. So update your bookmarks, and share away!

• Subscribing by email: If you look over to the right side of the page, there's a little box that says "subscribe via email". If you put in your email address, feedburner will deliver an email every time the blog gets updated. Since I sometimes get sporadic with the posts, it's a way to guarantee you'll never miss anything. I post (at most) once a day, so it's not like you'll be getting 8 gazillion emails, and you can always unsubscribe via a quick link on the bottom of the email.

• Other ways to engage with the blog: For those of you who haven't checked out the Native Appropriations Facebook Page yet, I recommend it. Fans post some great links and images, and I sometimes post articles and links over there between posts. There is also a Native Appropriations twitter account, if you're into that. 

• Changes on the Way: I go on winter break in 5 days (yay!), and over the break am planning on pulling together some improvements, such as a form for easier submissions, going through my major backlog of awesome tips (thank you so much for sending them), maybe some t-shirt designs (any ideas?), and a big ongoing project that will involve a lot of reader help. I'll keep you posted.

As always, any advice, feedback, submissions, suggestions, ect are always welcome! nativeappropriations@gmail.com (might be making a new @nativeappropriations.com email too...)
   

Random Appropriation of the Day! ("Native American Teepee for fluffy little critters")

This "Teepee" for your pets has been making the rounds on all sorts of design blogs on the internet in the last week or so. So random. And it's cardboard, not exactly a plush hangout for your "fluffy little critter". The description reads:

This Tipi, entirely made of recycled corrugated cardboard, distinguishes itself through its innovative design inspired by a classic symbol of Canadian iconography, The Amerindian culture and the collective imagination associated with it.

Which is actually kinda interesting. Note they used the correct spelling in the description, but not in the title, and the phrase "collective imagination," which could be interpreted that they realize that the stereotype this tipi represents is not necessarily a true depiction of Native culture...but that might be giving them more credit than they deserve.

Here it is without cats:

And the website: https://us.loyalluxe.com/show-all/the-native-american-teepee.html

(Thanks Annie, Stacy, Sarah, Dianna, and Veronica!)

An Acceptable Ignorance

(Photo (c) Adam Sings in the Timber)

AK note: when I get frustrated in my courses at school, or I have a lot to get off my chest, I write narratives like the one below. They're an outlet for me, I write them like I'm writing to post them here, but then I usually keep them to myself, in a folder on my computer. I know it's outside of my normal content for the blog, a bit more personal and reflective rather than snarky and sarcastic, but I thought I'd start sharing some of them, interspersed with more normal content. If you find this totally boring and annoying, let me know (comments are anonymous!). But, more importantly, if you have an experience or narrative you'd like to share, send it over. nativeappropriations@gmail.com

I sat in class a few weeks ago, presenting to my small research seminar. I tried to speak in a strong, unwavering voice, relying on my earlier life as a college admissions officer, where talking to crowds was my day in and day out, to mask my state of utter panic and nerves. I was passionately describing the reasons why we, as researchers, needed to be aware and reflective when working with "actors" (this course's term for "subjects") who were from marginalized communities, who were at risk for further exploitation and otherization by our research. I drew on examples from early anthropology, I spoke about the painful legacy that research has left behind in Native communities.



I watched my classmates' faces as I spoke, intrigued at the mixture of expressions around the seminar table. I saw encouraging smiles and nods of agreement, but also wrinkled foreheads of confusion, and a look I can only describe as awe and wonder. I realized that these issues that are at the forefront of my mind every time I even think about my future doctoral research, ethical and moral quandaries that imbue every aspect of my notes and plans, had never even crossed their minds. These simple questions I was raising in my presentation were strange and exotic to them--and I, the quiet girl prone to being cold called for lack of participation, had suddenly become slightly strange and exotic as well.

Later in the class period, my presentation group members and I put a photograph up on a powerpoint slide. It is a photograph I love, one I've featured on the blog before. It shows a father and daughter at Montana State's powwow, dressed in their regalia, waiting in the threshold outside of the stadium itself. The father is on his cell phone, a look of concentration, and perhaps concern, crossing his brow, while his daughter, in her neon-colored jingle dress, looks up at him. I like the photo for the simple clashing of "traditional" and "modern," calling into question those pesky preconceived notions we all hold when viewing a photo of a "Native American". We put the photo up as a simple exercise in contextual framing. We asked our classmates to "set the scene"--describe the photo, position themselves as researcher, to write down details, questions, and initial reactions when viewing the photo.

Admittedly, we picked the photo specifically because it would feel "foreign" to most of our classmates, and I was attempting to drive home my earlier points. The other part of me was intensely curious about what their reactions would be, what details they would pick up, what questions they would have.

When we asked the class to debrief after a few minutes of writing, I was taken aback by the responses. "My initial reaction was absolute fear" one young woman stated. "I realized I know absolutely nothing about Native American culture, I didn't even know where to start." "I found myself confused and hung up on the details--what is that thing in her hand?[it's her dance fan] why are they there? what goes on at a powwow?" a male classmate asked. Others agreed, chiming in with their own similar reactions. The comments were not rude, they were not even unexpected, but what struck me was how acceptable this level of ignorance was. No one was embarrassed or ashamed by their lack of knowledge, no one found it out of the ordinary. They shared without any hesitation, without apology.

I wondered if I had put a picture of a Black father and child up on the powerpoint, or Latino, or Asian, if the group would have found it acceptable to say something like "I just don't know anything about Black culture! I can't even begin to write!" or even if I had chosen a photo from an AIDS-ravaged African country, or an "exotic" National Geographic photo--would hay have jumped right in in their descriptions? I also realize my presence in the room shaped the reactions, obviously my classmates do not want to offend the only Native student in their class. But I still found it odd.

The theme was repeated this week in a sociology course. One of our assigned readings for the week was an excerpt from Teacher by Silvia Ashton-Warner. Ashton-Warner writes about her experiences teaching in a Maori school in New Zealand, and the text is rife with colonial language and imperialist nostalgia, yet it is all framed out of Ashton-Warner's "love" for her "brown" children, and peppered with her observations about her Maori students and co-workers as intelligent, thinking human beings--ideas that fall far outside the accepted norms of the time.

I read the piece eagerly and carefully, marking my book, taking notes in the margins, writing out reactions and questions. I looked forward to discussion section, ready to bring my expertise on Indigenous education and to engage in a debate about legacies of colonialism in our own education system. I was excited, because after a year and six weeks at my school, this was the first time I had encountered anything remotely close to Native Education in a course. The very first time.

Imagine my disappointment when I arrived to class to find our student "discussion leaders" for the week had chosen to completely ignore the Ashton-Warner reading, focusing instead on our two other readings for the week. Their reasoning was that it was "too much" to cover in an hour and a half, but that we should "feel free" to bring in the reading if we felt like it. Nothing more was mentioned about the piece.

I overheard a classmate discussing the piece with our TA after the announcement. "I was really confused by it!" she said, "It took me almost the whole reading to figure out where she even was. Is this like part of a bigger book or something?" another student nodded "It was hard to figure out."

This is complete and total conjecture at this point, but I couldn't help but feel like the students had kept the Ashton-Warner reading out because it felt "too foreign". It was easier to focus on our one strictly sociological theory reading and the other reading that focused on the Black middle class. I also almost felt that my fellow students were relieved that they wouldn't be asked to interpret the text. Again, I was amazed at how accepted their ignorance was.

It is experiences like these that jolt me back into reality. I try to surround myself with friends and colleagues who have some sort of awareness about Native issues, or at least a willingness to listen and engage when I share my thoughts. I sometimes forget that outside of the little bubble I've created for myself, people go through every moment of their lives, or even an entire schooling experience at my elite graduate school, without thinking about Native peoples or American colonialism for one second. And, frustratingly, our society and education system has deemed that perfectly fine.

Clearly I don't accept that paradigm, and am constantly inserting myself into conversations, bringing Native issues to the forefront, making every paper for every class somehow relate to Indian Country. But this is much bigger than me, alone, as the only Native doctoral student at my school. I don't have the solution, and I don't know how to change an entire nation's education system and national narrative.

Next semester I'm leading a Native Education reading group, and once I get further along in my studies, I'll petition to teach a module (a half-course) on some of these issues as well. As long as I'm here, I'm going to make sure at least some of these students realize their ignorance, and realize that it's absolutely unacceptable.

Random Appropriation of the Day! ("Tiger Lily Teapot")

Reader Michaela spotted this one while christmas shopping online. Called the "Tiger Lily Teapot", she sports the awesome stereotypes of braids, a headband, a feather, and "indian" designs and colors. The description (via Fred Flare) reads:

This darling lil' lady is outfitted with a small interior metal steeper and her head becomes the tea cup when you remove her feathered top! Bold colors and a happy face will brighten your kitchen even on the coldest day.

yeah. you drink out of her head:

I'd call that a bit de-humanizing.

Fred Flare: Tiger Lily Teapot

Earlier:
Random Appropriation of the Day (Totem Cups)

(Thanks Michaela!)

Chest Tattoos For Women

When it comes to chest tattoos, women seem to enjoy very cute and colorful artwork such as birds, flowers, hearts, bows and other related designs, however not exclusively. In fact we've seen many women with vicious designs such as skulls, demons and other morbid creatures as well.

Have a spin through this picture gallery of chest tattoo ideas for women and you might be pleasantly surprised when you find the artwork you've been searching for.

Chest Tattoos For Women

Ridiculously Maddening Quote of the Day: Rush Limbaugh Blames Indians for Tobacco-related deaths

 
Rush Limbaugh saying ridiculous things is kinda par for the course at this point, but this one definitely takes insensitivity and stupidity to a whole other level. It's a little old, but I thought it was still worth it.

He begins by talking about the "un-Thanksgiving" and "Day of Mourning" that Native activist groups celebrate rather than "traditional, American" Thanksgiving, and that they "claim" it is their response to the democide (a new vocabulary word for me! it means any person or people killed by the government, including genocide) of Native peoples in the Americas. Then he goes on to this:

"Let's check the scoreboard. How many Native Americans were killed by the arrival of the white man through disease and war...how many people have died since the white man arrived due to lung cancer, thanks to the Indian custom of smoking? Who are the real killers here?…Where are our reparations? I'm just saying."

um, really? Yes, Natives introduced tobacco to the greater world. But Indians did not introduce Philip Morris and the other Big Tobacco companies, blend tobacco with a ton of toxic chemicals, pour millions of dollars into marketing to kids and adults, and deny the links to lung cancer. Shoot, if Indians had control of the multi-billion dollar tobacco industry, then things would be different in many ways.

Traditional tobacco use in Native tribes is also not the 2 pack-a-day western model. Tobacco is sacred to many communities, a gift from the creator, and used in ceremony and to commemorate important events, not to smoke back to back cigarettes.

Then to compare the outright genocide of millions upon millions of Native peoples to tobacco deaths? He wants someone to "do the math." I'll do the math for you, Rush:

White Privilege+Arrogance+Stupidity=Rush Limbaugh

Here's the clip. Listen for yourself. Be prepared to roll your eyes.

The blog Pharyngula offers a great critique, definitely check it out.

I would also like to point out that in about 60% of his pictures on Google image search, Rush is smoking a cigar. I'm just saying. 

Pharyngula: Rush Limbaugh, racist pig and sterling representative of the modern Republican

Earlier:
Ridiculously Maddening Quote of the Day: Avatar Edition 

This is just wrong.

This picture was taken by my friend Kelsey at a Victoria's Secret store in DC. I can break it down, but I think the image speaks for itself. What kind of society do we live in that this type of overt racism is not only accepted, but celebrated in our nation's capital?

Earlier:

Nudie Neon Indians and the Sexualization of Native Women
Tommy Tomahawk and the Issues with Indian Mascots
Thanks for the Severed Head, You've Proved my Point

(Thanks Kelsey!)

Tom Ford in a Headdress; but that's not the interesting part

 (image via HuffPo)

AK Note: Hi, remember me? My apologies for the sudden post drop off, school has been ridiculously busy. But I'm back, promise. And I'm still always looking for guest posts if anyone is interested...nativeappropriations@gmail.com

A few days ago, Huffington Post posted some preview pictures of Tom Ford's photo spread in French Vogue (he's a fashion designer, btw). The first picture of the spread is of Ford, sporting a warbonnet. So, we all know why it's wrong, and we can add him to the list of recent celebrity redface transgressions. Not that exciting. 

What I am fascinated by, however, are the comments on the article on HuffPo, but mostly on the re-post over at Jezebel. We all know I'm not a big fan of the Jezebel commenting community on issues of race, especially on Native issues, but check some of these out (the whole comment thread is here):

"That photo is many types of wrong.  I have never seen a racist as big as a horse before."

"Nothing like a little cultural insensitivity to start out a... lunch."

"Why has the NA/1st Nations type headdress become the new hipster fashion statement? Was blackface just too messy?"

"You guys!! I'm sure he's 1/16 Cherokee! Totes ok!"

"If I were a Native American I would have a complete wardrobe of religious headgear from every possible sector of Anglo culture and I would wear them at the most inappropriate times and places. I would dress up as the Virgin Mary for Halloween and wear my sporty pope hat to the beach."

and I liked this one, as a reference to the whole Meghan-McCain-Trail-of-Tears-tag debacle (thanks!):

"Doesn't Tom know that such things are only tasteful if you include a handy trail of tears tag?"

 Some Native voices even came out of the woodwork:

"As a first nations woman, I challenge all headdress wearing hipsters to come to any powwow, next year in your fake feathers. If you are arrogant enough to wear them, then I assume you're brave enough to wear them around those who earn their headdress one feather at a time.

"Dear Tom Ford,
My culture is not a photoshoot prop.
You're an ignorant douche."

or this woman, married to a Navajo man (her screenname is "DineBoo"--just cute):

"What is it with people wearing headdresses? Heck, I'm married to a Navajo man and I don't bust out the turquoise, the velvet, and the squash blossoms to wear out in public.

The headdress is sacred, which carries individual meanings to each different tribe. It is not a flashy hat. The way people have been wear the headdress makes it look like there is only one tribe in existence now."

Um, what happened? Where are all the cultural appropriation defenders? Where are the people telling me to "get over it?" Why can't I fill my Bingo Card?! There is one woman, who posts a question about wearing a headdress and Indian jewelry, but she then thanks the commenters who respond and send her links about why its wrong. She thanks them.

The HuffPo article has one comment about the wrongness of wearing a headdress as well--and no one pushed back. The replies thank her (him?) and agree.

Have we just witnessed a shift in the space-time continuum? Has the message started to get across? Definitely too soon to tell, but I can't even tell you how refreshing and uplifting it was to see these comment chains. I mean, it was barely a month ago that we were talking about Paris Hilton on Halloween.

Thoughts? Are people getting sick of the trend? Is this just an anomaly? Are the people who click through to an article about high fashion a different, more enlightened subset of the population? Whatever it is, this is ridiculous. In a good way.


Jezebel: Tom Ford Shows French Vogue His Headdress Collection
Huffington Post: Inside Tom Ford's French Vogue

(Thanks Alicia!)

Celebrity Tattoos: Pink

I can’t believe that it is Wednesday already, man how this week is flying by. So since it is hump day it is time for another celebrity tattoo post. I decided to go with Pink this week, mainly because she has a ton of tattoos and I thought it would be great to cover her. Also I would love to know if everyone out there thinks her tattoos are too much or if they are just right?

Pink has a ton of tattoos. I could only find 25 of them on her, she may have more. The actaully number of tattoos that she has really isn’t clear. But here is a list of her many tattoos that I was able to find.

1. Japanese symbol above left ankle (good luck)
2. Japanese symbol above left foot (happiness)
3. Chinese symbol above right ankle (infinity)
4. Guardian Angle on left shoulder/back
5. Dog tags for her brother and dad around her right ankle
6. “What Goes Around Comer Around” around her right wrist
7. “Mr. Pink” on her left inner thigh
8. Red star on her left hand
9. Frog on her left foot
10. The symbol for love with a red heart in front of it, on her lower stomach
11. “1 9879-11200-1 3” - bar code on the back of her neck
12. “Tru Luv” on her right wrist
13. Red heart on her right big toe
14. Dragon on her left thigh
15. Symbol on her left foot
16. Another symbol on her left foot
17. “Sir Corky Moore” (and a date) on her left arm
18. Razor blade on her inner left wrist
19. Red heart on her left big toe
20. Broken heart on inside of left elbow
21. Tribal inspired musical note behind left ear
22. Portrait of her dog Elvis inside left arm
23. and 24. A bow in the back of each thigh
25. Some poem or writing on her left arm under that tattoo of Elvis her dog.

Celebrity Tattoos: Pink

Britney Spears Hip Tattoos

Former pop princess knows a thing or two about tattoos, seeing how she currently has a half dozen or so tattoo designs.

Britney Spears has two hip tattoos, one being a cross and the other is a Chinese symbol. The translation is not clear. Checkout these Britney Spears hip tattoo pictures.

Britney Spears Hip Tattoos

Navajo Potatoes: not what I was expecting

I saw this pop up on my friend Jerry's Facebook wall, and immediately thought it was going to be a "Random Appropriation of the Day"--but I was pleasantly and unexpectedly wrong. Walmart now sells potatoes grown on the Navajo Nation. How cool is that?

Update: commenter Bill posted the "About Us" from the Navajo Pride webpage:

"We produce premier Navajo Pride brand agricultural products, guaranteed to be the highest quality on the market today. We are located in the heart of the Four Corners region near Farmington, New Mexico, and are the largest contiguous farmland in the nation.

Our agribusiness features state-of-the-art farming technology including a multimillion dollar water management system. NAPI produces the finest and freshest varieties of Navajo Pride brand potatoes, corn, alfalfa, beans, and small grains, such as barley, wheat and oats. We are also expanding our Navajo Pride brand product selection at all times, so be sure and check our product availability frequently.
What makes Navajo Pride brand so unique? We are owned and operated by the Navajo people--those who understand and have been farming the land for centuries.
At NAPI, we take pride in producing Navajo Pride brand premium products for retail purposes, repackaging or for direct sale to our customers."

Awesome.

(Thanks Jerry!)

Kanji Tattoos And Meanings

Kanji are common Chinese characters used in the modern Japanese logo-graphic writing system.

These Kanji symbols have become extremely popular among tattoo lovers, and are commonly miss translated prior to being inked on peoples body.

So before choosing a Kanji tattoo design, please do some research about the actual meaning of the symbol before getting it tattooed.

Kanji Tattoos And Meanings

Reese Witherspoon Tattoo

Reese Witherspoon is a cute talented celebrity actress, known for plenty of hit movies including, Election and Legally Blonde.

Reese has one tattoo and its of a small star, located on her left hip area.

Reese Witherspoon Tattoo

Presidential Proclamation on Native American Heritage Month

 (Obama on the Crow reservation, source here)

Every year since 1990, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation declaring the month of November as "National Native American Heritage Month." As a result, November often brings an influx of "Native American Awareness" programming at local libraries, schools, and community organizations, culminating with the one day Indians come up in casual conversation--Thanksgiving. I thought I would share Obama's presidential proclamation, which he issued at the end of last month. I'm curious how everyone will perceive the language choices throughout, and what was included and excluded. The proclamation is also posted in full on this site.

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
October 29, 2010
Presidential Proclamation -- National Native American Heritage Month
-------
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

For millennia before Europeans settled in North America, the indigenous peoples of this continent flourished with vibrant cultures and were the original stewards of the land. From generation to generation, they handed down invaluable cultural knowledge and rich traditions, which continue to thrive in Native American communities across our country today. During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor and celebrate their importance to our great Nation and our world.

America’s journey has been marked both by bright times of progress and dark moments of injustice for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Since the birth of America, they have contributed immeasurably to our country and our heritage, distinguishing themselves as scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders in all aspects of our society. Native Americans have also served in the United States Armed Forces with honor and distinction, defending the security of our Nation with their lives. Yet, our tribal communities face stark realities, including disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, crime, and disease. These disparities are unacceptable, and we must acknowledge both our history and our current challenges if we are to ensure that all of our children have an equal opportunity to pursue the American dream. From upholding the tribal sovereignty recognized and reaffirmed in our Constitution and laws to strengthening our unique nation-to- nation relationship, my Administration stands firm in fulfilling our Nation’s commitments.

Over the past 2 years, we have made important steps towards working as partners with Native Americans to build sustainable and healthy native communities. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act continues to impact the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including through important projects to improve, rebuild, and renovate schools so our children can get the education and skills they will need to compete in the global economy. At last year’s White House Tribal Nations Conference, I also announced a new consultation process to improve communication and coordination between the Federal Government and tribal governments.

This year, I was proud to sign the landmark Affordable Care Act, which permanently reauthorized the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, a cornerstone of health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives. This vital legislation will help modernize the Indian health care system and improve health care for 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. To combat the high rates of crime and sexual violence in Native communities, I signed the Tribal Law and Order Act in July to bolster tribal law enforcement and enhance their abilities to prosecute and fight crime more effectively. And, recently, my Administration reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by Native American farmers against the United States Department of Agriculture that underscores our commitment to treat all our citizens fairly.

As we celebrate the contributions and heritage of Native Americans during this month, we also recommit to supporting tribal self-determination, security, and prosperity for all Native Americans. While we cannot erase the scourges or broken promises of our past, we will move ahead together in writing a new, brighter chapter in our joint history.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2010 as National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to celebrate November 26, 2010, as Native American Heritage Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

So what do you think? I was initially struck by the first paragraph, it seems a little cliched, and very much past-centric. I would venture to guess that most Americans already think of American Indians as only existing in the past, so it could have been more powerful to start with a statement that strongly affirmed our current presence and continued existence. Instead, it seems to honor our past rather than our present and future...but that's just my opinion. I'd love to hear your thoughts. In addition, what do you think about having a "Native American Heritage Month" in general?

More information about Native American Heritage Month:
http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov

Cute Hand Tattoos

This collection of hand tattoos is chalked full of fun, silly and cute artwork ideas for both boys and girls of any age. I imagine you'll take an immediate liking to the little hand goblin, and you would be right for doing so, he's a lot of fun!

Cute Hand Tattoos

Harvard Sigma Chi Update #2: An Email from the National Chapter

(Random people at the Harvard Sigma Chi house...thanks google images)

After my post on the Conquistabros and Navajos party at Harvard, I fired off a few angry emails to the National Chapter of Sigma Chi, linking back to my blog. When the apology came out in the Crimson last week, I assumed that was it. Yesterday, however, I received a personal response to my angry email from an officer at the National level:

Dear Ms. K,

I am sorry you were offended by the chapters theme party. While the theme was felt to be insensitive, I can assure you the men of the Harvard Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity meant no harm by it. I too have a native lineage and I can assure you the chapter will be dealt with appropriately at the local level. It is my understanding that they have already issued an apology for their insensitivity, and I am sure they will think twice about the message their themes may relate in the future. 

Sincerely, 

(I took his name off because I don't want to totally humiliate him)

So I'm not going to completely tear it apart, and I do realize he was trying to be nice--but there are a couple of things I'd like to point out that are classic responses to racist acts in society's current framework of "colorblindness."

First, the phrase "I'm sorry you were offended" instead of "I'm sorry they were offensive" (which, to be fair, Sigma Chi totally did use the second phrasing in their apology in the newspaper) implying that I'm being "overly sensitive," rather than that there could have been an actual problem. This is then putting the weight of "proof" on the subject of the racist act, rather than the actor, which happens all the time in incidents of this kind.

Then, "I can assure you...they meant no harm by it"--intent, it's effing magic.

and finally, the "I too have native lineage"--minimizing my identity and my response as a Native person. That's actually the common response to anyone confronted wearing an "Indian" costume, "but I'm Indian too! My great-grandma was a Cherokee Princess!" It bothers me to no end, because there's no easy response. I can't just be like "no, you're not." I usually think of something along the lines of "you may have Native heritage, but I have close ties to my community, and I know my elders would be very upset by your [comment, costume, etc]." But the dismissing of my opinion because you're "native too" doesn't help anything.

If you want more info about "Colorblind Racism," this is a great book we've been reading for my Critical Race Theory in Education course: Racism without racists: Colorblind Racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. Definitely a great resource.

But am I glad he emailed me back? Absolutely. Am I surprised at the language in the email? Absolutely not. Anything else would have been far outside the societal norms we've set for dealing with issues involving race. One step at a time.

Earlier:
Harvard's "Conquistabros and Navajos" Frat Party
Harvard Sigma Chi Update: They've Apologized

Mid-Week Motivation: I am NOT your Costume

I am a human being.

I am not your Halloween costume.

I am not your party theme.

I am not your mascot. 

I am not your costume.

These are some of my awesome friends and classmates from the Stanford Native community, protesting the use of "Native" themes at campus frat parties back in 2009. I thought it was fitting to bring it back today, given our recent discussions of frat parties and halloween costumes.

Also, awesomely (and the reason I re-found it), the picture made it all the way to a blog I am a huge fan of, a allure garconniere, for her halloween post--and she's in Quebec! The words under the picture actually came from this tumblr, and I'm amazed at how many people re-posted it. So cool.

Here's another shot of Kanani, Edie, and Rachel, some of the beautiful Stanford Native Hawaiians:

You guys continue to inspire me from afar. So proud of y'all. Even in the face of injustice and racism, there are always people fighting the good fight.

(Thanks Leon (they're his pictures), and Julia!)

Rachel Zoe as a "Makeshift Indian Warrior"

(Click for bigger, source here)

Add Rachel Zoe to the list of celebrities donning racial drag this Halloween. She posted this picture October 30th on her twitter account and blog with the tweet:

"headed out as a make shift Indian warrior! Happy almost Halloween! XoRZ"

The plastic tomahawk is a nice touch, right? sigh.

Here's the post:

The Zoe Report: Halloween Tweet

Earlier:

Paris Hilton as a "Sexy Indian": The Halloween Fallout Begins

But Why Can't I Wear a Hipster Headdress?

(Thanks Becky!)

Star Foot Tattoo Ideas

We recently features some excellent foot tattoo idea for both men and women, now checkout this collection of gorgeous star foot tattoos which are perfect for either gender.

Star tattoo are perhaps the most common design in the entire tattoo spectrum, perhaps because they look amazing on any area of the body and blend easily with pretty much any other artwork.

Star Foot Tattoo Ideas

Paris Hilton as a "Sexy Indian": The Halloween Fallout Begins

(image source--there are like 40 more pictures if you're curious)

These pictures of Paris Hilton at the Playboy Halloween Party have been making the rounds on the internets today. Jezebel put the photo up with a "ZOMG RACISMZ" headline--but no follow up or further information, so in typical Jezebel commenter fashion, the comments have descended into crazy. Check them out if you want to get pissed off (as per usual). 

I (noticeably) didn't do a big "Halloween Post", though I can say that I probably started one about 200 times. Every time I would open up my browser to get started, and click on costume pages like this one, I would get overwhelmed, upset, and start to feel physically ill. So I'd stop. The sheer enormity of the task seemed too much to tackle in a 250-500 word post. But that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about it constantly, and wishing I could easily put into words how frustrating it is to see non-Natives gallivanting around in fake Indian attire.

So as the Halloween pictures start popping up on your Facebook feeds and twitpics--feel free to send them over (I'll block out faces, don't worry), or if you have stories or encounters with treat-o-treaters dressed as "Indians" and want to share how you felt or dealt with it, please don't hesitate to comment or write. Let's put some personal narratives to the "abstract" ideas about why dressing in redface is wrong. 

Though I was quiet on the issue, others were not. Here are some other bloggers' takes on the Native costume debacle: (Note: I don't agree with everything in all of these posts, but it's interesting to see multiple approaches to the same issue)

• Gawker: Is Your Halloween Costume Racist?
• Don't Pay to Pray: Halloween: The Most Racist Day of the Year (watch out, the site has music) 
• Change.org: One Woman's Costume is Another Woman's Nightmare
• Angry Navajo/Indian Girl: My Identity is Not a Costume For You to Wear
• The Loop 21: Accosted by Racist Costumes 
• Drawing on Indians: Portraying Pocahontas: or the not-so-modern origins of the Sexy Indian Princess

If you have any others I might have missed, let me know. Now I'd like to end with something that I think sums up perfectly my disgust and disappointment with all the Native costumes this Halloween, from Paris herself:

Yes Paris, I'm grossed out too.

and for all the Jezebel commenters wandering over, read this please: But Why Can't I Wear a Hipster Headdress?

(Thanks Liza and everyone else who sent this over!)