The Bus Pulls In

Folks who need to chill.

A week or so ago, I was having trouble figuring out a word I wanted to use in one of my novels.  It was a word I’d heard before, but couldn’t remember it. 

So I went on Yahoo Answers.  First mistake.

Second mistake was asking folks what the word is for the shape of many Native Americans’ eyes.  The shape isn’t quite the same as many Asian folks or even what one might consider epicanthic. 

I didn’t get a single decent answer.  But I did get a lot of Native American folks getting pissed off at me for “making a generalization” which I completely didn’t do.  I went back and added to it, stating I was merely using the best words I had to describe what I needed to describe. I also made it clear I wasn’t generalizing and that I’m more than aware that not all tribes and individual Native Americans are the same and that I had some Cherokee blood myself.

Which was mistake three.

I got a lot of these folks making snide remarks about my stating that I have Cherokee blood, saying everybody says that and it probably wasn’t really Cherokee and also seeming to suggest I was trying to horn in on being a tribe member.

Dude.

I just don’t understand it.  I know a lot of folks try to claim being Cherokee and try to get tribal cards when what they really have is a history of family lies covering up the fact that some of their ancestors were actually African American (because that’s what closed-minded people do). 

But all you have to do is look at me (or actually more my brother, B).  I’ve met full blood relatives and my family is from the town where the Cherokee capitol, New Echota, used to sit. 

I understand that the culture has been exploited and fucked with for centuries, but I didn’t do it.  I’m sorry I’m a white person with some Cherokee blood.  I’m sorry I’m interested in your culture.  I’m sorry I’d like to preserve it in my own way (and always within the scope of the truth).

Everyone is equal. That’s all I know.  I’m sorry you have such rich and unique cultures that the only way to describe some things is to describe them using the words “Native American.”