I am often asked for references for Native
American studies of some sort or another and
gladly refer those requesting to them -- but last
night I attended a Boy Scout camp fire ceremony
for the Order of the Arrow. In MHO it was a
poorly designed mockery of the Native American
heritage. Young boys, old men, women, were
dressed in their interpretation of Native
American regalia -- I can not describe how silly
they looked -- some had a do rag on making a
pirate like image, the "chief" appeared in a
commercial artificial feather full headdress.
Without belaboring the fact they looked like a
hodge-podge (I think there was one authentic NA
in a buckskin dress (and tennis shoes). The
ceremony called young men out of the campfire
circle to be honored. The pseudo Native American
ceremony reminded me of:
The pilgrims masquerading as Indians to dump the tea in the Boston Harbor.
The Black Face plays I was part of in the 50's
(as a very young child) -- we would NOT allow
that now.
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's comments about
editors, readers, educators focusing on the past
history of NA and forgetting that NA Indians are
here and NOW (My NA grandson -- the his sisters
and older brother were all in the audience.)
My discussions with children trying to explain
that they might dress-up and some day actually
become a cowboy but no amount of dressing-up and
growing up could help them accomplish becoming
"an Indian." Occupations are obtainable goals,
changing your ethnicity is NOT an occupation.
Now my question: How does this ceremony continue
in this day and age? Do the Boy Scout Guides
describe this ceremony? Are the books in our
libraries perpetuating this general consensus
that this is acceptable practice?
BTW the phone number for Clyde Mayer (sp)-- the
man in charge of the Order of the Arrow ceremony
(at the national headquarters) is 972-580-2440.
Boy Scouts of America, National Council · P.O.
Box 152079 · Irving, Texas 75015-2079 -- I am
thinking he should be encouraged to make sure all
of these ceremonies be sent along to the National
Scouting Museum and a new tradition began in
scouting.
Sharron McElmeel (who is contemplating if she is
overreacting or if this is truly the far-reaching
problem she perceives it is)
--
===================================================
Sharron L. McElmeel
http://www.mcelmeel.com
McBookwords (a literacy organization)
http://www.mcbookwords.com/
Instructor - University of Wisconsin-Stout
Children's Literature in the Reading Program
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/childrenslit/
Young Adult Literature in the Reading Program
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/yalit/
3000 N Center Point Rd
Cedar Rapids, IA 52411-9548
ph. (319) 393-2562
fax (319) 393-4749 (If line is busy, initiate a
voice call and ask that the line be made
available for a fax transmission.)
mcelmeel@mcelmeel.com
===================================================
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