Johnnie Jae
A
thread 1/12
Educate, not eradicate.....wouldn't that be cool if it was actually about increasing Native history and supporting Native education, funding our schools and not desperately trying to cling to stereotypical and racist mascots?
09:57 AM - Aug 11, 2023
0
11
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 2/12
Look, in an ideal world, where non-Natives actually respected Native people and could cheer on a team without making a mockery of Native people and our cultures, where they had enough decency to not use our struggles as a punchline or jab at an opposing team....
09:58 AM - Aug 11, 2023 (Edited)
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 3/12
In an ideal world, where Native history, where our literature and arts weren't being removed from schools because non-Natives are uncomfortable with our existence beyond mascots...I'd be onboard but we do not live in an ideal world.
09:59 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 4/12
We live in a world where a lot of Non-Natives don't have nor want education or to treat us with respect or to honor us as actual living breathing human beings, they want the stereotypes, they want a claim even if just through a mascot to our identities, imagery and cultures.
10:00 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 5/12
We live in a world where Non-Natives don't have nor want education or to treat us with respect or to honor us as actual living breathing human beings, they want the stereotypes, they want a claim even if just through a mascot to our identities, imagery and cultures.
10:00 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 6/12
I'm all for educating, but you have to eradicate the false narratives, the white washed histories and representations of who non-Natives think we are. We have to move forward from bad representation when we have strong, authentic representation in our people and communities.
10:01 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 7/12
I will, however, say that of all the options....they chose Commanders 🤣 They should have gone with Red Wolves or Defenders and hired a bad ass Native artist for the logo instead.
10:01 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 8/12
But there is no point of moving backward. I also think it was a squandered opportunity, some of our wealthier tribes should have banded together to buy the team, renamed them and given fans a team worth cheering for.
10:02 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 9/12
And look, I'm not gonna vilify Natives who are okay with Native mascots....Natives have a long complex history and we are not a monolith or hivemind. I don't agree with them and our work and ideas may conflict with each other but that doesn't make them my enemies.
10:02 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 10/12
I am not going to vilify our Native schools that have Native mascots because honestly, our relationship with those mascots is different...it's not the mascot native communities rally around but the athletes.
10:03 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 11/12
And you don't see our communities making a mockery of our identities or cultures....we know how to show honor and respect to our athletes.
10:03 AM - Aug 11, 2023
1
0
Johnnie Jae
A
thread 12/12
It's complicated and may seem contradictory and it is. But we are not a monolith, not a hivemind and our experiences vast and diverse. We may not see eye to eye and have different goals but at the end of the day, we're fighting against erasure, invisibility and silencing
10:04 AM - Aug 11, 2023
0
0

 

{{ notificationModalContent }} {{ promptModalMessage }}