I have, at best, been vaguely aware of Fort Abraham, having gone past it often enough. That vague awareness has now been shattered, and not in a good way.
Fort Abraham State Park in North Dakota offers a Saturday morning kids’ program called “Becoming a Soldier of Fort Abraham Lincoln”. The free program states that “children will learn about soldier life at Fort Abraham Lincoln and what it takes to be part of Custer’s 7th Cavalry.”
Fort Abraham is located just north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, home of Tatanka Iyotake (Sitting Bull).
The program, which runs from late May to early September, says it will “introduce kids to military life on the Dakota frontier as a solider living at Fort Abraham Lincoln in 1875.” Kids will also take the ‘official oath of enlistment’ into the U.S. 7th Cavalry.
[…]
Custer’s surprise attack happened at dawn. He ordered his men to destroy “everything of value to the Indians,” and in a few hours over 100 Cheyenne’s had been killed including Black Kettle, his wife, and over 800 horses. Custer also took over 50 women and children into captivity.
While originally labelled as a “Battle” the slaughter at Washita River was later called a “massacre of innocent Indians” by the Indian Bureau.
[…]
In 1890, a blood thirsty and revenge driven 7th Calvary rounded up a peaceful band of Lakota, primarily Ghost Dancers, under Chief Big Foot and slaughtered over 300 women, men, and children known as the Wounded Knee massacre.
It is incomprehensible that the Fort Abraham State Park would find it appropriate to encourage children to find out what it takes to be a part of a legacy soaked in genocide.
I agree, it’s incomprehensible. When there’s a tacit refusal to teach children actual history, warts and all, they can hardly be blamed for developing untruthful and biased views. (There was a recent discussion about Custer here.) It’s not surprising that white attitudes towards indigenous people remains so negative when this whitewashing is taking place in the heart of Indian country. It’s sad and burdensome to see that lying about Custer is still so very important to some people. “History comes to life”. Yes, a very whitewashed, colonial version, which celebrates the largest mass murder in U.S. history, the Massacre at Wounded Knee.
https://youtu.be/v68KVexu628
Full Story at Last Real Indians.
Moving on to a Christian camp in Arkansas called Camp War Eagle. You already know it’s bad from the name alone. You just don’t know how bad. Yet.
As Mytuva Russell points out, this is not a simple case of appropriation. It’s worse, as it usually turns out to be.
However, this is a much bigger issue than just posting a picture of a nonnative in a headdress.
The source of the photo was from a Christian camp in Arkansas called “Camp War Eagle”. I decided to look further into it. I found their Instagram, which has several photos of white children dressed in “native regalia”. I went to their Instagram and Facebook page in attempts to point out what they’re doing is wrong. Camp War Eagle has deleted those comments and blocked me on their social media websites.
Here’s a little bit about Camp War Eagle based on their about us section from their website:
“Camp War Eagle is a Christian, sports, adventure and recreation summer camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 17 from Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties in northwest Arkansas. Located on the shores of beautiful Beaver Lake, Camp War Eagle is the place for children from Northwest Arkansas to have the time of their lives and gain a greater appreciation for God, themselves and others. The children returning home will then positively affect their families and the communities of Northwest Arkansas.”
With that being said, why would a Christian camp decide to promote themselves in such a manner? It’s incredibly ironic considering our ancestors history with Christian people.
There are more images at the Last Real Indians article. Photos of children playing soccer, with large captions reading “Today’s tribal competition is Caddo Day!” and “Today’s tribal competition is Osage Day!” I’m pretty sure it would be utterly futile to ask whether or not these children have been taught one truthful fact about any of the people they have co-opted to be mascots. It’s blindingly obvious that they don’t give a shit about the history of painting, or the why, how, and when of it, nor the fact that it is not something done by all nations. Face painting is deeply personal, spiritual, and ceremonial. To do it for no reason would be unthinkable for an indigenous person.
Then there’s the regalia. The same profound ignorance is on display here, too. It’s much more than ignorance, though. It’s a blatant disregard for indigenous peoples, for their history, for their traditions. Things which have deep meaning and significance are treated as nothing more than cheap costumes that white kids can wear while they see which ‘tribe’ will slaughter the other ‘tribe’. What is clear here is a profound disrespect for indigenous peoples, that we are nothing more than a good story, old legends which can be twisted about to suit the Christian colonial mind. This is beyond appropriation, it’s beyond disgusting. The people behind Camp War Eagle need to feel some serious pressure, and be made to answer for their open, hostile bigotry.
Full article is at Last Real Indians.
Siobhan and Marcus have posts up about this, too. Thank you.
About the first camp: Apart from the cultural insensitivity, that shit isn’t that far from kids re-enacting the heroic deeds (spit) of suicide bombers.
I really do not get glorifying Custer.
.
Why don’t those Christians dress like Christians?
Jesus tapdancing Christ. The only reason people don’t recognise this as a fucking Nazi-in-training camp is because the victims in the narrative are Native.
Of course the kids attending it don’t fully know better--but the adults enrolling them need a sharp cuff upside the head.
Ice Swimmer:
It’s also reinforcing ‘the only good Indian is a dead Indian’ business.
Chigau:
And look like everybody else? Can’t have that. Besides, you can’t put white children in blackface anymore, why that would upset people.
Shiv:
Yep.
If the Christian camp put even the smallest amount of thought into what they were doing they might realize they were being blasphemous by dressing up as pagans and appropriating pagan culture. If there was a Harry Potter camp the Christians would be losing their shit over the witchcraft.
When you can’t get Christians to condemn your paganism and they even embrace it as nothing more than colorful game accessories… Fuck. Native Americans can’t even get the respect that fictional characters get in this country.
I don’t even have words for the state park crap. I’ve kind of come to expect glorification of despicable practices by historical “winners” with whitewashing. It depresses me. I can’t imagine the impact such things have on native Americans.
I need to look at that baby robin again so I can stick my head in the sand for a bit. Sorry, I promise I’ll come back up, but I feel so tired right now.
Christ of the Andes.
How about “Camp Inquisition” where the little children can learn about their true Christian history by extracting confessions under torture and burning witches at the stake?
We *are* supposed to learn from history, but it’s supposed to teach us how to be BETTER PEOPLE.
Kengi:
This happens because Indians are viewed as fictional characters. When anyone thinks about indigenous people at all, it’s generally in a fictional sense, which is why things like noble savage and spiritual primitive persist. Even when people manage not to do that, we all get dumped into this big box labeled ‘Native American’, with complete disregard to those indigenous people who are not in uStates, and never have been, but it’s a catchall which erases and erodes our tribal identity.
Pardon my grouch, but I’m one of many who has serious problems with NA.
Kestrel:
If I was on FB, I’d be posting that suggestion to the camp every 5 minutes.
Sorry. I’m still learning. I’ll try to do better.
Coming next: Rwanda death camp!!!
In 2017 we will be rolling out our new “Auschwitz for kitz”
Teach kids a bit of history!
This happens because Indians are viewed as fictional characters. When anyone thinks about indigenous people at all, it’s generally in a fictional sense, which is why things like noble savage and spiritual primitive persist.
That’s a great way to explain it.
No words.
I looked at the FAQ for the camp.
Kids are not allowed to phone home during their stay.
Load screaming alarm bells, anyone?
Chigau:
Yes.
OK, so I’m a privileged white guy and this makes my blood boil. What’s the best thing to do? I am a bit reluctant to try tackling Indian issues* but this is one of the greatest injustices in recent human history that we’re talking about.
I went on the Fort Abraham Lincoln facebook page and looked at the events they have listed, prepared to drop acid comments, but the only thing I could see referencing Indians was a flute-playing concert which seemed fairly respectful. I saw nothing about pretending to be 7th cavalry. Is it possible that they have realized the error of their ways and removed the event?
A bit of googling about shows that Fort Abraham Lincoln also has a reconstructed Mandan village and a store “Five Nations Arts” that carries art from Indian artists.
The North Dakota parks and recreation site has some footage of kids being propagandized with imperial militarism -- march in line carrying a rifle -- that kind of stuff, but it doesn’t appear to be pushing a “genocide, OK!” message. They’re definitely downplaying it, though. “Custer left on his ill-fated expedition against the Sioux” sounds like of like “Hitlers wehrmacht heading for their winter quarters in Stalingrad” to a military historian, but isn’t that bog-standard downplaying of the genocide?
Aha: found it! Took a bit of link-following..
https://www.facebook.com/events/180137305716254/
Keywords are:
Registration is FREE thanks to a sponsorship by Gate City Bank
and
Register a head of time by calling the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park Commissary Store at 701-667-6385
or email falsp@nd.gov.
Gate City Bank’s administration contact info is here:
https://www.gatecitybank.com/about-us/company-overview/administration/
I suspect they haven’t really thought things through, so they haven’t realized their marketing money is promting a militarized view of genocide. Maybe a few letters explaining that to them would help them understand better.
(* I’m sitting here cautiously wondering “Native American or Indian? what words do I use?” I’m going to follow our host’s lead and use Big-I “Indians” but I like to understand what I am saying and why.)
My comment on the event’s facebook page:
Marcus:
Um, I guess no one is reading the backchannel today. I’m not allowed to copy pasta backchannel stuff, but basically, I asked for other bloggers here to pick these stories up, especially the Camp War Eagle, so pressure could be brought to bear. That won’t happen if people don’t know about it. I also made the point that non-Indians seem to never be okay writing about racism when it is about Indians, because they aren’t one, but that doesn’t stop the same people from writing about racism aimed at black people, hispanic people, etc., when they aren’t those, either.
Marcus, thanks for that FB comment!
Yeah, the reconstructed village is a sore point, but the Mandan let it be because no one cares about them, it’s about the whole Lewis and Clark thing. There are only a bit over a thousand Mandan living today, and they are at Fort Berthold rez.
Five Nations Art is part of the restored Depot, and not directly affiliated with Fort Abraham. It’s one of the few places for Indian artists to put their work on display, and up for sale. I’ve dealt with them a lot, and FNA is native run.
Marcus:
Go with Indigenous People. Works for everyone.
What the fuck is wrong with these people????
*arm-flail; face-palm*
No.
I know what’s wrong with these people—they think that Indians are:
a) Mythical Beasties;
b) Romanticized History;
c) Extinct, so no harm, no foul;
d) Some Combination of the Above.
*double face-palm-with-fuck-cluster*
Plus, the “regalia” is clear marking that says Other. And Other is presumed to be heathen/pagan/demon-worshipper.
--
Cicely:
Yep. All of those.
Caine@#16:
I also made the point that non-Indians seem to never be okay writing about racism when it is about Indians, because they aren’t one, but that doesn’t stop the same people from writing about racism aimed at black people, hispanic people, etc., when they aren’t those, either.
Well, that fits me to a ‘T’ I’m afraid. I’m comfortable writing about racism directed against blacks/hispanics because 5 years ago, I got a really really hard schooling from a good friend who sat me down and told me, “this is the time that we cure you of your privileged white bullshit.” It hurt but it made me an incrementally better person. I had the same issues I do with regard to commenting on Indigenous People, I didn’t know if “African-American” or “Black” or … what was the right terminology… What should I get angry at, and when -- if I get angry -- am I just being entitled? It took me a couple beatings to get the basics of that, down. Regarding the Indigenous Peoples it’s worse for me and harder to talk about. My family came over from Ireland and Norway during the potato famines and never owned slaves and didn’t fight for the south. So I do have to “own” that I’m advantaged because I’m white and have economic advantages I need to be sensitive to, but … when my family came over they were sent from Ellis Island to go live up in the border regions of Wisconsin (“That’s where all you squareheads go” was how it was put) -- lands which had already been cleared of Indigenous People. It’s a fair bet that the family farm was built on land that was cleared by genocide. Of course I wasn’t there at the time but I had the advantages that came from it.
I don’t know what it feels like for people descended from slave-owners, but I imagine it’s hard to look a black person in the eye. I know “I’m sorry” doesn’t cut it. But I don’t know what to do so I tend to not say anything.
Marcus:
Outside of a personal sense, “I’m sorry” doesn’t help. Silence is the weapon of those who rule. Silence is enforced on the oppressed, and those who would be allies. Silence is a tool to make sure the oppressed never have a voice. Are you familiar with Blackfire? They have an album and a song called Silence is a weapon.
Mostly, I go with the song. Yeah, NDNs are wary of white people, and not without good reason. If you read, listen, talk and act in good faith, you’ll find all that returned. Read ICTMN, Native Appropriations, and listen. I have a lot of other links, too. :D There’s good to be had in speaking up, and just because your viewpoint is not coming from an NDN one, doesn’t make it less valuable.
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Jst thnk, thy’ll lrn hw mch lke w ll r!
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Yes, I’m sure playing genocidal asshole and noble savage does wonders for those poor white children. You seem to have no familiarity with Scalzi’s law: The failure mode of clever is “asshole.” You also seem to be unaware of my one rule: Don’t be an asshole. You’re a failure on all fronts. Must be that whiteness turning your brain to sponge. Bye. -- Caine.