Our local newspaper, the State Journal-Register, had a couple of items in the opinion section of today’s paper and online of significant interest, one was the political cartoon by Chris Britt and the other was the paper’s opinion called “Our Opinion.” Both pieces express displeasure about Chief Illiniwek.
If you ever wondered what the big deal is about why many people disapprove of Chief Illiniwek, please take a look at this short video. I now understand it completely.
In essence, Chief Illiniwek and his supporters are and are encouraging the mocking of deeply held spiritual beliefs. This is not mocking religious beliefs, but deeply held spiritual beliefs and rituals.
Let me try to explain:
Your culture has taught you, within the very essence of your being (meaning that you have no doubts whatsoever) that the Gods and/or Goddesses will show praise upon you and your people if you perform a specific ritual in a specific manner. However, if you perform it or allow it to be performed in a mocking way, the Gods and/or Goddesses will inflict harm upon you and/or your community.
The ritual drums and dances performed by the Native Americans were such rituals to them. Then, the white man came along and imposed genocide upon the Native Americans. Then, the white man performed some goofy little thing and he tries to call it honorship, when to the Native Americans, it is nothing less than offensive.
I can now only imagine how pissed off the Native Americans must be, and especially knowing that they cannot retaliate in anyway. They can only sit back and take it, and possibly peacefully complain about it. Think about it. You are a small tribe existing peacefully. Your tribe develops a spiritual system and practices that lasts for hundreds if not thousands of years. It is a true part of your very being.
Then, another group of people come along and kill mosts and displace many. Then that group uses some very, very bad version of your spiritual practice that you hold dear. You know it is wrong, and it offends you greatly, but you are so outnumbered and overpowered that there is literally nothing that you can do about it. How would that make you feel?
