American Indian Activist: ‘We Are Consciously Deconstructing Euro-Hetero-Christian Programming’

BLACKWELL In a piece ░░░░░░░░ in The Nation this ░░░░░░░░ two Native American activists ░░░░░░░░ whether we should continue ░░░░░░░░ Thanksgiving One says the ░░░░░░░░ should be decolonized The ░░░░░░░░ writer is my next ░░░░░░░░ He says that we ░░░░░░░░ t be celebrating Thanksgiving ░░░░░░░░ should move on to ░░░░░░░░ and tell the whole ░░░░░░░░ of what happened between ░░░░░░░░ Americans and European settlers ░░░░░░░░ Iron Eyes is a ░░░░░░░░ of the Oglala if ░░░░░░░░ mispronounced that correct me ░░░░░░░░ Tribe and an American ░░░░░░░░ activist Let me hear ░░░░░░░░ from you Chase IRON ░░░░░░░░ Good morning and thank ░░░░░░░░ for having me on ░░░░░░░░ Good morning IRON EYES ░░░░░░░░ s you know every ░░░░░░░░ we go through these ░░░░░░░░ these are rituals these ░░░░░░░░ these concepts these they ░░░░░░░░ part of our collective ░░░░░░░░ mythology And in America ░░░░░░░░ is a settler a ░░░░░░░░ foreigner alien settler cultural ░░░░░░░░ From my eyes as ░░░░░░░░ indigenous person we ve ░░░░░░░░ here for a lot ░░░░░░░░ than the settler institutions ░░░░░░░░ telling us are teaching ░░░░░░░░ children in our schools ░░░░░░░░ when we hijack the ░░░░░░░░ and we put in ░░░░░░░░ place something that is ░░░░░░░░ palatable something that eases ░░░░░░░░ guilty settler conscience it ░░░░░░░░ us up for conflict ░░░░░░░░ on because truth precedes ░░░░░░░░ And justice precedes peace ░░░░░░░░ when we look at ░░░░░░░░ holidays you know we ░░░░░░░░ Native American Heritage Month ░░░░░░░░ s going on right ░░░░░░░░ And we re just ░░░░░░░░ in a state where ░░░░░░░░ re consciously deconstructing Euro ░░░░░░░░ Christian programming You could ░░░░░░░░ it settler programming But ░░░░░░░░ s the truth When ░░░░░░░░ look into it I ░░░░░░░░ a lawyer and I ░░░░░░░░ studied the sources of ░░░░░░░░ cultural mythologies the mythologies ░░░░░░░░ one demographic is not ░░░░░░░░ the settler but the ░░░░░░░░ explorer the pioneer the ░░░░░░░░ that tamed the Wild ░░░░░░░░ and brought under their ░░░░░░░░ and in their subjugation ░░░░░░░░ of the beasts of ░░░░░░░░ wild not only the ░░░░░░░░ but they re talking ░░░░░░░░ us They re talking ░░░░░░░░ the merciless Indian savages ░░░░░░░░ is in the United ░░░░░░░░ Constitution So when we ░░░░░░░░ about the myths of ░░░░░░░░ people they provide a ░░░░░░░░ a meaning and a ░░░░░░░░ to people I couldn ░░░░░░░░ imagine myself going yeah ░░░░░░░░ ahead.”