Re: Ultimate PC (kinda long)

My name is Ted Burton, Alappiechsu Wiechcheu. As a child I was named by my
father, my uncles and grandfathers being dead or otherwise estranged,
Metimmitit, Little Wolf. My brothers in the Order of the Arrow, knowing
nothing of my heritage in this regard, seeing my affinity for the wolf and
my willingness to shoot my mouth off, gave me the name Alappiechsin
Wiechcheu, which I have taken the liberty of grammatically correcting for
daily use when appropriate. My father died before I otherwise received an
adult name. I do not claim to be anything more than a student of my
heritage, and teachers are hard to come by. Anyway:

Bob Rosebrough of Columbia, MD asks if it was in any wise wrong to use
Indian outfits, arrow shooting, and feather symbolism in a Cub ceremony,
and asks

> Is an Indian costume disrespectful to Indians/Native Americans.

The answer to this question is not simple. In looking through the various
responses already received, I can see that each answerer filtered the
question through his own expectations. If the answerer assumed the Pack
ceremony to have been not sufficiently described, you get one answer; if
the answerer assumed the Pack ceremony to have been conducted in authentic
outfit and with respect, you got another answer.

At 16:45 1.29.1996, Daniel W Brown appreciated the issues and very
correctly wrote:
>
>The short answer to the question is yes, it can be disrespectful but it
>need not be if used in context. The longer answer gets more complicated.

At 17:09 1.29.1996, Jonathan Dixon wrote also with some accuracy:
>
>This is a delicate issue, as there is a fine line between honoring a
>tradition and mocking that tradition and different people have
>different interpretations of that line.
>
He pointed out that the Order of the Arrow is schooled in these matters and
suggested you contact them.

At 23:26 1.29.1996, Larry Hoffman assumed the ceremony was done with
authenticity and respect and wrote:
>
>Just want to throw in my $.02 worth. In this age of hyper-sensitivity with
>the media exacerbating every slight, perceived slight, or just flat making
>stuff up it is a shame that a parent would become upset over something like
>an Indian themed ceremony. When I use or participate in Indian theme
>ceremonies they are always very repectful of the Native American culture and
>are most times very solemn and filled with the symbolism of nature, and
>values. If a parent finds this offensive then perhaps tht parent is in need
>of diversity training.

Now let me add my $0.02 cents worth, payable in Narragansett wampum, if I
can find any:

Cub Scouts already have uniforms, not including fringe or feathers. Cub
Scouts already have badges of rank, which are not feathers. Cub Scouts have
traditional ceremonies involving bridges and candled arrows of light, and
such. Cub Scouts have a Kipling's Jungle Book motif, not a Native American
motif. The Pack is named for Akela's wolf pack in the Jungle Book. Wolf,
Bear, and Lion were straight out of Kipling. So in reaching for a Native
American motif, your Pack was branching out on its own.

You did not say whether the parent's protest was based upon the parent's
own ethnicity, or upon the parent's version of the way to respect others.
You did not say whether the "Indian costume" was true to a local heritage,
or to Hollywood. The OA is careful not to describe Native American clothing
as a "costume." In being so careful the OA acknowledges that Native
American outfits are the daily or ceremonial wear of Real People, and often
such clothing is making a cultural, band, clan, or family statement.

Was there anything Native American about the Pack event other than the
outfits? Was a statement being made, look, we are just like Native
Americans, when we in fact nothing was said and nothing was done that would
be recognized by any Native American as different from what you would have
said and done had you been in Cub uniforms?

If the parent is a Native American in blood part, and heart whole, and if
the outfits were charicatures, and if nothing was said about them or why
they were worn, and if the arrows were not launched with ceremony, and if
the feathers were awarded without ceremony, then the parent probably felt
that the Native American part was without respect, heritage being used as a
decoration, being expropriated, rather than honored. The Pack can be
related to the Band/Village; the parallel can be drawn between the honored
aunts, uncles and grandparents teaching the youth of the Band, and the Den
Leaders and other involved adults providing guidance to the youth of the
Pack Family. A story can be told of the Eagle feather being awarded to the
maturing youth in a moment as serious to the Band as the Bar Mitzvah or
First Communion is to the Pack. Or we can just do what we ordinarily do
while dressed in Hollywood's version of an Indian outfit appropriately
called costume, because it means nothing to the Native American tradition
of the Pack's neighborhood.

Your parent may have felt as you or others in your group might have felt if
the Cubmaster and den chiefs were dressed as Catholic Priest and Acolytes,
passing out bread wafers in the number of badges earned. You must remember
that there is no group in America with a greater historical justification
for being paranoid. There is great sensitivity to borrowing from Native
American culture without also taking to heart the significance of that
which is borrowed, which significance may take lengthy study to understand.
I hope there was not any "me heap big chief" dialogue.

There is a whole lot more to honoring the ways of the Native American, than
dressing up in Indian suits, passing out feathers, and shooting arrows.
When one gets to BSA and Scouting, there are more links to Native American
themes, given Beard's Woodcraft Indians, and so forth, that ultimately were
absorbed into Scouting. Links are mostly through the Order of the Arrow.
Not yet, though, not in Cubs; and in Scouting it is done in what could be
called "deadly earnest," with absolute attention to authenticity. Respect
is shown for religion and tradition (mostly by way of steering far away
from invoking any symbols of that). Face painting is prohibited in National
OA events, for example. No religious or political dances are to be done by
OA dancers who are not also Native American, nor as I understand even by
them at OA events.

Now, on the other hand, I think your adult owes you an explanation as well.
This should be a learning opportunity for everyone. He should not treat you
as already knowing what he believes he knows. He should be willing to
explain to you how he does think, listen to your views, and work out with
you understandings either on future actions, or on there not being certain
kinds of future actions, or even on future disagreements.

=-=-=-=-=-=- II <<<=-=<I=-=<<< II -=-=-=-=-=-=
Alappiechsu Wiechcheu, Wolf Who Talks Fast
Tukarica Lodge 266, Chapter Adviser, Hemene Chapter
Ore-Ida Council 106, D. Eagle Rep., Post 246 CR, Troop 246 MC
------------ "a good ol' Fox too..." ------------
YIS, Doc Fox
Ted Burton
City Attorney and Prosecutor

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