Who wants to hear American Indians' own stories? National symposium, March 2-3

A national symposium on what I call the "enforced invisibility" of Native Americans in the USA?? Well it's about time. Speaking as a journalist I have to suggest that there's one big elephant in this room which this symposium should address - among many other things. That issue is why most U.S. news items that use a variety of US population statistics always, always leave out American Indians - as if they don't exist. I've actually had people in the United States of America (and sometimes in other countries) - including 'foreigners' and a few "domestics" (US natives) - try to tell me either a) "American Indians no longer exist", or b) "not enough American Indians exist today for them to matter, or to be included or consulted in U.S. public discussions on just about anything". Such dis-information is about as criminally negligent as it is sad and almost needless to say I've shot down such comments without blinking an eye. The whole thing of continually dismissing American Indians in their/our own country makes my blood run cold. And why are all of us as US communities of colour consistently and separately always compared to middle-class and affluent Whites instead of comparing our successes and the "challenges" we face to each other? Usually what's being compared revolves around some problem or something negative and basically it's almost invariably never a positive comparison in favour of Americans of colour. Why is that? Whether it's data on rates of diabetes or obesity or average levels of education or un/employment or home ownership, Latinos are compared to so-called "non-Latino" whites; Black Americans are compared to whites; Asian Americans are compared to whites, while both Native American and Pacific Islander populations (Hawai'i, Samoa, Fiji, Mariana Islands, etc.) usually are pretty well left out. March's upcoming seminar is: Who Wants to Hear Our Story? Communications and Contemporary Native Americans - A Media Symposium. March 2-3, 2006, Washington, DC. "The absence of U.S. media coverage about Native American communities means that Indian Country today is a mystery to most people. While there are rampant stereotypes, realities and cultural strengths remain hidden. ..." There's a $50 fee that pays for "two breakfasts, lunch on Thursday, a reception on Thursday night, and all symposium materials. Participants will need to make their own housing arrangements." The website also quotes Jose - Jose Barreiro: "... In the increasingly organized anti-Indian climate, a focus on media attitudes and content is crucial. We are glad to join FCNL in seeking both clear strategy and substantial engagement of media by Native Nations and a better and deeper education for mainstream journalists on the nature of tribal rights. -- Jose Barreiro, senior advisor, American Indian Policy and Media Initiative." The co-sponsors of the symposium are listed on the site (no, I haven't linked them!):

Friends Committee on National Legislation (conference coordinator)
American Indian Policy and Media Initiative
Americans for Indian Opportunity
American Friends Service Committee
Call to Renewal
First Nations Development Institute
Honor Our Neighbors' Origins and Rights (HONOR)
Institute for Tribal Government
The Interfaith Alliance
National American Indian Housing Council
National Congress of American Indians
National Council of Churches
National Indian Child Welfare Association
National Indian Council on Aging
National Indian Health Board
National Native American Families Together
National Urban Indian Family Coalition
Native American Journalists Association
Native American Rights Fund

Comments

[Kim Pearson]

Hey Marian,
I talked to former BIA director Kevin Gover about this issue (and others) last week. Here's a link:
http://professorkim.blogspot.com/2006/01/former-bia-director-kevin-gover-speaks.html