Political Correctness kills 1st Graders Thanksgiving Play

[WildCat]

Now a simple Thanksgiving play by 1st graders (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/112203_ap_ns_pilgrimsindians.html) is unacceptable.

The first graders who wanted to be Indians had produced the usual feathered headdresses out of construction paper, while the Pilgrims in the class had made black hats and bonnets. But after a parent complained that the Indian costumes might be racially insensitive, principal Pete Davis decided to ban all costumes.

So, I hope all of you who did this in grade school now realize what monsters you are! :p

Oh well, now thay can learn that Thanksgiving is about turkey and football.

[WildCat]

BTW, Skokie is a suburb directly north of Chicago. It's heavily Jewish, but has an incredible mix of just about all ethnic groups. Just so you don't think this is about WASP's propagating racial stereotypes. Several of the parents were on a talk radio station this week, discussing how they took great pains to research the exact Indian tribe involved w/ the Pilgrims so as to produce as authentic costumes as possible, but Leonard Malatare objected because he felt only actual Indians could play or properly educate the kids about the event.

Sheesh, these are 1st graders!

[patoco12]

They're not teaching tolerance with this decision, they're teaching the kids to be afraid of racial differences. Pretty ridiculous.

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by WildCat
Sheesh, these are 1st graders!
Thats right! And the paper feather hats are corrupting their young impressionable minds!

[Voob]

Sounds like the South Park Christmas pageant in the Mr.Hankey episode.

[Blue Monk]

Well, it's a safe bet that no one from the tribe that helped the Pilgrims will complain.

We wiped them from the face of the Earth by the 18th Century.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Couldn't they all just have smokumed peace pipe?

[Glory]

Originally posted by WildCat
BTW, Skokie is a suburb directly north of Chicago. It's heavily Jewish, but has an incredible mix of just about all ethnic groups. Just so you don't think this is about WASP's propagating racial stereotypes. Several of the parents were on a talk radio station this week, discussing how they took great pains to research the exact Indian tribe involved w/ the Pilgrims so as to produce as authentic costumes as possible, but Leonard Malatare objected because he felt only actual Indians could play or properly educate the kids about the event.

Sheesh, these are 1st graders!

Well if actual indians had stepped forward to educate these children he might have a leg to stand on. All his attitude does is ensure that the children do not learn about the Indians at all. How is that correct by any standard?

Glory

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

It's spelled injun. innnnjuuuun.

[WildCat]

Originally posted by Blue Monk
Well, it's a safe bet that no one from the tribe that helped the Pilgrims will complain.

We wiped them from the face of the Earth by the 18th Century.
Then these guys (http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/) are imposters? :rolleyes:

[WildCat]

Originally posted by Glory


Well if actual indians had stepped forward to educate these children he might have a leg to stand on. All his attitude does is ensure that the children do not learn about the Indians at all. How is that correct by any standard?

Glory
Oh, don't worry. Leonard gave a speech to the kids about his tribe (Lakota Sioux), even taught them a few words in Sioux. Of course, the actual Indians in the Pilgrim story was an Algonquin tribe called the Wampanoag. (http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/)

Maybe the Sioux are just jealous?

[Blue Monk]

Originally posted by WildCat

Then these guys (http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/) are imposters? :rolleyes:

Oh don't roll your eyes at me, hehe.

My sarcasim may have been a bit heavily laced with hyperbole but it is a matter of historical record that the Wampanoag did not fair well in the years following the first Thanksgiving.

Bounties were placed on them (their scalps were redemable in coin) and large numbers of them, as were many other New England Indians, were sold into slavery.

But, for the record, I do agree with you that the objections to this little play seem pretty silly. I think that the fact that they went to the trouble of striving for historical accuracy is a plus.

Portraying an historical event accurately should be encouraged.

[CFLarsen]

This is ridiculous. Only "real" indians could play indians? Has this guy never heard of theater? That on stage, you create illusions, not (necessarily) reality?

Is he going to insist that only a black opera singer can sing the lead in "Othello"? That Shylock MUST be played by a Jew?

What do you call it when only people of a certain ethnic group are allowed to do a certain job? Yup....

They even used PAPER "feathers", they didn't even tear out feathers from real animals....sheesh....

[Cleopatra]

Pssssttt Claus give up with your reasoning. We are talking about Americans here.

Nope I am not stereotyping at all :p :p

I like your idea. Shyloc must be performed by a Jew and Othello by a black. Now what if they want to perform " A Midsummer's Night Dream"

Can you imagine them searching for a man with a donkey's head to play Quince? LOL

[Blue Monk]

Originally posted by CFLarsen
This is ridiculous. Only "real" indians could play indians? Has this guy never heard of theater? That on stage, you create illusions, not (necessarily) reality?

Is he going to insist that only a black opera singer can sing the lead in "Othello"? That Shylock MUST be played by a Jew?

What do you call it when only people of a certain ethnic group are allowed to do a certain job? Yup....

They even used PAPER "feathers", they didn't even tear out feathers from real animals....sheesh....

Yes and only Godzilla can menace Tokyo. (but that's different, it's in his contract)

It seems to be a case of "someone" fearing that "someone" "might" be offended.

I think it is great the someone is showing concern for the feelings of any group but shutting the play down was not the appropriate response. It would have made a lot more sense to simply consult with representatives of the group in question and get their input.

But in the guy's defense as principle his job can hang on wether or not he decides correctly and may have simply erred on the side of caution I can understand him being a bit more sensitive in this area because wa all know how many other people certainly are.

But in the long run it seems that what could have turned into a quite educational extension of the play's original goal was cut short due to expediancy.

[Blue Monk]

Originally posted by Cleopatra
Pssssttt Claus give up with your reasoning. We are talking about Americans here.

Nope I am not stereotyping at all :p :p

I like your idea. Shyloc must be performed by a Jew and Othello by a black. Now what if they want to perform " A Midsummer's Night Dream"

Can you imagine them searching for a man with a donkey's head to play Quince? LOL

Yes, it would be silly to expect every grade school to have enough variety of cultures to represent any configuration in a school play.

I do understand certain minorities objection to times when Hollywood would only cast white actors in minority roles but that is a legitimate job discrimination issue.

Even though he is half-latino I think Martin Sheen has proven quite well that he is much more convincing as the consummate WASP than he would ever be in a latino role. That certainly does not offend me.

Yes and we Americans can be pretty touchy and sometimes more than a little silly when it comes to race issues but one must keep in mind the long and bloody history we have concerning race relations. Even I, someone living in the 21st century have memories of lynchings and race riots. Though I am 140 years removed from the Civil war it is clear from the current state of affairs that history does not turn on a dime.

I think one thing that makes Americans look silly to non-Americans is that we tend to be so polarized on so many topics, with the majority of both the left and right wings responding in knee-jerk fashion.

That seems to be the case here with this principal. I can almost hear him thinking, “Uh-oh, white kids portraying Indians, this is bound to upset someone. I better play it safe.”

[hgc]

Also from the article...Instead, Davis invited Leonard Malatare of the American Indian Center in Chicago to attend the party and tell the students a little about his culture and lead them in a traditional blessing. Lead them in a blessing? In a public school? Now I have a problem.

[hgc]

Originally posted by Blue Monk


Yes, it would be silly to expect every grade school to have enough variety of cultures to represent any configuration in a school play.

I do understand certain minorities objection to times when Hollywood would only cast white actors in minority roles but that is a legitimate job discrimination issue.

Even though he is half-latino I think Martin Sheen has proven quite well that he is much more convincing as the consummate WASP than he would ever be in a latino role. That certainly does not offend me.

Yes and we Americans can be pretty touchy and sometimes more than a little silly when it comes to race issues but one must keep in mind the long and bloody history we have concerning race relations. Even I, someone living in the 21st century have memories of lynchings and race riots. Though I am 140 years removed from the Civil war it is clear from the current state of affairs that history does not turn on a dime.

I think one thing that makes Americans look silly to non-Americans is that we tend to be so polarized on so many topics, with the majority of both the left and right wings responding in knee-jerk fashion.

That seems to be the case here with this principal. I can almost hear him thinking, “Uh-oh, white kids portraying Indians, this is bound to upset someone. I better play it safe.” The article makes it pretty clear that who was doing the portraying was not the issue, but rather what they were portraying (the costumes promoting stereotypes).Malatare had told Davis that generic Indian outfits such as those worn by many children at Thanksgiving pageants tend to promote the stereotyping of Native Americans.

"At this age level, you let them dress up in feathers and do the little Indian thing, they'll grow up with that image in their head," Malatare said. "I've had people come up and ask me if I was born in a teepee. We need to start getting away from these stereotypes." What? Did Indians of the 17th century wear feathers and live in teepees (or wigwams or whatever type of housing that didn't consist of 4 wooden walls and a gabled roof)? Sounds like this guy wants to erase history because some ignorant people have misguided notions about how Indians live today. I guess he figures that if we become even ignorant about the Indian dress and housing of 400 years ago, things will improve today.

[WildCat]

Originally posted by hgc
The article makes it pretty clear that who was doing the portraying was not the issue, but rather what they were portraying (the costumes promoting stereotypes).
Leonard Malatare did say this in a radio interview about the subject. At first he had objections about "stereotyped" costumes, parents of the 1st graders replied that they took pains to make them as authentic as possible w/ respect to the Wampanaga dress of the day. Leonard then changed his tune to say that only Indians could portray Indians, that even Indian kids must go through rituals beforer they can wear eagle feathers, and it was insulting to have non-Indians wear the costumes.

Although, given what I know about the demographics of the area I'd bet that there were at least a few asian-Indians in the play. ;)

[hgc]

Originally posted by WildCat

Leonard Malatare did say this in a radio interview about the subject. At first he had objections about "stereotyped" costumes, parents of the 1st graders replied that they took pains to make them as authentic as possible w/ respect to the Wampanaga dress of the day. Leonard then changed his tune to say that only Indians could portray Indians, that even Indian kids must go through rituals beforer they can wear eagle feathers, and it was insulting to have non-Indians wear the costumes.

Although, given what I know about the demographics of the area I'd bet that there were at least a few asian-Indians in the play. ;) It sounds like this particular activist is obsessed with controlling the dissemination of information related to his people. I can understand his frustration, but he is sorely mistaken if he thinks this is an intellectually fruitful approach. He needs to get a little perspective.

[Hand Bent Spoon]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner
Couldn't they all just have smokumed peace pipe?

Ugh!

(That's both a legitimate response to the quoted dialect, as well as a perpetration of it, in case you didn't get it.;) )

[Hand Bent Spoon]

Originally posted by Cleopatra
Pssssttt Claus give up with your reasoning. We are talking about Americans here.

Nope I am not stereotyping at all :p :p


At least our country's best days are still ahead, rather than 5,000 years behind.

I don't stereotype, either.:D