Indigenous People's Day

Happy Indigenous People's Day! Some people celebrate the second Monday in October as Columbus Day, but many of us prefer to honor instead the people who were here in the Americas for centuries before Columbus "discovered" it.

Many cities are finally making the name change official, adopting Indigenous People's Day to celebrate the people and their culture, and also to reflect on their ongoing struggles in this land. The celebration today includes powwows, drumming, dancing, Native American foods and crafts.

Agenda:
1. A note about appropriation

2. Make fry bread

1. A note about appropriation:

Borrowing from someone else’s culture happens all the time. Artists and craftspeople have always been inspired by symbols and images of other cultures. This practice is called cultural exchange. In cultural exchange, there is mutual sharing and mutual respect.

 

Cultural appropriation, one the other hand, is “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” It's when we borrow without permission, and without acknowledgement to the victim culture’s past.

 

As Taté Walker says  in 

4 Ways To Honor Native Americans Without Appropriating Our Culture

:  "There is a fine line between appropriation and appreciation."

Most of us intend no harm - we like the style or the symbolism; we like to appear worldly or exotic - but it's time to stop being boorish, insensitive, racist white folks and learn what is appropriate and what isn't. 

I need to do my homework - can I continue to teach folk arts the way I've done the last 30 years? 

Queries:

Am I using items or ceremonies of a minority culture in order to make it a part of my own culture, or to appear worldly? 

Am I creating crafts from a minority culture in order to sell them to make a profit?

Do I know the history of the people, and understand the cultural significance of the item or custom?

Go to my sidebar to see the National Art Education Association position statement regarding cultural appropriation.

2. Make fry bread:
Traditional powwow food!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. yeast 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. oil
• 4 c. flour
• 1-1/2 c. vegetable oil for frying

Yield: 8-10 pieces-

1- Dissolve the yeast in 1-2/3 c. warm water for 5 minutes, then add salt, sugar, and oil.

2- Add flour to the liquid mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing with a spoon, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. 

Knead on a floured board, adding more flour as needed, until smooth. Put dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise for 1 hour.

3- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet to 350ºF.

4- Remove dough from the bowl and divide into 8-10 balls. Roll or pat each to 1/2-inch thick circles or squares (or hearts or whatever!)

5- Drop the dough into hot cooking oil 1 or 2 at a time (don't over crowd). Cook for about 1 minute on the first side and less on the second side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar-- YUMM.