Category Archives: authenticity

Toys of Genocide

Michael Yellow Bird brings up a good point. You can still find packets of plastic cowboys and Indians and play shoot ‘em up to your heart’s content. “You can buy toys of genocide,” Yellow Bird told a standing-room-only crowd this … Continue reading

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Cultivate your gut

Crossing the street in downtown Colombo I snapped a picture of the pedestrian sign. Looks like the fellow is cultivating his gut.

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Eat with your hands

We practiced for our vacation in Sri Lanka by eating with our hands. My sweetheart polished off meals like a native. But me? I packed a plastic fork. The typical Sri Lankan meal, called rice curry, features at the centerpiece … Continue reading

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What did you accomplish in 2013?

We still receive holiday cards. And I still send them. Cards are a way to keep in touch with friends we talk to only occasionally. We were a bit lazy this year: we posted our greetings, sent calendars, but failed … Continue reading

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Narcissistic norms

Growing up abroad we learned to respect local customs. As kids we were instructed to withhold judgment—that our Western lenses don’t always allow a clear vision. I spent my adolescence in the third world, where women cloaked their bodies and … Continue reading

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Show me your indigenous people

We hoped our journey to Sri Lanka would find us within indigenous communities. We thought the best approach would be driving through the villages far outside the main cities. Earlier this week we walked through a village to the entrance … Continue reading

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Knuckle down

We traipsed through the Knuckles Mountain range in Sri Lanka this week, stretching limbs and breathing fragrant air. The climb is vigorous: a steep uphill and downhill with potential for slippery rocks.

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Honoring John

November honors the indigenous people of North America and many of us have been sharing memories to position Native issues at the center of discussion. Turning the final page of the calendar marked a transition for my relative John Artichoker, … Continue reading

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Think before you tweet

The headline reads: Cher blasts Thanksgiving. The celebrity apparently tweeted the holiday signals the devastation of Indian peoples. So she doesn’t honor the holiday. When I was in high school I shared her feelings. I rejected materialism, capitalism, marriage—and anything … Continue reading

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Let’s get rid of the Redskins’ name

Talk about cognitive dissonance. A story circulating on Facebook lauds Dan Maffei, a democratic congressional representative from New York, who asks fellow legislators to rid the Washington Redskins of its name. American Indians and others detest the use of Redskins … Continue reading

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