I happen to work with a native woman. I am not a complete racist and I do have native friends, but I am usually the first one to use the word "indian" and make bingo jokes and casino jokes. Not to mention any other joke you can make. I could probably do the best native impression you've ever heard.
It's all because of where I'm from, if you grew up there you too would understand. I have actually been told many times before that I have a slight native accent. It's gone now, but definitely when I first moved and still used the phrase "real dumb you are" the accent was quite clear. I am as white as you can get but somehow, I had a native accent.
It is no lie that indians like to gamble and in a small town like Fort the only "gambling" they can do is play bingo. So every Thursday night (I think they had another night too but Thursday night is the original bingo night) they would get together at the K'wah Hall and play Bingo. The parking lot would be PACKED and the gym smelled of booze, mukluks, and bingo dabbers.
Anyways, so on my first day of work I walked into my office and low and behold, there is a native woman sitting at one of the desks. My first reaction was "nice, a native that actually works!" ... That is not to be racist but where I'm from, not many of the natives work. Most of them live off government cheques so I am actually thrilled to see natives work.
When I first met her I was expecting her to know exactly where Fort St. James was and that she would probably have at least 50 relatives there, but I was blown away by the fact that she didn't have a clue as to where Fort was. I also half expected her to have a full blown native accent but it's not even that bad.
After a few days there she would always come and talk to me. Now she comes into my office every day to say good morning and asks how I'm doing or what I did the day/weekend before. I swear to God it's like everywhere I go the indians just flock towards me. It's like they smell indian town on me or something. It never fails.
So the other day she comes into my office and asks how my weekend was and what I got up to. I told her I didn't get up to much as I was dog sitting but I did have dinner with some friends on the Saturday night. Then, as most people do in a conversation, I asked her, "What did you do all weekend?"
... Because this woman is a hard working native I immediately dismissed the "indian" stereotype that is implanted in my brain. This being because she actually has a job and works very hard at it and pays for things the same way everyone else does. She is also a really good person.
Well... I should have been braced for the response I got but instead due to the fact that I didn't have her stereotyped I was completely taken off guard and almost lost control.
I shit you not, this was her response.
"Well I went and played bingo at the casino! I had a really good night, I won 400 dollars so I did pretty good."
I instantly started smiling and tried not to laugh, and it's not because I was laughing at her, but because it just reminded me so much of home and all I could think was "are you fucking kidding me? How does this shit follow me everywhere I go?!" ... so I smiled politely and kept the conversation going. Meanwhile in my head all I can think about is a conversation we had at Shaz's with Chad at the dinner table.
Then... to make matters worse, this is what she said next:
"Yeah and then I went garage saling. I found a mink blanket for 2 dollars! It was brand new too, never been taken out of the bag even! It was such an awesome deal."
... I'm sorry, what?! I almost couldn't hold it back any longer. I had to immediately remove myself from my thoughts and carry on the conversation the best I could without seeming like an asshole. I really was trying my best not to be an asshole because again, I wasn't laughing at her but just the fact that it was SO stereotypically indian!
Bingo, at the casino, and a mink fucking blanket.
I can't even handle it.
Finally she left my office and I pretty much burst out laughing. Why do things like this have to happen to me? I swear it's probably only funny because of where I'm from. I'm sure most people could sit through that conversation with a straight face but I just couldn't do it. When you grew up saying the phrases "suck, how dumb you sure are" or when you referred to people as "golth" (pronounced gol-sthpsch -- yes that's right) you just can't help but laugh at things like this.
I fully expect to be going to hell after this post. But seriously, a fucking mink blanket?!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
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3 comments:
I would have been all over that mink blanket. Vintage furs of any kind should always be used. The animals are already dead. No sense wasting a fantastic piece of fur. You know, they actually sell animal pelts at the Northern store here that you can do crafts with. The complete animal skin. They had fox, coyote, beaver, rabbit, even different colours. I shit you not.
"Indian" is like calling blacks what?
So, you're saying if our federal Indian and Northern Affairs department was a US institution, it would be called Nigger and Southern Affairs?
Don't get me started on what the "Indian Act" would be called.
Something doesn't compute.
See, I think it all depends on how you look at it. Chad brings up a very good point, also, their reserves are called "indian reserves" ... if they are being proper they will say "first nations" ... but everyone I know says indian and by no means do they mean it in a racist way. If I were to say "what a fucking stupid indian" then yes I'm meaning it to be rude, but if I am talking about an indian I will say indian because that's how I learned it, that's how the town I grew up in would say it, and that's how the indians there would say it. I know so many indians where they'll ask white people "why do you call us natives? we're indians!" ... so again, i don't feel its racist at all unless specifically used to put someone down
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