We've all met him...

His name is Murphy, and he's got some really consistent but frustrating laws. Would you believe that last night I actually waited until I got all my homework done before posting? I did...and it was a long, beautiful, thought-provoking post, too. And somewhere in the mess of looking for a link near the end, I accidentally shut down the browser window without posting and now it's lost. Damn you Murphy! The one time I actually post after my work! Argh....In any case, I'll try to recreate it now, because I feel the topic is an important one.

(And, in case you were wondering, yes there is work I should be doing right now, but I'm not taking any chances. Clearly if I don't post to procrastinate Murphy steps in with his silly laws and ruins all my work.)

So my Thanksgiving break was a lovely one indeed. I think for the first time ever (including college and high school) I was able to balance seeing friends, family, getting work done and relaxing. Plus I got back on Saturday so I was able to slowly reacclimate myself to the land of the Red Sox...although it's been pretty warm here, so not much adjustment was needed.

Thanksgiving Day to me always brings to mind elementary school pageants and projects with Pilgrims and Indians, of peace and harmony. But the truth is, for a lot of people, Thanksgiving is a bitter reminder of what we as settlers have done to the American Indians over the past 200+ years. Now, before I get going I'd like to say that I don't know as much as I should on this topic, so I'm going to say my piece, and if you want to correct me, or contradict me, I'm open to that. You can even tell me I shouldn't shoot my mouth off before I do the research. But there's still a First Amendment, and as long as that's in place I'm going to speak my mind.

I took a multi-cultural children's literature class last spring and we spent a week reviewing literature that tries to represent American Indian (as I read this week they prefer to Native American) culture. I was shocked at some of the things we found. Our base book was one found on Oyate that reviewed common children's literature and pointed out the good and the bad examples, and why they were good and bad books. One book that was recommended against was The Indian in the Cupboard, which is a book I enjoyed growing up, and a story which was made into a popular children's movie in the recent past. The problem? It only shows one side of the American Indian life. It provides a skewed vision of American Indians as warrior/savages, and does nothing to represent the rich, diverse culture they have. Many children's books and movies are the same way. The book we used also had some essays written by American Indians, expressing their rage at the discrimination and persecution they face, especially at Thanksgiving each year.

My question is this: how has this gone on for so long without raising an outcry from the American public? How did we get through the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Liberation Movement and look over these injustices? We've taken these people's land, their rights, and we misrepresent them in common culture. How is it that it doesn't get more press? Why don't our children learn more about the American Indian culture and history? Why don't they learn more about the injustices we've done and think of ways how to fix them? I just don't get it...I was in the dark for so long about the whole affair, but ignorance is not an excuse. How do we start to fix this? To right the wrongs?

If you think I switched paragraphs because I have an answer, you're wrong. I don't. I guess one of the reasons more attention isn't paid to this is because it involves a willingness to really accept that one has been wrong, and be able to live with that to start to be right again. It's easy, but it's hard. It's like my friend Michelle's blog about helping the homeless: why don't we? It only takes a second of your time to stop and ask the homeless person their name to give them some dignity, to make them real, to find out what it is they really need...but most people don't because they don't want to face the guilt of having comfort and food and a warm house when this person is out on the street. It's easy, but it's hard. And I'm not saying I'm exempt from this, nor am I saying we should go out and invite all the homeless into our houses, or that stopping to talk to them is going to solve all homelessness...but it's a start, you know? You have to start somewhere. And it's the same with the American Indian culture: you have to start somewhere. I don't have time to read right now, but maybe I'm doing my part by bringing this to light and one of you will want to read more, and maybe next time you'll speak up when someone glosses over this issue unknowingly. Maybe you'll approach your child's reading teacher when she assigns The Indian in the Cupboard and offer her the Oyate website. Or maybe you'll go to Oyate yourself and read up on what you can...it's a start. Or maybe you'll do nothing...who knows?

So, that's not as eloquent as yesterday's version, but it's the same stuff basically. I'm not saying I'm right, or you're wrong...I'm just commenting on something that seems to be widely ignored, and pondering how it got that way and how it stays that way.

In other, lighter, and totally unrelated news, Target has adult sized footie pajamas! No lie. I looked for them online so I could link you to them, but I got nothin'. But I saw them with my own eyes in the store yesterday, so they're out there! They're flannel, and they look so warm and cozy. Go out and get yours now and satisfy your inner child!

OK, it's time to get some semblance of work done before the girls I nanny for wake up from their nap. Remember: it's OK to be thankful, but also be conscious at the same time. And get some footie pajamas for your inner child!