9e49851b   
   XPost: alt.buddha.short.fat.guy, soc.culture.native   
   From: dalton@nfld.com   
      
   On Jun 10, 2018, awaken21 wrote   
   (in article<361e4dac-6b08-4ad5-8bbe-eca5e90af032@googlegroups.com>):   
      
   > "   
   > #DearNonNatives   
   >   
   > Dear NonNatives: Nothing is your spirit animal. Not a person, place or thing.   
   > Nothing is your spirit animal. You do not get one.   
   >   
   > Spirit animals derive from Anishinaabe and other tribes deeply held religious   
   > beliefs. It is a sacred, beloved process that is deeply secret'   
   >   
   > You as a NonNative can say x is my spirit animal but as an Anishinaabe woman   
   > I hear "I'm a ignorant asshole." There are better words   
   >   
   > If you want to say X is my spirit animal, don't. Try "Patronus" or "Muse." or   
   > "Inspiration" NONE OF WHICH MISAPPROPRIATE A LIVING CULTURE   
   >   
   > NonNatives who think I'm mean for picking on them for saying "X is my spirit   
   > animal" will receive an apology when the continent is returned   
   >   
   > I even go after other Natives &  Indigenous people who misuse the word. It is   
   > tribal specific, like headdresses and Kachinas   
   >   
   > &  when a Native person tells you to please stop saying "__ is my spirit   
   > animal" the proper thing is to get over the defensiveness, apologize   
   >   
   > AND THEN STOP SAYING "____ IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL." Not argue, defend your   
   > shitty cultural appropriation or mock anyone.   
   >   
   > The pushback against "Don't say '__ is my spirit animal'" comes from a   
   > NonNative belief that Indigenous Culture is for their consumption   
   >   
   > NonNatives get furious when Natives say that "Hey, our culture and spiritual   
   > beliefs are not for you, no matter what," I've had whites yell   
   >   
   > at me like I smacked their white babies when I've said "I am not going to   
   > tell you." See thing is, NonNatives take take take. So greedy.   
   >   
   > You take our land, our languages, our blood, our babies, now you want me to   
   > guide you thru our beliefs &  cultures?   
   >   
   > source: https://twitter.com/cyborgn8vmari/status/758755500099940352?lang=en   
   > "   
      
   I use the term SSOSOSS (species someone of other species of   
   significant sign), not spirit animal or totemic spirit, to avoid   
   doing such cultural appropriation. Similarly I call my sun   
   stare experience a sun stare, not a sun dance.   
      
   --   
   David Dalton dalton@nfld.com http://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)   
   http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/dtales.html Salmon on the Thorns (mystic page)   
   “In the merry month of June, from me home I started   
   Left the girls of Tuam nearly broken hearted" (traditional)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)