Today in class, Jen showed us a video of one of Donald Trumps addresses. I have to say I was disgusted at the way he addressed the audience and how he used stereotypical identifications of Native American. It also pointed out he does not really know much about Native Americans. He seems to picture Native Americans as the romanticized depiction of Pocahontas portrayed from Walt Disney. Donald Trump did not stop there he also made fun of the Me 2 movement like it was not a big thing by saying they should throw a DNA test at a senator because she doe not fit his understanding of what a Native American is. He then says the DNA test should be thrown at her “gently”. Now to my knowledge thrown something at someone even “gently” is an act of violence and is no way a President should act toward anyone. It should not even be joked around.
Then we read an article about what the meaning of a DNA test means to Native Americans. The article was called “There is no DNA test to prove you’re Native American” and it means not very much to the Native Americans. Some tribes use it for new people looking to enroll, but for the most part it does not mean a lot. After reading the article I came to the conclusion that I agree with the DNA test is not away to prove a person is a Native American decent because it does not take into account for the people living on the reservation their whole lives and have learned the culture and traditions of the tribe. I find being Native American is more than just some blood test, but you have to experience and live it. If we start drawing lines because of blood test it will only cause use to segregate one another and cause more harm than good.
tkyle July 12, 2018
Looking at the DNA testing paragraph, I agree that the blood tests only separate the different cultures that blend and adapt to each other so well. If this is done, they’d be left in a hole searching for answers. It seems to be all about the money though. The Native Americans don’t really care what a blood test has to say. They just know what they grew up learning and loving their surroundings. The government and this country as a whole just can’t stand the idea of the Indians being able to live a good life, so they want to test them to make sure they’re eligible for the opportunities provided to them for being able to say they’re part of a federally recognized Indian tribe.