This is the last of a bi-weekly series that for my Native American Assimilation and Activism class. Every two weeks we make posts sharing what we learned in the class.
Over the last two weeks we have covered Financial Activism and Native American Mascots and Activism.
Financial Activism
Financial Activism one of the least know forms of activism. The way it was described in class was breaking the pre-existing notions related to money and taking ownership of it. Financial Activism is a way to take control of your financial future and make sure that you are not taken advantage of.
- Narrative #1: You Should Know “How to Money”
- Narrative #2: Talking About Money is Impolite
- Narrative #3: You’ll Be Rich if you Just Work Hard
- Narrative #4: Unless you’re a man, wanting money is “selfish”
- Narrative #5: Money can’t buy you happiness (aka wanting money is evil)
As mentioned in the lecture, “Many Indigenous peoples are living in poverty, especially on reservations. They may have limited access to financial resources and institutions that teach and encourage financial literacy.”
The lecture was concluded with a Budgeting 101 on the “Three Bucket System”
Native American Mascots and Activism
Over 2000 sports teams from high school to professional level have Native American mascots. These mascots are often seen as offensive and harmful to Native American communities because they perpetuate incorrect stereotypes and often just perpetuate literal racial slurs. It shows a non-accurate representation of Native American culture and history.
The class was concluded with the film “More than a Word” which covers the controversial use of Native American mascots and names in sports, with a particular focus on the Washington NFL team’s former name, the “Redskins.”