Mountain made from a mole hillBy Steven G Booth
February 14, 2022
It was disappointing to read in Sitnews that the KIC tribal council is putting their names to what can only be described as a "mountain made from a mole hill" and joining the victimhood mentality of a minority of people claiming racism over high school kids wearing cowboy hats or the perceptions that it was about a childhood game "cowboys n Indians". Never would I have ever believed that the icon of a cowboy or country and western attire, could ever be twisted into a symbol that represents hate and racism. It is shocking that so many Alaska Natives are also buying into that ridiculous narrative. My name is Steven Booth, I am a citizen (member) of Metlakatla, Tlingit and Haida decent, adopted Tsimshian. Much of my family is from or still resides in Metlakatla and Ketchikan. My wife is Bonna Booth, My mother is Georgianna Zimmerle, and my late father is Bruce Booth of Metlakatla, My grandmother is Mary Elizabeth Smith, and my grandfather is Robert Edenso of Craig Alaska, and grandfather Arnold Booth of Metlakatla. I also have a student enrolled at Kayhi and he plays on the boys JV/C basketball team. It is sad to see how, what can be summarized as a very old children's game, "cowboys n Indians", with roots that extend further back than even the romanticized historical period, can be twisted into a racist rant by a minority of basketball parents. We may all be familiar with how passionate, confrontational, and politically charged a parent in any school sports program can become. Movies may have fictionalized the cowboys vs Indians, but that is fiction, and it would be hard to argue that those movies represented racism, (if those movies haven't yet been canceled) or portray any accurate historical account of the plight of the Native Americans or Alaskan Natives. "Historical trauma" of the Alaskan Native people did not have much to do with cowboys or the icon of the cowboy, or even have the same historical context as lower 48 Native Americans who were at war with the US Calvary. History never shows that the Tsimshians, Tlingits or Haidas were ever at war with the US Calvary or cowboys as depicted in the movies. Even the childhood game "cops and robbers" can be twisted into a culturally insensitive topic if we tune our perceptions to that motive. It is difficult for many Alaskan Natives in Ketchikan, many elders from Metlakatla, to understand how the icon of the cowboy has become racism or culturally insensitive. Furthermore, many of us are upset that this minority of complaints has painted us into this portrait of fallacy using the same brush. Unless you believe the students may have intentionally wanted to harm and degrade the Metlakatla Indian community and the basketball players by putting on a cowboy hat , it is my hope the rest of this letter helps to convince you of a new opinion. The test to see if the pep club's actions represented racism or cultural insensitivity, here are a few questions: 1) Did the pep club dress up like cowboys, with malicious intent to degrade the Metlakatla Indian Community or their high school basketball team? 2) Did dressing up like cowboys give the Kings an unfair advantage over the Chiefs? 3) Is the "cowboy" icon in the NFL considered racism when the Cowboys play the Chiefs? 4) Is comparing a cowboy hat with a Klan hood a realistic comparison? I have personally known, Mexican, African American and Native Americans who are modern day cowboys, that work horses, ranches, and rodeos, they wear a cowboy hat, buckle and the boots, and I have never seen them to represent racism against Native Americans or Alaskan Natives. History tells us that "cowboys" were never at war with the Native Americans much less the Alaskan Natives, however, the US Calvary was and if these students had any true intent to send a racially motivated, culturally insensitive statement, then they may have dressed up as US Calvary soldiers. If it is believed that a cowboy hat is like a Klan hood, then they may as well believe that a baseball hat is just as effective as a football helmet. Being from Metlakatla, I personally know that we live under an umbrella of systemic racism, through a cookie cutter constitution, constructed by the US Government in 1936 IRA, for the means to assimilate the Native communities, and yet none of them bat an eye at it or even see their own mess. They have been controlled by a white man's law firm for decades that only uses MIC as a cash cow, a law firm that does not want MIC to become self-sufficient or improved. These are the systemic racism issues that they ignore, while taking a cheap shot at high school kids in a cowboy hat. Many MIC elders, I believe, do not agree that cowboy hats are culturally insensitive to MIC, (and I have talk to a few about this issue) and have even participated in the game "cowboys and Indians" as children and even may have played the part of the cowboy. These complaints originated from only a small group of parents, that look for anything to get their drama juices flowing, and have tuned their perceptions of a cowboy hat to lash out at a people group who have nothing to do with the history of trauma they have no doubt experienced. It is my belief that KGBSD or the high school, did not need to make any apology. But that seems to be easier then engaging in any argument that is buried in fallacy. In my opinion, Annette Island School District's Super Intendant, has chosen to take the words of a minority of parents and embrace a victim mentality, and use this nonsense teach student to twist an icon into hate and call it racism. Not only does it give our own native children the wrong message it will make the children of the high school in Ketchikan feel bad about themselves for something they have nothing to do with and traumatize them for the rest of their lives. It is my hope that we can turn this around and show love, like those wise words of MLK, and build our people up, not by claiming victims of a history that is not true, but as strong people who have sovereignty and what that sovereignty means. If I had the privilege to coach of the Metlakatla Chiefs, this is what I would tell them: Never have I viewed our people as "victims", soon as we buy into being a victim, we will always be a victim. I have never viewed our people as afraid, sensitive, or fragile. If Kayhi wants to play "cowboys n Indians" then proudly and boldly take on that role as Indian, BECAUSE THAT IS WHO WE ARE! Next time we play the Kings we will annihilate them and give them hell out on the plains of the court, I am Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian and I am not afraid of you. And if Kayhi want to bark like dogs, then let them, that is what dogs do, we will have our people in the stands, where 50 to 100 of us will sound like 10,000, chanting "wai wah"! or better yet, "YEE_HA!", and see if any of the Kings can sink a free-throw with that going on! It is good to have fun, but it is more fun to be good. When the game is over, know that it was all in good fun and shake their hand and be proud you gave the very best of the best of you are capable of giving. When I was playing a game in collage, we were the visiting team, and this place was packed with about 500 students, I was at the free throw line and about to shoot my first shot when amazingly the entire stadium goes silent, not a sound, that was eerie enough but just as I was about to release the ball a girl meows like a cat, I air balled that shot and the place erupted with "air ball" chants. What an unforgettable moment for me. But never did I once think that the meow meant I was a POODY cat. Dogs bark, wolves howl, cats meow. Steven G Booth
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Received February 13, 2022 - Published February 14, 2022 Related Viewpoint:
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