Student Newspaper Apologizes For 'Racist' Article About American Indian Event

A student newspaper at California State University, Long Beach, is apologizing for running a negative commentary on an American Indian campus event that was "construed by many as an assault" on Native American culture.

In the article, headlined "Pow Wow Wow Yippee Yo Yippy Yay," the campus editor of The Union Weekly espoused an "unflattering view" toward a recent campus Pow Wow. He equated the annual cultural event staged by the school's American Indian Studies program and American Indian Student Council with a "large, Native American themed flea market."

The student writer specifically mocked the food- at one point comparing frybread to "a Mexican pizza from Taco Bell, but sh*ttier"- and a traditional dance that involved some spectators throwing money to the performers. As he noted about the latter, "The entire scene felt disingenuous and cheap. Donations are great, and necessary, tossing them unceremoniously on the ground is crass and borderline obscene. Even the homeless have hats and cups."

Read the rest of this article at College Media Matters...

Comments

[Atwice Kamiakun]

12:53 PM on 04/01/2011

Regarding the story on the recent Pow-Wow, the writer of the article describing "tossing (donations) unceremoniously on the ground is crass and borderline obscene" needs a class
on diversity. He should have asked the elders at the ceremony about what was going on. This
practice of "throwing" money on the ground, is a sacred act; the dancer dances over the money
and the Arena Director picks it up and gives it to an elder. We have always taken care of our
elders and perhaps the greenback wasn't always what was used, we can thank the U. S. Treasury for that. Our people would never deliberately make fun of food. We are taught that all food is sacred and nourishes and strengthens our bodies. We have special songs to thank our Tamanwithla for that food. Flea Market indeed...What college student has enough money that they don't shop at flea markets to make ends meet - only the very wealthy who can afford to tromp on people and call their customs disingenuous and cheap. I pray your education will not be in vain - so far you have wasted too much money on yours. Atwice Kamiakun

[reviewingthesituation]

07:51 AM on 03/28/2011

Reminds me of an incident when the U of L student paper was given carte blanche to write whatever they wanted. The student staff's response to this heady freedom? Running the f-word in zillion point type on the front. Ooooh! As if dirty magazines and the people who write on bathroom walls hadn't beat them to it by decades. Thus, the use of the word "sophomoric" to mean immature.

[Boomerwoman]

12:49 AM on 03/28/2011

Ah, another "journalist" who thinks he's just the cleverest thing....he runs his ideas past his fellow frat brats.

[truthupontruth]

10:59 PM on 03/27/2011

Ahh, there's nothing so pleasant as freedom of the press in action: a doofus prints a nasty piece, and everyone gets to see his ignorance exposed for what it is, and to see him publicly apologize for it.
Nice!

[SemperVeritas]

08:37 PM on 03/27/2011

The spiritual children of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, and their ilk.

[tttony]

06:35 PM on 03/27/2011

How did someone not stop him?

[Uncle Bill]

05:06 PM on 03/27/2011

A good editor would have saved this poor clueless and lazy reporter from himself.  So the score so far- editor zero, reporter zero.

[Boomerwoman]

12:49 AM on 03/28/2011

Right! And Fanned.

[meritocracy]

03:45 PM on 03/27/2011

The paper and the author should apologize to George Clinton as well.

[watamess]

03:02 PM on 03/27/2011

It was funny....lighten up!

[reviewingthesituation]

07:52 AM on 03/28/2011

You probably think the mass graves in the Congo are a hoot too.

[onwisconsin]

01:24 PM on 03/27/2011

How this made it past an editor and into print is questionable. It should not be just this young "reporter" who is apologizing but the editorial board as well. The entire group should be receiving some education in: 1) Native American culture of the area; 2) Respectful reporting of civic events; and 3) How white privilege blinds one to others' situations.

This was very upsetting to me as an Indigenous person.

[Uncle Bill]

05:08 PM on 03/27/2011

I'm white, offended and not blind.

[onwisconsin]

05:10 PM on 03/27/2011

And you're fanned...

[Rhonnybay]

01:11 PM on 03/27/2011

The kid knew it was foul before printing this mess. Nowadays, people say horrible things and quickly "apologize".

Once you spew vomit on someone, an apology hardly cleans it up.

[Hank007]

12:34 PM on 03/27/2011

This is what happens when you teach kids you can say whatever you want, and if anyone disagrees, they are violating your free speech. This is what happens when you teach kids you can mock and disrespect anyone or anything, even forcing schools to not show the president's address to them, because you don't like him.

When you teach kids to be rude, arrogantly ignorant crackpots, don't be surprised when you are in a nursing home one day, surrounded by rude, arrogantly ignorant crackpots.

[April22]

12:14 PM on 03/27/2011

Wow!

If this is any indication of the depth of thought higher education in America brings its students, something went drastically wrong.

[ebanks84]

09:41 AM on 03/27/2011

Look at what they're learning from the REAL media today. They're only following suit by denigrating others because of their ignorance. Our media today is teaching our media tomorrow all the bad things they have gotten away with over the years as well.

Insensitivity anywhere is a blight everywhere. We should be ashamed of this and make it well known that we are. That's my heritage and I'm proud of it.

[Stephanie Watts]

04:31 PM on 03/25/2011

Thanks to the state of what passes as professional journalisms these days?

[Lauren Kottwitz]

09:27 PM on 03/25/2011

Faved.

Most likely.

[Jake Thomas]

02:06 PM on 03/26/2011

No this is what passes as the state of student jounalism these days. It was a student paper. The article was really amateurish. The kid apologized, hopefully he learns from this. I think the ultimate fool is the editor of this paper how is it that no one caught this ignorance.

[Checquoline]

10:14 AM on 03/27/2011

I guess you can do anything these days as long as you paologize afterward. This was no mistake. Every word was thought out and deliberately written. It was no slip of the tongue.