Comments on: Cowboys + Indians Party, Really?

By: anne

anne — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:09:17 +0000

I’m Native American, and I don’t find it offensive at all. I’m so sick of this PC bullshit in this country. It makes people weak…”Oh, God! My feelings are hurt!” Boo hoo.

Get over it. It’s just a bunch of college kids having a grand time. And, as a previous poster stated, what about the people dressed as cowboys? Isn’t that stereotyping white people? I do believe it is!

Political correctness is ruining this country…this world, actually.

By: curtis

curtis — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:18:31 +0000

hey i got a question for the first person that posted the mad comment. If you think it is such ignorence that people dressed up like indians. WHY DO INDIANS DRESS UP LIKE COWBOYS ON A EVERYDAY BASES? i mean seriously they took your land and you turn around destroy your own land and dress like them? Very confused

By: ProphetJoe

ProphetJoe — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:43:18 +0000

I’m not entirely up to date on my American history, but were cowboys the driving force behind the violence against native indians? I would have thought the US Army would have been responsible, not the cowboys. Cowboys typically came into a settled area to wrangle the cattle for large landowners. They weren’t necessarily pioneers into the western territories themselves.

It seems to me that you really resent the “White Man” vs. “Red Man” geo-social scenario. The native american indians lost the battle to the (largely) white European settlers because the latter had better technology, a larger population, and a stronger desire to take the land…

While I don’t think there is anything evil in dressing up as another ethnicity for fun, I do take offense to the “stereotypical jabs” some people feel the need to use — big, full lips when portraying an african-american, a large nose when protraying a jew, etc. I also take offense to people who portray people with disabilities such as someone showing up to a costume party as a “retard” — really? Of course, even though I find those things distasteful, it’s their right to do it. I don’t have a problem with it for 2 reasons: 1) it’s really a reflection on their maturity and 2) I don’t have the right to “not be offended”…

By: mary

mary — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:45:37 +0000

It’s just a party for god sake… why do you people get so uptight.. I’m a Syrian, and I get called everything from sand nigger to towel head.. it doesn’t make me mad at all.. and if someone wanted to have an arab party.. hell, i’d pull out my towel and be there… get real.. it was just for fun… some people with bitch and moan about anything…

By: antonia

antonia — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:04:26 +0000

i get how you could be offended by this. you feel that people need to understand what REALLY happened in history and need to be educated on what took place. and i think all that is fine and dandy, and i feel i have a good understanding of what manifest destiny was really about and i am very sad for it. however, i dont see anything wrong in throwing a ‘cowboy and indian’ party. i stumbled on this blog because i was looking for ideas for my son’s 1st bday which will be ‘cowboy and indian’ theme. on this occassion it is more about the fantasy that has been created around history and i am fine with that. for many years kids have been playing cowboys and indians, cops and robbers and it is just a way of dealing w/ reality.

i am mexican and i do not find it offensive when white people dress w/ sombreros on cinco de mayo. do they even know what is cinco de mayo? do they know the history? no, it’s just another excuse to get drunk. am i offended by that? no because i understand the evolution of the truth and what it has become.

Take Christmas as another example of something that happened in history…

By: betsy

betsy — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:11:55 +0000

Hey… doesn’t any one care about how the caucasians look? I mean look at the cowboys. I don’t go around carrying a gun and wearing stupid hats/wranglers. I think the cowboys at these parties always look like bigger tools than the Indians? How come its only racism if its directed at any other race than white. I mean come on… Nobody, not even Indians dress like that on a daily basis. And everybody knows that Indians costumes are way cooler than cowboys.
So maybe you should stop trying to find ways to be offended and do something better with your life.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:37:06 +0000

It’s not offensive in any way shape or form. I just don’t particularly like what cowboys and Indians stand for. I myself am Native American and I know all about the brutality and cruelty that took place. Many don’t understand that.

My sorority is having a function around this theme and many of my friends looked right at me when they announced it because they thought I would be offended. And I’m not. Not really. Just more annoyed that people don’t get it. There’s nothing I can do about. Just grit my teeth and try not to let it get to me.

p.s Sherman Alexie is amazing!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:14:36 +0000

Get the chip off your shoulder

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:02:26 +0000

Stop speaking Jive !

By: B+S

B+S — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:42:46 +0000

Bravo, Megan—not everyone can be so offensive in such a short space!

So because your “grandfather was Haida” and you “study Native culture” you’re going question my “authenticity”? That’s inventive and impressive. What kind of “proof” suffices for you? Do you want my enrollment numbers? Do you want to know my Indian names? My mom’s side or dad’s side, you can take your pick. Do you want to know which of my family members are chiefs or hold important positions within the tribe? The Chilkat weavers? The totem pole carvers? Would you like to know their names? Because incredibly accomplished Native people with those very skills are in my family, and I don’t want to imagine a bunch of non-Natives raising a totem pole while drunk. But why would that be the alternative? Why should we all go to some much trouble just so non-Indians can go around in fake headdresses? The fact that you think it’s all just in “fun” speaks volumes about where you’re coming from.

But would any of this information lessen the chance that you’d go around and spew such offensiveness as “go hang out with the numerous tribes that you allegedly represent and call upon your spirit animal for guidance” to other Native people? Because I would fully support that.

By: Megan

Megan — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:54:42 +0000

my grandfather was Haida and yet, i really wish one of my friends would have a cowboys and indians themed party.

as someone who lives in british columbia and studies native culture, unless you’re going to raise a totem pole and make a chilkat blanket, you’re not going to represent “indians” properly. seriously, how much fun would drunkenly raising a totem pole be? not much. you may feel that they are being flippant, but they’re just having fun.

take it easy. calm down. go hang out with the numerous tribes that you allegedly represent and call upon your spirit animal for guidance.

By: TJ-the mixing pot

TJ-the mixing pot — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:46:48 +0000

This year we had a pirate party….. does that make us racist??? Or are we just sick and sad because we sat around and planned on how to offend others. What about all the people involved in movie-making? Let’s just make a list of everyone we can accuse of being racist.