kenuchelover Wrote:
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>
> Culturally, on the one hand he DOES go around
> wearing full Shawnee regalia at the drop of a hat
> (admixed with Scottish stuff)..... but the fact
> that he does this at family reunions of various
> distant WHITE relatives suggests he's more into
> the shock factor than valuing it as part of his
> heritage. The fact that he doesn't mention any
> association with genuine Indians, and spends more
> time bragging about famous White ancestors than
> anything else (& that virtually the only
> Indian ancestors he mentions are prominant names)
> is also suggestive.

You summed it up pretty well over all. I also have to add my comment because, well, I live with a Navajo family on the Navajo reservation. I don't know a single relative that dresses up in traditional Navajo clothing for a family reunion or whatever--except if it is a relative getting married. Then, out comes the Navajo wear. Or if it's one of the days where kids are encouraged to dress up in traditional clothes...Out comes the Navajo clothes. Other than that, they dress like anybody else. One of the cousin's dated a hopi girl for a bit and at Christmas, she arrived at the family party dressed in traditional hopi dress. Not because she wanted to, but because she had participated in a Christmas pageant that required it. She changed her clothes to normal every day clothes pretty darn fast...The only time you see something resembling Navajo traditional clothing is either on a very old grandmother or a caucasian tourist who has "gone native".

I think just the fact that he makes a point of wearing Shawnee clothes at these kind of occassions shows just how non-Native he is really...

Stephanie

In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson