Crimes Against Humanity--Chapter 6

This essay felt like someone hit me in the face with a basketball. I understand what he’s trying to say, and I agree with it—to a degree. He was pretty much blaming every person who doesn’t have Native American blood in their heritage for every problem the Native Americans have.

I believe to prove a point, you often do have to take the reader out of his comfort zone. Ward Churchill definitely did this, but he not only took you out of your comfort zone, but he threw you into mud then spat on you. A lot of what he said didn’t speak to me at all. Many of his references didn’t make sense to me. For instance, he mentioned the “Tomahawk Chop” a few times, and I haven’t a clue what that is. Thus, it means nothing to me.

Churchill’s essay made me more aware of the problem and, yes, he did convince me that something needs to be changed about mocking Indian tradition, but he didn’t earn my respect at all. His approach was just angry and he was ranting for six pages.

His use of the word “Indian” rather than “Native American” to me doesn’t really prove anything other than he must not be Indian either. Unless I’m confused, isn’t it politically correct to use “Native American?” And isn’t that exactly what he’s after? Technical political correctness?

Although I appreciate his attempt at using cold hard facts to support his point of view, the statistics he chose didn’t really support his case. For instance, in paragraph 26 recounts that Indians have the lowest income out of all other ethnic group. This can’t be completely the fault of Caucasians and such. If anything, this degrades the Indians further. Another testament to this is in the same paragraph when he states, “alcoholism and other escapist forms of substance abuse are endemic in the Indian community…Teen suicide among Indians is several times the national average.” These cannot possible be completely the fault of the “white man.”


Writing Strategies
2. Identify places in Churchill’s essay where he anticipates his reader’s thoughts. How is he able to anticipate them, and how successful is he at responding to them?
Churchill predicted his reader’s reaction in places such as paragraphs four and nine. In paragraph nine, he uses our initial reaction to naming sports teams “Kikes” and “Zipperheads” in the same manner we name teams “Red Skins” to support his point of view, which is fairly successful.

Exploring Ideas
1. While some people argue that the use of Native American names, images, and symbols is harmless, others argue that it is actually a tribute to Native Americans. Why does Churchill think it isn’t a tribute? What values, beliefs, or assumptions create the difference of opinion?
Churchill believes that reenactments of ceremonies and use of Indian idealogy is more offensive than respectful because our society doesn’t advertise the Indians actually performing it, but white people “pretending” to be Indians and reenacting it. For instance, he says in paragraph 30 that even elementary schools use “their own degrading caricatures and parodies of Indians.” And how it’s a mockery, not a sign of respect. That is assuming, of course, that other Indians aren’t the ones paying tribute to their ancestors.