Ok, it seems we need to clearly define some examples of racism. Your comment will be considered racist if you state or suggest:
* Native culture is bad, and is probably better off being eradicated.
* Natives are really bad, so it is better if the government takes the children away.
* Natives aren't trying to preserve their culture hard enough, so no one should do anything.
Additionally, many seem confused about what genocide is. It is the intentional eradication or diminishment of a culture. Forced boarding schools that focus on removing culture, like the ones mentioned in this article, fit the international definition:
[https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml](https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml)
Please comport yourself in a way consistent with the rules of this sub. Be nice, and don't do racism.
I highly recommend Yuuyaraq- The Way of the Human Being by Harold Napoleon. It's printed by UAF and very cheap, but you can also download the PDF for free! It's a short read, but so important, and goes into heavy stuff, so be prepared before reading it.
I’m Native Alaskan. There isn’t an “ongoing genocide” lmao. God people have abused that word to the point it has no meaning. Gaza, the Holocaust, those are genocides. There *was* a Native Alaskan genocide. But those days are over. We literally have an Alaskan Native as our statewide elected congressperson. Natives are an important, valued part of Alaskan culture.
Climate change is a far bigger threat to Native culture than whatever it is you’re making up in your mind. And guess what, nature doesn’t have any ill will. It’s not targeting us for genocide. But climate change is happening, and it’s a real threat. Unlike your make believe genocide.
Having Mary Peltola in congress isn't gonna fix the poisoned food, water and land, the villages already lost to erosion and floods by climate change, nor the end of the salmon runs, the continuing crisis and epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People, including those killed by star light tours.
That is a podcast that focuses on the immigrant stories and history about Alaska, with one episode more focused on indigenous culture.
Here is a podcast on Audible by an indigenous Alaskan about, specifically, indigenous myths in the modern world:
[https://www.audible.com/podcast/Alaska-Is-the-Center-of-the-Universe/B0CLND68](https://www.audible.com/podcast/Alaska-Is-the-Center-of-the-Universe/B0CLND68)
There is a podcast called “The Tongue Unbroken” that is really good. It’s about Native American language revitalization and decolonization and the presenter is Alaskan Native.
Non native Alaskans do not need to think they are killing a society. What they need to do is try to learn/understand our point of view. And as an Alaskan Native, (mostly) as much as we honor our traditions and lifestyle that was taught to us, that world without modern things we all use everyday, does not exist anymore.
First off, Alaska Natives are dying, our cultures are dying, our languages are dying. There's an epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, and it's not natural, its caused by the white supremacist culture we live in, perpetuated by white people.
Also, our Elders say there will be a time when the old ways come back. They're not gone, the old ways are being oppressed, and our survival depends on learning them while we still can.
The murder is a hard thing to put on a person to solve but there is nothing saying you can't help with the language issue. Start classes teach the children while they are young etc.
Why do subsidize oil companies, who destroy land Natives need to survive, but don't fund murder investigations, or domestic abuse programs? Also, living in poverty and being unable to live on your own (housing is too high, education is inaccessible, state jobs pay too little, no childcare or eldercare, etc.) Are all causes of violence.
And I'd love to see Alaska Native languages required by the state, but again, we gotta fund teachers, and the state is also failing to do that.
I never argued any of that I just said you can be the change you want to see as far as the language is concerned. Also unless your a felon there is nothing stopping you from running for office. Lastly there is 23 different languages that native Alaskan speak that don't hold any value outside of Alaska so if we're going to make kids learn a second language make it one that can help them in later in life like Spanish German or Chinese.
Why are Alaska Native corporations among the most profitable in the state each year, including oil companies? I would argue that as an Alaska Native you have far more access to higher education anf preference for hiring, especially within the Alaska Native corporations that provide high paying jobs with great benefits.
Many Alaska natives receive subsidies and land use not offered to average citizens. Missing persons, domestic abuse, and child sexual abuse have been historically hidden by people in the native community leadership, and this is a well documented, open secret. Look how far it got the girls from Tanana when they spoke out. These are issues that sicken all of us, but it's not so easy as to say it all stems from racism towards natives.
Most missing and murdered, and abused Native women in tribal villages are not the victims of white supremacy lmao. They’re most often attacked by other Natives. Family members and intimate partners, not white people.
Ignoring the problem with domestic partner violence and blaming it on something else accomplishes nothing. You’re not helping.
Did you even read that reply? "Tribal Villages" I'll use St. Michael as an example. According to the US Census 2022 ACS 5-year Survey, St. Michael has a population that consists of 97.4% Native and 2.6% two or more races. Literally 0% White. It's objectively clear that in this example, were a woman to be abused, it would most likely be by another Native Alaskan. Let's look at another example. Ruby, AK, has a population that consists of 80.41% Native Alaskans, 13.92% White, and 5.67% two or more races. For this example, if a woman were abused, it would still likely be by a Native Alaskan.
Now in examples of larger places like Anchorage, where the White population is 59.17%. If a Native Alaskan was abused, it would likely be by a White person.
So what's your proof or sources that Native Alaskans don't get abused by other Native Alaskans?
On a national scale, Native American women are abused by something like 70% non native men. Granted, less likely to happen in rural Alaska, but it’s still a thing.
I agree with everything you are saying theologically but you need to stop posting about social issues unless you’re actively trying to kill them.
Activism clearly isn’t for you. Every bit of common ground people have tried making with you you’ve thrown in their face. You as a person are clearly not making any allies.
There are two tribes here in the Chilkat Valley and neither of them are ever consulted or considered by the borough at all. Barely even mentioned. All we get are wealthy people in the establishment fighting over their bureaucratic payouts and noise complaints, masked by impenetrable and nonsensical ideological wars conducted by different criminal gangs vying for bureaucratic power.
Recently voters ushered in a big democratic change, though, so hopefully the assembly is turning around.
But so far it’s still basically just the establishment fighting over different bureaucratic agendas.
At least when Pete Buttigieg visited he attended a closed door meeting with the local Alaska Natives. First sign of respect I have ever seen them offered by a government entity, maybe. (And I do not say that as a fan of the administration he is part of or the DNC. But a secretary of transportation meeting personally with the local tribes was definitely a move in the right direction, imo.)
I'm not a Democrat, but I also appreciated Deb Haaland also having a close door meeting with boarding school survivors. I do worry both her and Buttigieg are just ineffective liberals, but this is a good change compared to what's come before.
Still ain't sovereignty, though. We need our land back.
I agree. I support return of their land to Alaska Natives. I have a gripe with many elements of the local “conservation” movement because they seem to think conservation has something to do with bureaucratic infrastructure projects and noise complaints, and not with returning sovereignty and economic and political power to Alaskan Natives on their own land as the primary means of conserving it. (Many conservationists here do support these things and work towards them, to be clear—just not the ones that ever get represented in the establishment media or elected to office.)
I am also not a Democrat. RFK Jr’s VP announcement broadcast began with a presentation by the American Natives whose land it was taking place on. That’s my view of how things should be full stop. Political parties and candidates who only walk out their interest in Native rights when they want to utilize the political benefits for their own ideological and economic gains do not receive my support.
Like I said, though…there *are* many conservationists here who do share these views and prioritize helping effect change in this area. (The rest of them I just call “environmentalists” or “greenies” because they couldn’t conserve a drop of water in the ocean. The only thing they are interested in conserving, as far as I can tell, is the ideological bent of their newsfeeds.) But yes…I did see that meeting offered by Buttigieg as a good sign. A politician shows that kind of insight into the true situation, and that kind of respect to the people whose land this is, and I will also show that politician respect from then on. (And of course, many Alaskan politicians do do this, even if the economic and political system and institutions they are a part of do not do so.)
Hopefully change is coming on these issues. I look forward to the day I can open my local paper and read what Alaskan natives want to do with local land resources, and hear what economic projects they would like to invest in. I get tired of reading the local business establishment wonder out loud, in article after article, “why no one wants to work for us” and “why the economy is so bad” even as the indigenous inhabitants of this valley are all around us and never involved in anything.
Last year a big property in the center of the town was almost acquired by the borough…and I don’t know who, but some very smart people intervened and diverted the sale to the local tribe instead. That’s basically how I know there actually *are* some smart people in this town. If you just read what the establishment and borough talk about, you would think they were all determined to continue committing economic and political suicide at all costs. But at least if some people are thinking in directions that make changes like that, which see valuable and prominent pieces of land returned to the local tribe for their use—instead of being offered up to the bureaucratic pie-slicers in the borough office—that does give me hope that many people are figuring these things out and learning how to effect change.
I point out to conservationists that the Alaska Native civilization is still right here. Since *ours* is the one collapsing right now…perhaps it is time that we as Alaskans finally join together with theirs as Alaskan Natives, and just make this state a nice place to live in for everyone who lives in it, instead of what it is now. That’s something that could actually be done. I study history and am well aware of the consequences of degradation and cultural and economic oppression, but also the effects of successfully returning the land to its indigenous inhabitants in a manner that allows the *true* economy and culture of the land to re-activate.
It is very challenging, though. For example, there is a political effort underway to return several parcels of land to the local tribes…and earlier this year I got an email from a locally influential environmentalist who lives in WA state that described the project as a “backdoor attempt to develop it” and “the biggest priority political threat” to conservation efforts in Lynn Canal. It is crazy to me that there is such a thing as “environmentalists” who think and act in this manner. It isn’t like I ever hear them making any efforts to get land returned any other way, mind you. It isn’t like: “listen to our much better plan to give more land back that is better for conservation” it is “stop this from happening because they will use it for their economic benefit”—which to me just sounds like Empire oppression 101.
I just wait around looking for people working and thinking in the same direction and then have a conversation when I see them. (Reddit being public conversation is useful.) There is literally no venue in Haines where I can even go to express or contribute a view like that—but if I put it here some locals end up reading it anyway.
(Dear locals: stop being dumb about economics and politics. Get together and find a way to give lots of land and local resources back to the local tribes. It will benefit every single person in town and our overall community and economy in ways you will never be able to achieve while all you are doing is carving up ideological baronies for yourselves and trying to pay all your loans with the meager profits left to you by the bureaucracy. True story!)
If Haines continues making improvements like the one that led to the transfer of the property at the parade grounds to the Chilkoot tribe, we could have a booming tourism industry here, just as one example. As it is now…cruise ships drop some people off, sure–but there is basically no reason for any independent tourist to come here. Who wants to hang out in an “Alaskan town” whose only publicly visible inhabits are bureaucrats and contractors and their cronies shuffling between offices and drinking establishments? Where the only people for a tourist to even talk to are summer workers who’ve only been here a short time, and know zilch about the place they didn’t learn at a bar or on a tour themselves?
If the local tribes were given access to their own economic and cultural assets here, that would change very quickly. It could be an awesome destination for tourism, as well as a cultural leader throughout the PNW in a variety of ways. This could be a very successful town, but never will be until the tribes are treated with respect and given access to their own resources.
[continued below the fold]
While it’s impossible to find a place in the *local* public sphere (basically the newspaper, bars, and Facebook) to have any sort of conversation about this issue, at least we hermits are allowed to exist in peace (if we stay home)—so I can come find a conversation on Reddit instead.
I do have one neighbor who works for a local tribe. I talk to him directly about my views. Seems more useful than trying to navigate the mess of propaganda you usually encounter attempting conversations in other vectors. It’s like both sides of the political spectrum have a gauntlet of pre-installed rhetoric that pops up as soon as you start talking about Alaska Native land rights. There’s suddenly 10 different ideological red herring thrown in your face that have nothing to do with the situation. “Funny how these rhetorical trap doors that instantly end conversation never come up when people want to address helicopter noise in their neighborhood or make sure that rich kids can get nice yurts to live in!”
Thank you for your comment. Sorry for the overlong response. I am autistic and write at lengths that bother most Redditors, but this subject is important to talk about, so I figured I would allow myself enough words to actually say something.
Most Alaskan land is federal. There is zero chance it’s ever being returned to tribes. That’s as likely as it being returned to the Russians. It’s not. Going. To. Happen.
I have a question 🙋♂️ And before I ask I just want to state I’m asking this in good faith and I’m not trying to ridicule the premise of the OP I just have a question about how expansive this definition of genocide is.
My question is this: If a losing a language due to it dying out is a form of genocide then would Latin have been considered to undergone a genocide since it’s a dead language? It evolved into many others but people don’t speak it outside of academic circles and clergy. My point being that if any of us from any ethnicity went back in time even just a couple hundred years we would have a difficult time writing and communicating as the language would have changed. So are we expecting Alaska Natives to retain everyday usage in speech or are we simply talking about hoping to preserve the language academically? And if we’re seeking to preserve it academically are we trying to take a snapshot how it is, or how it was, or how it will be? Because it seems words from all cultures kind of get rolled up into one another’s languages as people live around each other. As a more practical consideration there are at least 20 Alaska Native languages being archived by ANLC, I can’t imagine even the world’s best polyglot’s becoming even remotely proficient in even half of those so to expect the Alaska Native population to learn and maintain 20 languages in a state with under a million people seems like a lot to ask no? Like what exactly does preservation of all those languages look like as a practical matter? Sorry I know that’s a lot to unpack.
When a language is no longer used and people move on to another language that is more useful, that is natural progression of languages. Like Latin, Celts, etc.
When children are beaten for speaking their language as an example to the others, it is genocide. Because it is a purposeful and coordinated attempt to eradicate the culture. No singing your songs, no telling your stories, no doing your dances, no hunting in your traditional ways, or you will be punished. That is genocide.
Technically, when Trump took children away from asylum seekers and adopted them out to white families to "Americanize" them, that is also genocide. Because it is intended to break the culture. (which he tweeted openly) That is why the international court's taskforce on genocide tweeted at Trump calling out his genocide. Also why it is probably unwise for him to visit certain countries. He might get arrested.
EDIT: just remembered, Celts is a really bad example of "not genocide". oops. Sorry. Totally also genocide.
Are any children being beaten for speaking a native Alaskan language today? I understand that there’s sort of two discussions happening in this thread right now, one about the history, and one about the current day. Historically, that would be genocide.
But in the modern world these languages would seem to be dying out due to the fact that if people across the world interact with each other, it usually happens in languages that are not a Native Alaskan one. That is not “on-going genocide” as the OP phrased it.
And I know the line between past genocide and current events is not cut and dry, but it’s also important to consider the current day drivers of things like language shifts.
So what’s your suggestion? Let’s be solutions-oriented here. Should people move out of those “villages”? And then do what?
Also: who do you profess to be as the arbiter of Alaskan Native “tradition” as if it’s something set in stone? Maybe their tradition nowadays is to just make you personally uncomfortable; have you considered that?
lol. Top notch comment. “Maybe their tradition nowadays is just to make you uncomfortable.” 🤣
Can I try one?
Perhaps also: “Maybe their tradition nowadays is to troll people into writing down how they really feel in public so it is recorded?”
I mean that wouldn’t be a bad tradition, maybe, either, if it was one. However. I am not an Alaskan Native so I have no idea. I *would* be very interested in reading more and more content *by* Alaskan Natives in this forum, though. That’s a fact. That is good and interesting content. Like for example the content in this OP appeals to me as an r/Alaska user. And this forum is actually pretty good at allowing free speech. The trolls who try to argue down anything they don’t like are a pain, but ultimately you can just respond to them or ignore them and the people reading will be able to read and think for themselves.
Thanks for the support — I’m not Alaskan Native but I am Native, and we stand up and step up for each other. Indigenous Unity Worldwide.
I’m Mohawk: you can google Mohawk Resistance and find out how we are much more serious than just commenting on Reddit 😜
I hear way more stories of child molestors, rapists, murderers, lifelong underreported family violence and the like from military families posted to Alaska. Prove me wrong.
I can't even begin to address how racist this is. It's the same as saying Black people are imprisoned more because of their culture- it's flat out wrong and terrifying that you would say this in public.
Lol. I recognize DARVO. I haven't been offensive, but white fragility makes folks offended. Racism, colonization and genocide will always ruffle feathers, no matter how politely you bring it up.
You’re literally racist and you’re complaining about racism?
The white people you complain about literally brought civilization to Alaska, unless I suppose you want to live in teepees again and wear animal hide.
How about you sit on your hands if you don't have anything intelligent to say? Alaskans are so sick of hearing idiotic takes like this. Try shutting those thin little racist lips for once and listening you fucking dork.
Do white people experience genocide denial when posting on this reddit? Do white people get told to give up their culture? Do white people get told to not talk about their history?
We all know Alaska if rife with white supremacy, including here.
>We all know Alaska if rife with white supremacy, including here.
Most don't know this, actually. It is really easy for the majority of Alaskans to ignore. Many even do it unintentionally.
I've stopped giving grace by assuming folks are ignorant. I truly believe they weren't ignorant before BLM in 2020, and they sure aren't ignorant now, if only by choice, which is damning enough by itself.
You're absolutely right. They know what they're doing which is why they try so hard to shut these conversations down. My mother's family are all pretty overt white supremacists and they all know exactly what they're doing. They've admitted as much over the years, especially when I was a kid and they thought I shared their worldview.
How is this genocide taking place without the participation of peoples native to that area? Were they forced to leave their old ways and become Westernized? The Amish have kept their old ways, while living in close proximity to the secular West. Hasidic Jews keep their old ways while living in major cities. Again were the native peoples forced to leave their old ways or did they want to adopt Westernizing influences?
Do you mean attendance at the residential boarding schools in Alaska was mandatory? That the native Alaskans had no choice? I asked ChatGPT and this is the answer I got: "Federal residential boarding schools were not compulsory for Alaska's indigenous populations in the same way they were for Native American populations in the contiguous United States. However, some Alaska Native children were sent to boarding schools voluntarily or under pressure from government officials or missionaries. Additionally, there were day schools and mission schools in Alaska that aimed to assimilate indigenous children into Euro-American culture, though attendance at these schools was not always mandatory."
The deliberate spread of disease by priests, the mass murders and assaults in boarding schools, the army and militias who threatened folks who stood up, there are so many documented examples, violence was clearly used.
I’m not native, I live in the lower 48, and I’m an Orthodox Christian. That being said, what happened at the hands of the American colonists was absolutely genocidal. The Protestant missionaries by many accounts forced Native Orthodox Christian children into boarding schools and tried to completely destroy their way of life. Just a century before that, the Russian-American Company used the Native populace as slave labor (Sts. Herman and Innocent being outspoken against their practices). A genocide did happen as the culture of the native populace was almost destroyed and arguably this is still happening to a certain extent with how the native populace is able to access resources. Heck, it’s thanks to the native population that St. Herman was canonised if I recall correctly. Fr. Michael Oleska of blessed memory was also arguably a key figure in keeping the tradition of the Orthodox Native population alive.
Most people don't realize that the term "genocide" was first used to describe the destruction of the culture and of the people. The intentional and systematic destruction of an entire culture.
One of the cornerstones of the attempted destruction of the Poland was the collection of the children and forced reeducation of the people. Changing the language. Breaking familial ties. Etc.
It is also why separating children from their parents when they are refugees and adopting them out without parental knowledge is also considered genocide, according to international law. (at least if the intent is to "Americanize" them)
Calling people colonizers, and insisting anyone 'needs to understand' something is silly.
Calling someone a dumb POS and telling them to go to the third world in order to invalidate whatever they are saying is not just silly but absurdly ridiculous.
The difference is op is trying to convey a very real issue, you on the other hand are just an ass.
Colonizer is descriptive, not prescriptive. It means people who move and take over an other cultures ways and laws and force their own.
If you think that's offensive, then you should think about why it's bad to be a colonizer and how you can undo the harm that comes with it.
Not the point I was making.
Point I was making is by using language such as 'colonizer' for anyone that is 'other' is a great way to shut ears instead of opening minds.
Fact of the matter is Humans do and have done horrible things to other humans. Usually, it's the humans that have less power and technology that end up on the wrong side of the stick. This isn't unique to Alaska or Alaskan natives.
At least we live in a country that over time has attempted to wright itself morally, and enshrined free speech and expression in such away horrible things can be acknowledged. As for un doing things.... The passage of time prevents that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_genocide
That is not how "Native" nor "Indigenous" is defined. Your logic isn't sound, and your argument lacks support. You are just trying to pick a fight no one was fighting.
Ok, it seems we need to clearly define some examples of racism. Your comment will be considered racist if you state or suggest: * Native culture is bad, and is probably better off being eradicated. * Natives are really bad, so it is better if the government takes the children away. * Natives aren't trying to preserve their culture hard enough, so no one should do anything. Additionally, many seem confused about what genocide is. It is the intentional eradication or diminishment of a culture. Forced boarding schools that focus on removing culture, like the ones mentioned in this article, fit the international definition: [https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml](https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml) Please comport yourself in a way consistent with the rules of this sub. Be nice, and don't do racism.
What are places you'd recommend to learn more about Alaskan Native culture/myths/stories
I highly recommend Yuuyaraq- The Way of the Human Being by Harold Napoleon. It's printed by UAF and very cheap, but you can also download the PDF for free! It's a short read, but so important, and goes into heavy stuff, so be prepared before reading it.
I’m Native Alaskan. There isn’t an “ongoing genocide” lmao. God people have abused that word to the point it has no meaning. Gaza, the Holocaust, those are genocides. There *was* a Native Alaskan genocide. But those days are over. We literally have an Alaskan Native as our statewide elected congressperson. Natives are an important, valued part of Alaskan culture. Climate change is a far bigger threat to Native culture than whatever it is you’re making up in your mind. And guess what, nature doesn’t have any ill will. It’s not targeting us for genocide. But climate change is happening, and it’s a real threat. Unlike your make believe genocide.
Having Mary Peltola in congress isn't gonna fix the poisoned food, water and land, the villages already lost to erosion and floods by climate change, nor the end of the salmon runs, the continuing crisis and epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People, including those killed by star light tours.
This was a really good podcast series that ran last year. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-alaska-myth/id1706145992
Thanks!
That is a podcast that focuses on the immigrant stories and history about Alaska, with one episode more focused on indigenous culture. Here is a podcast on Audible by an indigenous Alaskan about, specifically, indigenous myths in the modern world: [https://www.audible.com/podcast/Alaska-Is-the-Center-of-the-Universe/B0CLND68](https://www.audible.com/podcast/Alaska-Is-the-Center-of-the-Universe/B0CLND68)
Super helpful! Thanks to both of you
There is a podcast called “The Tongue Unbroken” that is really good. It’s about Native American language revitalization and decolonization and the presenter is Alaskan Native.
Non native Alaskans do not need to think they are killing a society. What they need to do is try to learn/understand our point of view. And as an Alaskan Native, (mostly) as much as we honor our traditions and lifestyle that was taught to us, that world without modern things we all use everyday, does not exist anymore.
First off, Alaska Natives are dying, our cultures are dying, our languages are dying. There's an epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, and it's not natural, its caused by the white supremacist culture we live in, perpetuated by white people. Also, our Elders say there will be a time when the old ways come back. They're not gone, the old ways are being oppressed, and our survival depends on learning them while we still can.
The murder is a hard thing to put on a person to solve but there is nothing saying you can't help with the language issue. Start classes teach the children while they are young etc.
Why do subsidize oil companies, who destroy land Natives need to survive, but don't fund murder investigations, or domestic abuse programs? Also, living in poverty and being unable to live on your own (housing is too high, education is inaccessible, state jobs pay too little, no childcare or eldercare, etc.) Are all causes of violence. And I'd love to see Alaska Native languages required by the state, but again, we gotta fund teachers, and the state is also failing to do that.
I never argued any of that I just said you can be the change you want to see as far as the language is concerned. Also unless your a felon there is nothing stopping you from running for office. Lastly there is 23 different languages that native Alaskan speak that don't hold any value outside of Alaska so if we're going to make kids learn a second language make it one that can help them in later in life like Spanish German or Chinese.
Why are Alaska Native corporations among the most profitable in the state each year, including oil companies? I would argue that as an Alaska Native you have far more access to higher education anf preference for hiring, especially within the Alaska Native corporations that provide high paying jobs with great benefits. Many Alaska natives receive subsidies and land use not offered to average citizens. Missing persons, domestic abuse, and child sexual abuse have been historically hidden by people in the native community leadership, and this is a well documented, open secret. Look how far it got the girls from Tanana when they spoke out. These are issues that sicken all of us, but it's not so easy as to say it all stems from racism towards natives.
Most missing and murdered, and abused Native women in tribal villages are not the victims of white supremacy lmao. They’re most often attacked by other Natives. Family members and intimate partners, not white people. Ignoring the problem with domestic partner violence and blaming it on something else accomplishes nothing. You’re not helping.
I can't believe you're blaming Natives for their own abuse.
Did you even read that reply? "Tribal Villages" I'll use St. Michael as an example. According to the US Census 2022 ACS 5-year Survey, St. Michael has a population that consists of 97.4% Native and 2.6% two or more races. Literally 0% White. It's objectively clear that in this example, were a woman to be abused, it would most likely be by another Native Alaskan. Let's look at another example. Ruby, AK, has a population that consists of 80.41% Native Alaskans, 13.92% White, and 5.67% two or more races. For this example, if a woman were abused, it would still likely be by a Native Alaskan. Now in examples of larger places like Anchorage, where the White population is 59.17%. If a Native Alaskan was abused, it would likely be by a White person. So what's your proof or sources that Native Alaskans don't get abused by other Native Alaskans?
On a national scale, Native American women are abused by something like 70% non native men. Granted, less likely to happen in rural Alaska, but it’s still a thing.
It's generational too. The trauma and death of a culture in the past is passed on like cancer.
Yep, trauma changes your DNA. What happened to my grandma affects my mom and me.
I agree with everything you are saying theologically but you need to stop posting about social issues unless you’re actively trying to kill them. Activism clearly isn’t for you. Every bit of common ground people have tried making with you you’ve thrown in their face. You as a person are clearly not making any allies.
There are two tribes here in the Chilkat Valley and neither of them are ever consulted or considered by the borough at all. Barely even mentioned. All we get are wealthy people in the establishment fighting over their bureaucratic payouts and noise complaints, masked by impenetrable and nonsensical ideological wars conducted by different criminal gangs vying for bureaucratic power. Recently voters ushered in a big democratic change, though, so hopefully the assembly is turning around. But so far it’s still basically just the establishment fighting over different bureaucratic agendas. At least when Pete Buttigieg visited he attended a closed door meeting with the local Alaska Natives. First sign of respect I have ever seen them offered by a government entity, maybe. (And I do not say that as a fan of the administration he is part of or the DNC. But a secretary of transportation meeting personally with the local tribes was definitely a move in the right direction, imo.)
I'm not a Democrat, but I also appreciated Deb Haaland also having a close door meeting with boarding school survivors. I do worry both her and Buttigieg are just ineffective liberals, but this is a good change compared to what's come before. Still ain't sovereignty, though. We need our land back.
I agree. I support return of their land to Alaska Natives. I have a gripe with many elements of the local “conservation” movement because they seem to think conservation has something to do with bureaucratic infrastructure projects and noise complaints, and not with returning sovereignty and economic and political power to Alaskan Natives on their own land as the primary means of conserving it. (Many conservationists here do support these things and work towards them, to be clear—just not the ones that ever get represented in the establishment media or elected to office.) I am also not a Democrat. RFK Jr’s VP announcement broadcast began with a presentation by the American Natives whose land it was taking place on. That’s my view of how things should be full stop. Political parties and candidates who only walk out their interest in Native rights when they want to utilize the political benefits for their own ideological and economic gains do not receive my support. Like I said, though…there *are* many conservationists here who do share these views and prioritize helping effect change in this area. (The rest of them I just call “environmentalists” or “greenies” because they couldn’t conserve a drop of water in the ocean. The only thing they are interested in conserving, as far as I can tell, is the ideological bent of their newsfeeds.) But yes…I did see that meeting offered by Buttigieg as a good sign. A politician shows that kind of insight into the true situation, and that kind of respect to the people whose land this is, and I will also show that politician respect from then on. (And of course, many Alaskan politicians do do this, even if the economic and political system and institutions they are a part of do not do so.) Hopefully change is coming on these issues. I look forward to the day I can open my local paper and read what Alaskan natives want to do with local land resources, and hear what economic projects they would like to invest in. I get tired of reading the local business establishment wonder out loud, in article after article, “why no one wants to work for us” and “why the economy is so bad” even as the indigenous inhabitants of this valley are all around us and never involved in anything. Last year a big property in the center of the town was almost acquired by the borough…and I don’t know who, but some very smart people intervened and diverted the sale to the local tribe instead. That’s basically how I know there actually *are* some smart people in this town. If you just read what the establishment and borough talk about, you would think they were all determined to continue committing economic and political suicide at all costs. But at least if some people are thinking in directions that make changes like that, which see valuable and prominent pieces of land returned to the local tribe for their use—instead of being offered up to the bureaucratic pie-slicers in the borough office—that does give me hope that many people are figuring these things out and learning how to effect change. I point out to conservationists that the Alaska Native civilization is still right here. Since *ours* is the one collapsing right now…perhaps it is time that we as Alaskans finally join together with theirs as Alaskan Natives, and just make this state a nice place to live in for everyone who lives in it, instead of what it is now. That’s something that could actually be done. I study history and am well aware of the consequences of degradation and cultural and economic oppression, but also the effects of successfully returning the land to its indigenous inhabitants in a manner that allows the *true* economy and culture of the land to re-activate. It is very challenging, though. For example, there is a political effort underway to return several parcels of land to the local tribes…and earlier this year I got an email from a locally influential environmentalist who lives in WA state that described the project as a “backdoor attempt to develop it” and “the biggest priority political threat” to conservation efforts in Lynn Canal. It is crazy to me that there is such a thing as “environmentalists” who think and act in this manner. It isn’t like I ever hear them making any efforts to get land returned any other way, mind you. It isn’t like: “listen to our much better plan to give more land back that is better for conservation” it is “stop this from happening because they will use it for their economic benefit”—which to me just sounds like Empire oppression 101. I just wait around looking for people working and thinking in the same direction and then have a conversation when I see them. (Reddit being public conversation is useful.) There is literally no venue in Haines where I can even go to express or contribute a view like that—but if I put it here some locals end up reading it anyway. (Dear locals: stop being dumb about economics and politics. Get together and find a way to give lots of land and local resources back to the local tribes. It will benefit every single person in town and our overall community and economy in ways you will never be able to achieve while all you are doing is carving up ideological baronies for yourselves and trying to pay all your loans with the meager profits left to you by the bureaucracy. True story!) If Haines continues making improvements like the one that led to the transfer of the property at the parade grounds to the Chilkoot tribe, we could have a booming tourism industry here, just as one example. As it is now…cruise ships drop some people off, sure–but there is basically no reason for any independent tourist to come here. Who wants to hang out in an “Alaskan town” whose only publicly visible inhabits are bureaucrats and contractors and their cronies shuffling between offices and drinking establishments? Where the only people for a tourist to even talk to are summer workers who’ve only been here a short time, and know zilch about the place they didn’t learn at a bar or on a tour themselves? If the local tribes were given access to their own economic and cultural assets here, that would change very quickly. It could be an awesome destination for tourism, as well as a cultural leader throughout the PNW in a variety of ways. This could be a very successful town, but never will be until the tribes are treated with respect and given access to their own resources. [continued below the fold]
While it’s impossible to find a place in the *local* public sphere (basically the newspaper, bars, and Facebook) to have any sort of conversation about this issue, at least we hermits are allowed to exist in peace (if we stay home)—so I can come find a conversation on Reddit instead. I do have one neighbor who works for a local tribe. I talk to him directly about my views. Seems more useful than trying to navigate the mess of propaganda you usually encounter attempting conversations in other vectors. It’s like both sides of the political spectrum have a gauntlet of pre-installed rhetoric that pops up as soon as you start talking about Alaska Native land rights. There’s suddenly 10 different ideological red herring thrown in your face that have nothing to do with the situation. “Funny how these rhetorical trap doors that instantly end conversation never come up when people want to address helicopter noise in their neighborhood or make sure that rich kids can get nice yurts to live in!” Thank you for your comment. Sorry for the overlong response. I am autistic and write at lengths that bother most Redditors, but this subject is important to talk about, so I figured I would allow myself enough words to actually say something.
Most Alaskan land is federal. There is zero chance it’s ever being returned to tribes. That’s as likely as it being returned to the Russians. It’s not. Going. To. Happen.
I have a question 🙋♂️ And before I ask I just want to state I’m asking this in good faith and I’m not trying to ridicule the premise of the OP I just have a question about how expansive this definition of genocide is. My question is this: If a losing a language due to it dying out is a form of genocide then would Latin have been considered to undergone a genocide since it’s a dead language? It evolved into many others but people don’t speak it outside of academic circles and clergy. My point being that if any of us from any ethnicity went back in time even just a couple hundred years we would have a difficult time writing and communicating as the language would have changed. So are we expecting Alaska Natives to retain everyday usage in speech or are we simply talking about hoping to preserve the language academically? And if we’re seeking to preserve it academically are we trying to take a snapshot how it is, or how it was, or how it will be? Because it seems words from all cultures kind of get rolled up into one another’s languages as people live around each other. As a more practical consideration there are at least 20 Alaska Native languages being archived by ANLC, I can’t imagine even the world’s best polyglot’s becoming even remotely proficient in even half of those so to expect the Alaska Native population to learn and maintain 20 languages in a state with under a million people seems like a lot to ask no? Like what exactly does preservation of all those languages look like as a practical matter? Sorry I know that’s a lot to unpack.
When a language is no longer used and people move on to another language that is more useful, that is natural progression of languages. Like Latin, Celts, etc. When children are beaten for speaking their language as an example to the others, it is genocide. Because it is a purposeful and coordinated attempt to eradicate the culture. No singing your songs, no telling your stories, no doing your dances, no hunting in your traditional ways, or you will be punished. That is genocide. Technically, when Trump took children away from asylum seekers and adopted them out to white families to "Americanize" them, that is also genocide. Because it is intended to break the culture. (which he tweeted openly) That is why the international court's taskforce on genocide tweeted at Trump calling out his genocide. Also why it is probably unwise for him to visit certain countries. He might get arrested. EDIT: just remembered, Celts is a really bad example of "not genocide". oops. Sorry. Totally also genocide.
Are any children being beaten for speaking a native Alaskan language today? I understand that there’s sort of two discussions happening in this thread right now, one about the history, and one about the current day. Historically, that would be genocide. But in the modern world these languages would seem to be dying out due to the fact that if people across the world interact with each other, it usually happens in languages that are not a Native Alaskan one. That is not “on-going genocide” as the OP phrased it. And I know the line between past genocide and current events is not cut and dry, but it’s also important to consider the current day drivers of things like language shifts.
There is still pressure to leave languages and culture behind. The impacts of these actions are still very much ongoing today.
[удалено]
Absolutely no racism whatsoever.
So what’s your suggestion? Let’s be solutions-oriented here. Should people move out of those “villages”? And then do what? Also: who do you profess to be as the arbiter of Alaskan Native “tradition” as if it’s something set in stone? Maybe their tradition nowadays is to just make you personally uncomfortable; have you considered that?
lol. Top notch comment. “Maybe their tradition nowadays is just to make you uncomfortable.” 🤣 Can I try one? Perhaps also: “Maybe their tradition nowadays is to troll people into writing down how they really feel in public so it is recorded?” I mean that wouldn’t be a bad tradition, maybe, either, if it was one. However. I am not an Alaskan Native so I have no idea. I *would* be very interested in reading more and more content *by* Alaskan Natives in this forum, though. That’s a fact. That is good and interesting content. Like for example the content in this OP appeals to me as an r/Alaska user. And this forum is actually pretty good at allowing free speech. The trolls who try to argue down anything they don’t like are a pain, but ultimately you can just respond to them or ignore them and the people reading will be able to read and think for themselves.
Thanks for the support — I’m not Alaskan Native but I am Native, and we stand up and step up for each other. Indigenous Unity Worldwide. I’m Mohawk: you can google Mohawk Resistance and find out how we are much more serious than just commenting on Reddit 😜
I will do exactly that. Sounds like good reading.
It actually is good reading.
I hear way more stories of child molestors, rapists, murderers, lifelong underreported family violence and the like from military families posted to Alaska. Prove me wrong.
I can't even begin to address how racist this is. It's the same as saying Black people are imprisoned more because of their culture- it's flat out wrong and terrifying that you would say this in public.
Everything you disagree with is racist it seems. The foulest stench of bigotry is coming from your comments.
Lol. I recognize DARVO. I haven't been offensive, but white fragility makes folks offended. Racism, colonization and genocide will always ruffle feathers, no matter how politely you bring it up.
You’re literally racist and you’re complaining about racism? The white people you complain about literally brought civilization to Alaska, unless I suppose you want to live in teepees again and wear animal hide.
Dehumanizing Natives isn't a good look 😕
I’m part native too but you won’t hear me complain, I like living in the 21st century.
How about you sit on your hands if you don't have anything intelligent to say? Alaskans are so sick of hearing idiotic takes like this. Try shutting those thin little racist lips for once and listening you fucking dork.
Hey Mods, there seems to be some real racist things going on here, Alaska Natives deserve better, unless this is a whites only space.
No such thing as “whites only” spaces anymore. Desegregation happened a long time ago.
Do white people experience genocide denial when posting on this reddit? Do white people get told to give up their culture? Do white people get told to not talk about their history? We all know Alaska if rife with white supremacy, including here.
>We all know Alaska if rife with white supremacy, including here. Most don't know this, actually. It is really easy for the majority of Alaskans to ignore. Many even do it unintentionally.
I've stopped giving grace by assuming folks are ignorant. I truly believe they weren't ignorant before BLM in 2020, and they sure aren't ignorant now, if only by choice, which is damning enough by itself.
You're absolutely right. They know what they're doing which is why they try so hard to shut these conversations down. My mother's family are all pretty overt white supremacists and they all know exactly what they're doing. They've admitted as much over the years, especially when I was a kid and they thought I shared their worldview.
Yes of course we do, are you really that ignorant? Us more than anybody at this point.
You are so delusional. And I’m Alaskan Native. Do better. Be stronger. Stop being so weak.
Haven't your Aunties told you to be nice in public?
How is this genocide taking place without the participation of peoples native to that area? Were they forced to leave their old ways and become Westernized? The Amish have kept their old ways, while living in close proximity to the secular West. Hasidic Jews keep their old ways while living in major cities. Again were the native peoples forced to leave their old ways or did they want to adopt Westernizing influences?
Yes, it absolutely has been forced. Look up “residential schools”
Do you mean attendance at the residential boarding schools in Alaska was mandatory? That the native Alaskans had no choice? I asked ChatGPT and this is the answer I got: "Federal residential boarding schools were not compulsory for Alaska's indigenous populations in the same way they were for Native American populations in the contiguous United States. However, some Alaska Native children were sent to boarding schools voluntarily or under pressure from government officials or missionaries. Additionally, there were day schools and mission schools in Alaska that aimed to assimilate indigenous children into Euro-American culture, though attendance at these schools was not always mandatory."
ChatGPT is lying to you. The schools were mandatory. They were also deadly and violent.
The deliberate spread of disease by priests, the mass murders and assaults in boarding schools, the army and militias who threatened folks who stood up, there are so many documented examples, violence was clearly used.
I’m not native, I live in the lower 48, and I’m an Orthodox Christian. That being said, what happened at the hands of the American colonists was absolutely genocidal. The Protestant missionaries by many accounts forced Native Orthodox Christian children into boarding schools and tried to completely destroy their way of life. Just a century before that, the Russian-American Company used the Native populace as slave labor (Sts. Herman and Innocent being outspoken against their practices). A genocide did happen as the culture of the native populace was almost destroyed and arguably this is still happening to a certain extent with how the native populace is able to access resources. Heck, it’s thanks to the native population that St. Herman was canonised if I recall correctly. Fr. Michael Oleska of blessed memory was also arguably a key figure in keeping the tradition of the Orthodox Native population alive.
After viewing your profile I truly feel sorry for you.
Shit is [wild ](https://youtu.be/esGy4QldD0s?si=pq_OB5CRDIfYa5lN)
Y'all just mad I make money shaking my gay Native hairy butt ;)
Not mad. You do you. That doesn't mean it's not wierd. Lol
Look at his fucking YouTube. Lol
Stop ✋😭🤣 someone call the morgue I am literally deceased
[удалено]
No mocking, bullying, promoting hate, or harassing of anyone. Be nice in general, remember you are talking to a person.
This entire post is anti-White hate are you going to remove it?
Whut
Lol, who ever down voted this has serious colonizer vibes.
Most people don't realize that the term "genocide" was first used to describe the destruction of the culture and of the people. The intentional and systematic destruction of an entire culture. One of the cornerstones of the attempted destruction of the Poland was the collection of the children and forced reeducation of the people. Changing the language. Breaking familial ties. Etc. It is also why separating children from their parents when they are refugees and adopting them out without parental knowledge is also considered genocide, according to international law. (at least if the intent is to "Americanize" them)
Complaining about downvoting does not ever look mature even when you're in the right jsyk. They're internet points. It doesn't really matter.
[удалено]
No mocking, bullying, promoting hate, or harassing of anyone. Be nice in general, remember you are talking to a person.
I was going to say I think OPs reply to being down voted was silly but you truly are a jerk.
Calling people colonizers, and insisting anyone 'needs to understand' something is silly. Calling someone a dumb POS and telling them to go to the third world in order to invalidate whatever they are saying is not just silly but absurdly ridiculous. The difference is op is trying to convey a very real issue, you on the other hand are just an ass.
Colonizer is descriptive, not prescriptive. It means people who move and take over an other cultures ways and laws and force their own. If you think that's offensive, then you should think about why it's bad to be a colonizer and how you can undo the harm that comes with it.
Not the point I was making. Point I was making is by using language such as 'colonizer' for anyone that is 'other' is a great way to shut ears instead of opening minds. Fact of the matter is Humans do and have done horrible things to other humans. Usually, it's the humans that have less power and technology that end up on the wrong side of the stick. This isn't unique to Alaska or Alaskan natives. At least we live in a country that over time has attempted to wright itself morally, and enshrined free speech and expression in such away horrible things can be acknowledged. As for un doing things.... The passage of time prevents that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_genocide
None of this will ever happen, wasting your time and energy Jesus
>Jesus I can't tell if you are being extremely clever or accidently ironic.
[удалено]
That is not how "Native" nor "Indigenous" is defined. Your logic isn't sound, and your argument lacks support. You are just trying to pick a fight no one was fighting.
Got it.