Wir Freunde der Indianer

Da staunt der Ami: "Warum verbringen 40.000 Deutsche ihr Wochenende als Indianer verkleidet?"

Echte Indianer freuen sich ganz und gar nicht, wenn wohlmeinende Deutsche Todsünden begehen:

"Some Natives do take issue. When he first traveled to Germany, David Redbird Baker, an Ojibwe, thought adults playing cowboys and Indians were cute. But when the hobbyists began staging sacred ceremonies like ghost and sun dances and sweat lodges, Baker was offended.

'They take the social and religious ceremonies and change them beyond recognition,' says Baker, who believes that hobbyists, in claiming the right to improvise on the most sacred rituals, have begun to develop a sense of ownership over Native culture. They’ve held dances where anyone in modern dress is barred from attending—even visiting Natives. They buy sacred items like eagle feathers and add them to their regalia. They’ve even allowed women to dance during their 'moon time,' which is, according to Baker, the equivalent of a cardinal sin."

Der Cree-Indianer und Filmemacher John Blackbird lernte deutsche Gründlichkeit kennen und unsere Bereitschaft, andere über ihr wahres Wesen aufzuklären:

"Once, as part of his promotion efforts, he described his documentary in an e-mail to a hobbyist organization as being about 'Indian life.' He received a quick response informing him that the proper term was 'First Nations,' that he would do well not to use racist terminology.

'I am an Indian!' Blackbird shot back. 'My friends are Indians, my family are Indians. We have always called ourselves Indians. I have a status card from the Canadian government that tells me I am an Indian. You have no right to tell me what I am.'"