"I Didn't Know" doesn't cut it anymore....
The question has become a matter of timing. How much longer will an NFL owner insist he’s honoring Native Americans, how many more “accidental headdress incidents”, how many more Halloween Pocahottie costumes until the public realizes Native Americans are not commodities?
The history of playing Indian in the United States is a long one, harkening back to the days when government-sponsored genocide of Native peoples was the norm. Sentimental racism is difficult for many to let go of; love of team, love of romanticized Native American cultures is far easier to accept than the harsh realities of the historic and ongoing treatment of a people that continue to exist.
But frankly, at this point it’s getting old. Sentimental racism is still racism. With every new appropriation incident, with every new protest or educational event organized by Native communities, it becomes more and more difficult to legitimately claim: “I didn’t know.”
