With this message, I am requesting your support for the research
project that we have been jointly working on, compiling information about
stereotypes so that we can eventually try to call attention to their use
in North American society and try to change some of their harmful
representations.
Quite a few people have sent me their express wishes to be included as
a supporter, but I must confess that, because I wasn't thinking clearly
about how to organize the project right from the beginning (didn't know it
would get this big! :-), I didn't keep a separate list of supporters as
compared to people who simply commented but have not yet expressed direct
support of the project.
If you have not expressly given your support to the project yet,
please do so! Also, if you did expressly give permission to have your
name appear at the bottom of petition-style letters, I will have to ask
for your patience and ask you to PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR EXPRESS SUPPORT
AGAIN--even if you already did. Those of you who did give this permission
in the last two weeks need not send me another message--I still have your
posts to me and can use them. But if you gave express permission earlier,
I may not have kept your name in a separate list. Please forgive the need
to have you repeat this process, but I don't want to send out letters with
names of people who do not want to be publicly involved with the project.
WHAT BEING A SUPPORTER INVOLVES
At this point, I think the responsibilities of being a supporter will
be pretty simple:
-you would agree to have your name included at the bottoms of letters
to companies and organizations expressing concern about their use of
logos, mascots, or products that are based on stereotypes of Native
Americans
-I will post sample letters for each kind of category of organization
(colleges vs. sports teams vs. corporations) that use each kind of
stereotype (mascots vs. company names vs. "Indian" dolls, etc.), so
if there's something you don't think you can support fully, you could
send me a note telling me to count you out of that particular effort
-obviously, this means that you would be willing to have your name
semi-publicly associated with this effort, which means you might have
to be willing to answer questions from people who are curious,
interested, defensive, critical, etc.
-that's about all I can see--am I leaving anything out?
For now, at least, the main thing would be your willingness to be included
in petition-style letters, addressed privately to organizations and then
more publicly to various publications. I'll give you a chance to back out
at any new stage of the process.
INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF
Also, I think it would be wise to show the variety of backgrounds that
we have, so it might be good to include your tribal or organizational
affiliations, or even just where you're from. On the list posted below,
I've included the names of companies or schools when people have them as a
part of their address or their signature. Since the easiest addresses to
decipher are academic addresses, it may seem like I've noted academics
more than others, but that is by no means a matter of preference: I
simply know more about those institutions than others. So please tell me
where you are, what you do, etc., so we can show how broad an appeal we
are making with this project.
THANKS!!!!
THANK YOU to the many people who have made suggestions about what to
include in the compiled list of harmful stereotypes, how best to focus it,
what shouldn't be on the list, etc., and also to those who have asked
skeptical questions. You have all helped make the project better, I
think, and increased its chances of being more effective in the long run.
Second, thanks to those who have expressed their appreciation to me
personally, and who have indicated that the project is already helping
them in various ways. A great number of people have said that they have
found the discussion enlightening and encouraging, even empowering.
Several teachers at various levels said they have used the list in their
classrooms, and a couple people have joined the discussion after hearing
about the project from teachers in class. And many have offered us best
wishes and good luck--even a few who aren't sure they want to sign on to
the project personally. The overwhelmingly positive response has
convinced me that this is a project that is worth doing--even needs to be
done.
PLEASE SIGN UP!
Because my list right now includes people with a wide variety of
supporting attitudes, I think it would be best if each of you would let me
know (again) that you would like to be included in this project as a
supporter. So, PLEASE SEND ME A MESSAGE, at <postema@cobber.cord.edu>
telling me to sign you up.
SUPPORT FOR GERMAN RESEARCH?
Henning Riebe has volunteered to start compiling information about
stereotyped images, products, etc., in Germany, in a kind of continuation
of this project in a European context. I think he deserves thanks for
this, and I would like to support him as much as I can. If you are
willing to have your name added as a supporter of his work, as well, you
might include that in your note to me, and I will forward your message to
Henning. You could also write to him directly, of course, at
<riebe@dtmgmbh.uucp.germany.eu.net>. But it would be nice if we could
combine our efforts, so a consolidated list might be a helpful resource.
Let me know.
AGAIN--PLEASE JOIN!
If you are willing to have your name included at the bottoms of letters
expressing concern, please send me a note at <postema@cobber.cord.edu>
with your full name and whatever information about your background you
feel is appropriate.
To quote the commercial, "Thanks for your support"! :-)
Jim Postema
postema@cobber.cord.edu