We don't all look like Indians from Cleveland

Author

Louis Joseph
August 06, 2023

We don’t all look like Indians from Cleveland

I don’t have much, if any resemblance to the Cleveland Indian caricature. However, I am Indian. I am Indigenous. I am Native. I don’t have long braided hair; I have a fade. I don’t have a soft face with zero facial hair; I have a beard. So, what does that make me? Less Native? Not Native? I guess it depends on who you ask.

I grew up in Northern California on Redwood Valley Reservation. Majority of the Natives I grew up with look alot like me. All the non-Natives in town know who the Natives are. All of the police know who the Natives are. And most importantly all the Natives know who the Natives are. It’s always been like that. That’s the nature of things where I come from. So, you can imagine the shock I felt when an out-of-state Native said that I didn’t look Native at all.

I had been going to big times and gatherings of my people my entire life. Not one single time in all of those years had I ever heard I didn’t look Native. Then one day, I went to the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. To be absolutely honest, it changed my views forever in regard to self identity. Prior to the experience, I couldn’t wait to be around all of my people. To be at the biggest gathering of Natives in the country is something that I had been looking forward to for months, if not years. What’s that saying? Be careful what you ask for? I never imagined I would be treated as an outsider instead of family. In an instant, the facade of Native unity I had known my entire life disappeared instantly in front of my eyes.  

Okay so that happened. Now the real question is, how do I respond? How do I move forward? At first I spent the next few hours trying to explain to some of them how I grew up the rez too. That I ate commods my whole life. That my struggle was the same exact struggle they went through or were still going through. That I was the same as them, I just happened to look a little different. The feedback was a mixed bag of reactions. Some felt I was a real Native. Some felt I wasn’t. Some completely ignored me and wouldn’t give me the time of day. After my futile attempt to gain acceptance into their club, I came to the realization that it would never happen and I wouldn’t waste anymore of my time or energy trying to change that. This experience ultimately led me to where I am today, creating this movement.

The way I figured, if they’re not going to accept me, then I’m going to create my own space. I’m no less Native than them. And let me make this absolutely clear. I’m not against them, I am simply for me, as well as for other Natives like me. I don’t ever want another Native to feel the way I did from my own people. We’re not seeking their acceptance or approval. This is what some Natives happen to look like, we’re here to stay and everyone is just going to have to learn to deal with it. This movement I’m creating is about having respect, love and pride for all Native people. It’s an inclusive movement, an intelligent movement but most importantly a genuine movement. In my opinion, maybe a better way to judge how Native someone is, is to take a look at how much they’ve sacrificed for their tribe and how much they give back to their people.

Elon Musk brings Telsa to the Rez

Tesla is now beginning to open showrooms on Tribal lands within states that ban vehicle manufacturers from also being retailers. There are currently states that do not allow direct to consumer purchasing and have also denied Tesla dealership licenses. Elon’s remedy? To partner with Tribes and move operations on to trust land in hopes of leveling the playing field.

The Mohegan Tribe which is located within the state boundaries of Connecticut, owns and operates one the biggest casinos in the country. The Mohegan Sun. They have always been a Tribe on the forefront of business in Indian Country. They were the first to own a professional sports team, the Connecticut Sun. They will now partner with the largest EV manufacturer in the world (Tesla market cap $580 Billion) bringing a showroom with a sales and delivery center included to sovereign land.

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Pivoting to the sovereign nation is them not wanting to follow the law

Jeff Aiosa ED CDA

Various groups within the state have many different takes on the issue. CARA ( Connecticut Automotive Retail Association) although opposed to Tesla gaining the ability to sell direct to consumer, maintains respect for Tribal sovereignty while hoping for fairness. On the other side of the coin is Jeff Aiosa, executive director for the Connecticut dealers association. Jeff states “ pivoting to the sovereign nation is them not wanting to follow the law.”

Perhaps Mr Aiosa lacks an understanding of a less mentioned yet equally important set of laws that are being followed, Tribal law. More specifically Federal Indian Law, which governs the relationships between Tribes and the federal and state governments. As long as those set of laws are being followed by the Tribe and its partners, economic developments projects can legally operate regardless of how unorthodox or unfamiliar they may appear to the uninitiated.

Pyet DeSpain -Potawatomi

Chef Pyet aka Pyetwetmokwe, is a member of the Praire Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe and winner of the first season of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef.

I’ve been a big fan of Gordon Ramsay’s shows Hell’s Kitchen and Masterchef for years, so when they announced his new show Next Level Chef I was eager to check it out. The show was a different spin on the cooking competition he normally hosts. Each round, how well you performed in the previous round, would determine what type of kitchen you would use you prepare your meals. The use of a three story set design for the backdrop of the show, is the inspiration behind the title of Next Level Chef. The bottom kitchen had the bare minimum to cook a meal with damaged cookware and old utensils, whereas the top level had executive equipment including every gadget you needed with all the bells and whistles.

The season was moving right along with the worst chef of the week being eliminated one by one. I enjoyed the show and liked the contestants but no one really stood out to me until one particular episode. Chef Pyet made a dish that included a fusion recipe involving something she calls Wojapi. Wojapi is a sauce made with 5 different types of berries and tiny bit of maple syrup. The dish she made obviously won her the week, the attention of the judges and caught my eye as well. It was the first time I had a seen a Native on one of Gordon’s shows. Not only was she competing but she was excelling.

Chef Pyet would go on to win the entire competition and become Next Level Chef’s inaugural champion. From a rez kid on the Osage Indian Reservation to her current status of champion, chef Pyet has preserved and achieved. She is currently the owner and operator of Pyets Plate, which hosts private events with full-service catering. When she isn’t whipping up her culinary masterpieces she’s in the community inspiring a future generation of Native chefs through her workshops and speaking engagements. She is also currently in production of finishing up her first cookbook.

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