Why First Nations Are Not Your Excuse For Racism

One of the more common counter-arguments that some racist Heathens will use to bolster their arguments about "folk" and "people" that basically amount to a Vitamin D absorption test is that First Nations legally get to have a "blood quota," so why can't Heathens have a de facto one? For the record: a "blood quota" is the amount of heritage (1/4 - i.e. grandparent) necessary to be considered for inclusion or recognition. If indigenous cultures are allowed to demand hereditary and genealogical proof of for their "inclusiveness," why can't reconstructed indigenous cultures, amirite? It's a sad attempt at a "gotcha" that many will try against those who disagree with their practices.

It's also ignorant of the vast forces of history, law, and culture that impact every aspect of their argument.

I'm sure there's a counterargument that can save them. Somewhere.

We could just state that any attempt to compare an unbroken ethnic tradition that's been established via treaty and force of law for over 100 years with a historically reconstructed tradition is comparing two entirely different things. That's not obvious enough for some people, so we'll continue.

As I said in my post about McNallen's bad spin on spiritual warfare, most racists don't base their arguments in an ethnic heritage, but rather an ethnicity-erasing pan-European collective. With very few exceptions, we don't see actual ethnic grouping and/or focus at a group level. The possibilities are nearly as varied as the number of tribes that have existed/continue to exist in North America: German, Norwegian, Finnish, Gaulish, Anglo-Saxon, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Rus, the list goes on... This glaring difference usually escapes racists because the level of self-awareness necessary to realize that a Sioux is not a Seminole (and so on), would require not being racist. Namely acknowledging that despite often working toward common goals, the First Nations people are largely still distinct from one another culturally, in addition to geographically and legally. By lumping physical characteristics with a geographic locale, it allows racists to reinforce the Imperialistic Superiority Narrative (i.e. - that 'noble savage' nonsense) that has dominated European interaction with the rest of the world for centuries. The erasure of nuance is necessary to maintain a stratified order rigid enough to satisfy a racist worldview. Even among the few organizations that do focus on a specific group (like the Anglo-Saxons), most don't have any restrictions on ethnicity for admittance, because they recognize they're not working with an unbroken tradition.

In "inherent worth," there is no real inherent difference between an unbroken tradition or a broken one. Let's get that out of the way. Traditions must stand on their own or fall in today's times based on how they interact with the world. However, in legal terms, there is a huge difference. A group of people with historical claim to land, with treaties that separate them from the Federal Government in a way that most Americans will never understand, let alone encounter, are not at all equal with an arguably young (less than 50 years old) religious movement filing for 501(c)3 Nonprofit Status. A First Nation Tribe is not *just* a religion, or even just a culture, that an individual joins. This is a shifting of Law and Authority on multiple levels. To join them is to essentially become a citizen of another country. There is no Heathen equivalent, unless someone thinks the Troth or the AFA (arguably the only two orgs big enough at the moment, but I could be wrong) should start setting up local Things (Legislature/Court Assembly) and petitioning for Federal recognition and/or secession from the US?

You're just embarrassing yourselves.

As part of the "deal" that the Federal Government so graciously offered the Tribes that have managed to survive centuries of physical and cultural purges, they must to keep strict records and tight control of membership, thus their "rules" for “blood quota.” It’s not a thing most Tribes necessary want to do, but something the Feds forced on them to contain them and keep membership low. The last thing a government like the US wants is an ability of its citizens to join independent nations within its own borders.

What Heathens of old recognized, and what racists today refuse to, is how the nature of Tribe comes into being. It defines you as part of something larger, it's a set of codes and laws that impact your life, your family, your neighbors, and all of your interactions with the outside world. The fact that a Tribe usually involved people who were very similar in appearance was a factor of geography, technological progress (or lack thereof), and the differing cultures themselves, not "race." Northern Europe can be a harsh climate, and the winters, coupled with rough seas and mountainous terrain meant there were months when you'd be lucky to see your neighbor, let alone a stranger from the far South. Though expert travelers, ancient Heathens traveled for trade, not for leisure, and never as family, unless to settle in a new location. The mobility enjoyed today was unthinkable at that time, so even encountering another culture or religion was only something that a select few individuals experienced. Lastly, many of the Middle Eastern monotheist religions had very strict stigma against changing allegiance, whether secular or spiritual, so the likelihood of a stranger joining a Tribe decreased even further. Again, nuance and fact destroy the easy answer.

Today, "the West" (especially America) is a mishmash of European traditions and superstitions. America was called a "Melting Pot" for a long time, and the metaphor was disturbingly apt. As newcomers arrived, sublimation into "the way things are done" was strongly encouraged, and old values/traditions were only tolerated if they didn't conflict with existing norms or stand out too much. Unless a group was decidedly and explicitly shunned (examples across history include, but are not limited to - African Americans, Asians, Irish), incoming groups were rarely able to maintain any semblance of the old "Self" as the American Way took hold and dominated any preexisting culture.

Propaganda: Not just for the "enemy."

When this is pointed out, some racists have tried to counter with, "Well, you're just saying we can't have a Tribe, but those others can. That makes you the racist. You're just racist against white people!" Throw in a couple "cuck"s, a "SJW" complaint, and three or four misspelled words and you have the general idea. Again, the point is missed because introspection is hard.

Anyone can have or make a Tribe. Anyone can even make exclusionary clubs that hearken back to the good old "Whites Only" time, when everyone "Knew their place." No one gets to make those Tribes and call them "Authentic Heathenry" though. And pointing to the nightmarish treatment the First Nations have had to suffer through as justification is unconscionable. 

You might be left alone as just an asshole, but you won't be when you're an asshole and a liar. The First Nations have suffered enough at the hands of Imperialist European assholes. It's time to stop dragging them into racist propaganda.

Share

Tweet