Are native people racist?
It feels like Someone “being racist” is thrown around SO MUCH these days!
Society is so much more AWARE of racism, but is that causing more racism and why causes people to be racist, and prejudiced in the first place?
If you’ve ever encountered Indigenous people being RACIST - and wondered WHY that is, then KEEP on reading!
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If you want to understand WHY Indigenous Native American People specifically are sometimes self-judgmental towards their own tribal people, and other non-indigenous people too - then stay tuned to the end of the video because I’m covering THREE most common reasons why Indigenous people are racist toward other Native people.
You may have heard a common stereotype that Native people are racist – even toward members of their own race and culture.
This “stereotype” is far too often - actually accurate as racism actually occurs a lot.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why Native people sometimes treat other Native people poorly or judge them quickly. And most of the reasons are rooted in the trauma behind the Indigenous experience and the history of Indigenous people.
In order to fully engage with and learn about Indigenous culture, it’s important to learn about ALL of it – the good and the bad.
Our judgments and prejudices come from our origins – how we were raised, what we were taught, our experiences, and our culture.
Indigenous people are no different. All of those things combine to create a few reasons why Indigenous people might be racist toward other Indigenous people.
Reason #1 We Set Rules And Requirements For Participating In The Culture
Indigenous culture is incredibly important to Indigenous people. It’s what makes us who we are. As a result, Indigenous people can be very protective of that culture, which makes us try to hold other Indigenous people to the same rules or standards we live by.
There is no one right way to participate in Indigenous culture – but that’s not what all people believe. Some Native people believe there are certain things you should do or certain rules you should live by in order to be “truly” native.
This can create a lot of judgment and negativity between groups of Indigenous people. The people who set those rules or expectations can be judgmental of people who don’t meet those expectations – and people who don’t meet those expectations can be judgmental of the people who set them.
So, you can see how this would create a circle of negativity that would make Indigenous people feel uncomfortable with or even disdain for each other.
Until we expand our expectations or idea of what it means to be Indigenous, unfortunately the cycle of internal racism just continues.
Reason #2 Stereotypes From The Media Make Native People Insecure About Their Identity
Again, racism often comes from a place of judgment or feeling judged.
For generations, the media has portrayed Indigenous people through certain negative stereotypes: lazy, freeloaders, and uncivilized – just to name a few. And as is often the case with stereotypes, they’re untrue and based off of false or misleading assumptions about people.
As a result, Native people often feel insecure about their identity. A picture has been painted of Indigenous people without our consent – and it’s extremely difficult to break out of that perception.
This can make Native people feel hostile toward other Native people who they feel might be contributing to those harmful stereotypes.
All of this just means that there is a lot of insecurity surrounding Indigenous identity – and when you feel insecure, you are more likely to quickly and easily judge others.
Reason #3 It’s A Defense Mechanism From Past Pains And Traumas
Finally, to put it simply: hurt people hurt people.
There is a LOT of pain and trauma in Indigenous history that Indigenous people are dealing with everyday.
Dealing with that hurt isn’t easy – and it can make us lash out or hurt other people because WE’RE hurting.
Judging, hurting, and condemning others can be a defense mechanism against dealing with our own pain.
It’s important to acknowledge the legacy of trauma behind Indigenous people – because it impacts everything we do.
If you want to learn more about indigenous people, cultures, practices, and beliefs, visit our website, Tribal Trade Co., for tons of resources at your fingertips.
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