r/whoathatsinteresting • u/MelanieWalmartinez • 4h ago

Students get smudged by indigenous elders for peace and blessings throughout the year

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u/gooneau 3h ago

SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL BABY!!! ugh, I'm Alaskan so I feel your pain, even in this deep republican state it's so over the top. My local government is constantly falling all over themselves to act like best friends with tribal entities (which half the time in alaska just means for-profit native corporations making it extra ridiculous) going as far as saying they are "co-governing" including in emergency response, when the tribe contributes literally zero resources or expertise and just provides some dignitary to stand there at pressers. Then, every single time it benefits them, they turn around and basically tell the actual government and non-natives to go fuck themselves because they are their oppressors and land-stealers. They constantly do shit that would land any non-tribal entity in legal trouble, like building a casino they 100% are not allowed to. Not even on tribal land, just a lot owned by a native dude. Who, hilariously, was apparently duped by the tribe into building a casino on his land, his entire family came forward recently and spilled the tea that they have been fighting the tribe about it (the tribes original lease on the land was for building a fireworks store, which is also illegal locally but our govt is too big of pussies to do anything). There is also a cluster of homes near the former site of a native village from 150 years ago, no special status or anything, that has turned into an open-air fentanyl and stolen goods market that the city refuses to do anything about. I'm pretty damn lefty but the tribal stuff around here is such an obvious example of the nonsensical bleeding heart bullshit that drives people to the right.

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u/Belvedere48 3h ago

I'm American and just got back from Canada-first time I have been exposed to these announcements. Everything in French and English and then the apologies in French and English. When you're just announcing the hot dog cart service on the train you can probably skip that one time and give it a break..