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The Spectacle Blog
Bernie Quigley’s defense of Elizabeth Warren’s claims of Native American heritage have been both widely and wisely mocked by the likes of Ace of Spades, P.J. Gladnick at Newsbusters and the triumvirate of Jonah Goldberg, Kevin D. Williamson, and Mark Steyn at National Review Online.
But before I pile on, it should be noted that Quigley cannot be completely dismissed as a left-wing crank. Back in July 2009, Quigley eviscerated President Obama for his snobbery in his handling of the Gates-Crowley affair. Quigley’s evisceration of Obama won him praise from no less than Rush Limbaugh.
Having said that, I shall proceed to pile on. Quigley begins by writing:
Elizabeth Warren might be excused for wanting to be Native American. She can claim an old American soul, going back generations in Oklahoma. In the heartland it is almost universal for those who have been there for a few generations to claim Indian blood; that is, to wish it were there even if it isn’t.
Well, if not Indian blood then perhaps high cheekbones will do. It is almost universal for us to want higher cheekbones and for those of us that have the means, your friendly plastic surgeon can make those dreams come true. But it won’t make you any more Native American than the late Chief Jay Strongbow.
It is not so much a lie as it is the acculturation of personal and regional American myth; the fabric of old-soul American consciousness.
If John Edwards is convicted then I guess he can appeal to a higher court and say that his conduct was only being representative of old-soul American consciousness.
The first poetic vision of Europeans in the new world was that James Fenimore Cooper, who conjured Natty Bumpo. He had an “Indian name” - he had several: Hawkeye, Deerslayer, Pathfinder - indicating that he had been “reborn” in the new world in the Indian spirit. It is the oldest and most important myth in the American canon of our folklore, from Lone Ranger, who died and became “born again” via agency of an Indian shaman, and Fox Mulder, who returned from the dead via Indian intercession in “The X Files,” born anew with the past burned away in death, to enter a new age under the flag of the White Buffalo.
I mean if Quigley is going to go all out on a limb then why not conjure up an image of Kevin Costner on his hand and knees uttering, “Tatanka”?
So Warren’s claim to be “part Indian” is correct in mythical terms. Every old-school white Oklahoman is in this regard even if this is nominally not true. But it is not a lie to want to be Indian and imagine your ancestors were.
Actually, it would be bald-faced lie. To put this matter in some perspective, I grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario where there is a significant Aboriginal population both on and off reserve. I greatly admire Aboriginal culture and tradition. But I am not about to go around and claim to be an Aboriginal Canadian. To do so would be wrong and profoundly disrespectful. With that said, it is one thing to identify with Native Americans; it is quite another to identify yourself as a Native American. Even if it’s only 1/32 Native American.
I hope Mitt Romney remembers this and incorporates Indian blessings and ritual in his inaugural ceremonies as Canadians do and as they did in those terrific Winter Olympics in Salt Lake in 2002. And I hope Elizabeth Warren doesn’t back down on this, because wanting to be Indian, like Hawkeye, makes us in a deeper sense fully American.
I’m not sure which Canadian inaugural ceremonies Quigley is referring to exactly. Given that he mentioned the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics perhaps he was referring to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. But there weren’t any Aboriginal blessings when Stephen Harper’s Tory government was first sworn into office six years ago by Canada’s Governor General at Rideau Hall. Besides, could you imagine if Mitt Romney were to suddenly claim Native American heritage? The Washington Post would call him Chief Flip Flop faster than you could say Bain Capital.
I do agree with Quigley on one thing. I hope Liz Warren doesn’t back down on this either because as long as she doesn’t then her credibility remains suspect. OK, so Warren wants to be Native American. I want to pitch for the Red Sox. That doesn’t mean Bobby Valentine is going to take Daniel Bard out of the starting rotation and give me the ball on Memorial Day against the Tigers. And if he did, it wouldn’t make me any more fully American than I am now.
View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/05/23/quigleys-quixotic-defense-of-l
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Mike 3/505| 5.23.12 @ 4:55PM
Mr G,
"With that said, it is one thing to identify with Native Americans; it is quite another to identify yourself as a Native American. Even if it's only 1/32 Native American."
Please help us all by not falling into the Liberal trap of using their falsely redefined words. "Native American" means anyone who was born in North, Central or South America. It is NOT limited to what are commonly known as American Indians. Moreover, American Indians aren't "native" to America. They are immigrants who got here via the land bridge across the Bering Strait.
Another term that we need to eliminate is "African American" when describing American Blacks. If Dr Louis B. Leakey is to be believed, we are ALL African Americans. Also, Africa is a continent, not a cultural construct.
Paul McGrath| 5.23.12 @ 10:43PM
That's a good point, Mike. We are all African-Americans. The only difference between us--the only difference--is the color of our skin.
Red Phillips | 5.23.12 @ 5:03PM
That's it! I've had it with this site! How dare you diss Chief Jay Strongbow!?! :-)
W| 5.23.12 @ 5:29PM
Aaron,
Wasn't Chief Jay Strongbow Italian-American? My father took me to wrestling shows and I saw the Chief. He was also on TV wrestling.
Gorilla Monsoon was Italian or Jewish?
Trinacria| 5.23.12 @ 6:52PM
Actually, W, both. Half Italian and half jewish, which was awfully damn confusing; the poor lad didn't know whether to steal stuff or buy it wholesale...
Trinacria| 5.23.12 @ 7:02PM
P.S. failure to capitalize "Jewish" entirely unintentional (typo)...
W| 5.23.12 @ 7:21PM
I was introduced to Gorilla at a restaurant, spoke with him, I believe his first name was Jerry (the Jewish side), spoke very well (combination of I and J). I think he was a teacher before rassling.
Good line, stealing or wholesale. It can confuse us.
What about the Chief?
I think the "Indian" who cried one tear in that old commercial about the environment was Italian.
Trinacria| 5.23.12 @ 7:25PM
Yep, full blooded paesan.
Red Phillips | 5.23.12 @ 11:22PM
"Wasn't Chief Jay Strongbow Italian-American?"
His real last name was Scarpa.
Booger| 5.23.12 @ 5:32PM
Well, now I suppose smoking American Spirit Cigarettes will give me all the justification I need to open my own casino and make some heap big wampum.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.23.12 @ 8:42PM
Booger returns! Stand by for the memo.
PattyMor| 5.23.12 @ 6:03PM
Princess Ho-Kum may get her comeupance. Riddicule is the most valuable form of put down. Its hard to defend against and hits her with the charge of lying phoney.
Volt| 5.23.12 @ 6:22PM
Native American? Hasn't anyone read a great book of essays, Notes of a Native Son? Itself based on a great novel, Native Son? And what about another great book of essays, The Omni-americans? The lady'd save herself a lot of embarrassment if she took the trouble to read her own native ground's classics. And -- forgive the pedantic streak but I can't resist -- the fellow quoted by Aaron has it wrong, before Cooper there was Crevecoeur.
Trinacria| 5.23.12 @ 7:01PM
We're all so busy laughing at Mr. Quigley's eminently laughable defense of Ms. Warren's deep and profound connection with the rich tapestry of Native American culture that we've overlooked the central omission in his defense; namely, that such a connection would be far less subject to skepticism if claiming it didn't confer upon her significant and tangible benefits.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.23.12 @ 8:51PM
After Mr. Quigley's article, why am I taken back to "Wayne's World II" and "The Doors" movie, with the naked Indian guiding the dreams of Elizabeth Warren to build a more perfect community, where no one is responsible for getting ahead on their own, and all wealth is shared equally in the tribe?
spike59| 5.24.12 @ 6:12AM
the funny thing is, the 'more perfect community, where no one is responsible for getting ahead on their own, and all wealth is shared equally in the tribe' is as much a myth as Warren's faux heritage
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 8:55AM
As is said in the local projects (another government designed and executed community) "True dat".
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.23.12 @ 9:29PM
http://m.youtube.com/?reload=7.....Pb_A&gl=US
spike59| 5.24.12 @ 6:11AM
So Warren's claim to be "part Indian" is correct in mythical terms. Every old-school white Oklahoman is in this regard even if this is nominally not true. But it is not a lie to want to be Indian and imagine your ancestors were.
=================================
Two points:
1-"correct in mythical terms"=a LIE
2-Warren didn't lie by WANTING to be an Indian; she lied by CLAIMING to be one
martin j smith| 5.24.12 @ 7:37AM
I hope Liz Warren goes to the drought stricken areas of our nation and does an effective rain dance --perhaps she could have some use after all. But to get paid she must bring rain.
JimH| 5.24.12 @ 8:32AM
Aaron, if I get Mormon teaching correctly that Indians are ancient Israelites who migrated here, you may also be able to claim distant Indian relations.
REM| 5.24.12 @ 11:40AM
Warren's claim was/is the height of racism. She received a benefit through the Lie and stolen an Affirmative Act placement from a true minority. Is this not racism?
Born Free| 5.24.12 @ 3:49PM
We're all Cherokee now.
"My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Depp
Or Pawnee, Shawnee? Anyone...Bueller?