At an event honoring Navajo Code Talkers for their service during the Second World War, President Trump made a jab at Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her disputed Native American heritage while speaking with the men to be honored. He stated that the Native Americans have been here longer than any of us, much like Sen. Warren as a representative in Congress, who has been nicknamed 'Pocahontas.' Trump has accused her on multiple occasions of making up facts about her heritage just to advance her career. The event also took place in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office, whose claim to fame is his brutal Indian Removal Act in 1830.
While it may be true that Warren is not of Native descent, it is still highly inappropriate to use Pocahontas's name as a slur, especially in the presence of Native Americans. Pocahontas made numerous contributions to the colonial United States, and it is very wrong to dishonor her legacy like Trump did. Like former president Andrew Jackson, Trump is somehow not willing to accept that Native Americans exist on the same plane as us and deserve all the respect we can give, especially considering our cruel history with them.
https://www.npr.org/2017/11/27/566783261/trump-brings-up-pocahontas-at-event-honoring-navajo-code-talkers
Fun tidbit: Trump actually made the comments standing under a painting of Jackson. That's so on-the-nose it must have been planned.
ReplyDeleteIt's honestly disgusting that Trump would say something like this in the presence of Native Americans much less alone. He needs to be held accountable for his statements before it goes too far and causes the country to divide more than it already has.
ReplyDeletei agree, trump goes around saying and doing things without punishment whatsoever
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