LOL Yeah... I knew the M.D. would point out something like that

Yeah... that's why I laugh because on one level he's right that we are all human. Then I think about how many Hawaiians are treated as less than human. Then I think about how it doesn't allow for ethnic pride.

His words surprised me considering that he's a "minority" in this country.

Yeah... it seems as though while he focuses on how similar we are... we are also different. And you make good points... as usual.

For the record... amaliemd is white and (I believe) is in residency to be a doctor in Pennsylvania. She is one person who tries to understand other people and has been understanding of other people. For her to even want to communicate with indigenous people, to want to learn what indigenous people have to say, and to try to see them as human beings... tells me that she is an understanding person.

In a way he is discounting many people's heritage, history, and/or traditions. To me... that's a bad thing even if we are human. Many Hawaiians are treated as less than human. That's what I've noticed.

I did notice how his words spoke of unity but he stated this too, "The Hawaiians do not have Hawaiian blood" and I don't know about you... but I take issue with that. Also whenever I write about something here it's always going to be biased so since I took issue with him stating that Hawaiians do not have Hawaiian blood then I look at that part as a piece to the puzzle instead of looking at one or a few things.

I should have made it more clear but in one of my responses I stated,

"Yeah... that's why I laugh because on one level he's right that we are all human. Then I think about how many Hawaiians are treated as less than human. Then I think about how it doesn't allow for ethnic pride."

For me... I try not to look at things at face value but he stated a couple of things that were offensive to me:

1) The Hawaiians do not have Hawaiian blood.

2) The American Indians do not have Indian blood.

Of course it is nice that he is promoting unity but how can we unite if it offends some people and I'm sure that I'm not the only one.

Also what if his point or one of his points was not what you see and instead was to discredit indigenous people. He mentions Hawaiians and American Indians. Why not point out Chinese or Japanese people? He didn't so that is why I perceived it to be the way that I did because he only mentioned Hawaiians and American Indians. That tells me that he probably thinks that our pain as indigenous people is trivial and I'm not okay with that. Therefore I write about it.

Also from his name he doesn't seem to be indigenous so how would he possibly know what indigenous people go through? It's great that he wants unity but he doesn't know how it is to be indigenous and even if he was indigenous... he cannot possibly speak for all indigenous people.

I hate the blood quantum thing but even if I hate it... I use it so that I can adequately represent my ancestors. A Catch-22.

Well, there had to be SOME method of determining who was entitled to the stuff due Indians from treaty obligations. If there weren't, you'd have people who had one - for example - Kiowa great-great grandparent (1/16th)claiming full rights to it.

Which one? This one? LOL I actually have a paddle that says, "Good" and "Bad." I like to use the "Bad" side alot heehee

"Culturally we are different, but genetically, there is no difference."

That is what I wish he had included.

My favorite response to someone discussing "race" is to say "there's only one race that counts for anything", which often leads them to wonder if I'm going to say my own ("white"), but I follow up with "the HUMAN race".

Because the people who stayed in Africa continued to develop genetically, there's more genetic variety in a typical small African village than there is in a whole American or European city - according to the video in National Geographic's Genographic Project kit.