Another Stereotype of the Month entry:
Hoo boy...
I thought this site was some kind of joke at first, but no, it's in all seriousness. Here are the articles:
Indian Curses and Boy Scouts [no longer online]
Rob's comment
This may be the most racist (pro-Christian, anti-Indian) website of the year. Perhaps of the decade. To see its full glory, visit DemonBuster.com.
The site's owners list themselves as:
Stan and Elizabeth Madrak
Deliverance Ministers
We are located in Montgomery, Alabama
The Madraks have removed their Boy Scout page, perhaps because of the protests they received. On this page, they claimed the Boy Scouts are an Indian-derived, demon-riddled organization. A third of the way down, they listed every aspect of Indian culture they considered demonic. The following is a brief excerpt:
How I praise God each day for DELIVERANCE from the lies and deceits of the enemy.
SPIRITS (Each name is a demon that must be driven OUT in the name of JESUS)
Buffalo
Indian rituals
Drums
Indian corn
Indian artifacts
Indian Art
Indian folklore
Eagle
Indian pierced ear spirit
Indian scalp spirit
False Indian prophecy
Indian spirit of bondage
False tongues
Indian spirit of poverty
Feathers
Indian spirit of war
Knives
Great Spirit
Kachina doll (Ojibway)
Longhouse
Great White Father
Geronimo
Mother earth
Nakedness
Pow-wow
Submission to tribal custom
Teepee
Totem pole
Sitting Bull
Wolf
A Native replies
A response from correspondent Firehair (edited for clarity):
Your site has just been posted all over Native America, and to our European support groups.
Firstly, from all here, and from those I know, associate with, our prayers for the dishonor you bring to all YOUR ancestors, and how, what they survived to make it possible for you to even exist. May the Creator who made all guide you back to the true ways of humanity.
Your site is ignorant, at the very least. Were you the least bit academic, you would have done some research before exposing your total lack of any knowledge based in reality.
As already pointed out—kachina is Hopi—and represents the varying gifts of Creator. No different than the Catholics, who use saints for intervention (ancestors in our belief system).
Many churches burn candles, incense, we use natural items—sage, sweetgrass, pine bark—indigenous items of an area.
Drums? As they represent the heartbeat of Mother Earth, a gift for us from Creator—what your thinking is here is beyond me.
Jesus was dark-skinned, with tight curly hair, read a 14th century Bible in Hebrew—not today's cleaned-up version.
Scalping? Limited to certain tribes, overall, and—a stunt taught by the French. From Europe. Oh, and they skinned Native women and children, using varying items for tobacco pouches, etc. Way tooo gross to write about this early.
Didn't see you mentioning all those white folks sending Christians to the Lions, etc. Hmmmmmm.
Columbus's own priests...wrote of his hacking off the hands and arms of Indians who didn't bring him enough gold, etc. You forget to mention that.
All animals are honored, sacred—they were put here by Creator—for our enjoyment in their beauty, their meat if we are in need, their furs for warmth, their hides for clothing—and their adornment for ours, if we happen on this part in a right way. Meaning, you don't kill to get a feather. Birds molt. Animals die.
And, if you knew anything, you'd know we always honor the spirit of the creature who donated an item to us. When you put on shoes, do you smile and say a quick "thank you" to Creator and the cow who supplied you with your shoes, belt, purse?
Many of us do. I pat my car's dashboard and thank Creator and her for the energy that keeps her going, my kids off to college, day in, day out.
We thank Creator for the river we may be about to jump into or fish from. Or the tree that just stands there, looking so nice.
Christian Indians we know don't do this very much, seeing it's not what they are taught by the churches.
Those who are very traditional, know—24/7/365—thanks to the Creator, the ancestors for all we have, use, see, do and manage. The Creator I believe in loves us all, and is in every molecule in this solar system.
The Creator you tout is mean, vengeful, nasty, hateful and racist. And weeping at your portrayal, probably.
I'll take the one we were given—any day of the week, thanks.
Wanishi—which is thank you in MY People's language!
(Oh, speaking of false tongues—guess that means you will deep-six parts of your Bible, which speaks heavily of "speaking in tongues.")
Firehair Shining Spirit
Eastern Delaware/Minisink Band
Rob busts the Demon Busters
Some comments on the Demon Busters' list:
More meek, mild comments
Let me see if I understand these doofuses. They want to drive out every aspect of Indian life they can think of, but they don't hate Indians? What part of Indians do they accept: their bodies (as long as they're not naked), their cars, their TVs and cell phones? Will they love Indians as soon as Indians abandon every aspect of their identity and become white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants?
Jesus must be turning over in his grave, so to speak.
What a surprise to learn this couple lives in Alabama. They call themselves Deliverance Ministers, perhaps from the movie Deliverance, which took place in the area. Is everyone in Alabama an inbred idiot, or is it just my imagination?
If anyone wants a list of all the stupid, hateful, racist things fundamentalist Christians believe about indigenous people, I suggest they bookmark this page. It's a classic.
Apparently, these nuts are getting a lot of hate mail—for obvious reasons—accusing them of racism. They're so concerned about it they have a disclaimer at the bottom of every page. Too bad they can't do anything about this page, in which I proclaim them hate-filled racists for all eternity.
For the Madraks' sake, here's a clue to relieve their ignorance. They've listed all Indian rituals, artifacts, art, folklore, customs, spirits, and gods as demonic. They've said nothing about their own (presumably white) rituals, artifacts, art, folklore, customs, spirits, and gods.
In words even the Madraks can't misunderstand, I'll summarize their position: All Indian things = bad. No white things = bad. That's discrimination based on race, or racism.
Contact Stan and Elizabeth to let them know what you think of their site.
Related links
Tract portrays drunk Indians needing Christ for salvation
"Primitive" Indian religion
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