Native America Culture - Magic System and MC

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I've been told in no uncertain terms that as a white woman I am not allowed to write stories about anyone but me. I've stopped writing for the most part because I'm not interested in doing that.

This is a hyperbolic statement. There are millions of stories you can write without appropriating other people's cultures and stifling their voices.

If you did get this published, you can expect a response from the general public similar to this thread, amplified proportionally to the volume of the whole internet.

I did find it interesting when my company (I work in construction) brought in someone to do whole day training on diversity and inclusion, they brought in a middle aged white guy. He immediately addressed it by noting that the audience of 95% middle aged white people (60% male) are more likely to respond to training and direction from someone who looks like them and has a similar background to them.

Because we white, middle-class, power-wielding asses are all about maintaining our white, middle-class attitudes.


The same does not apply to literature and publishing.

There's no shortage of books by and about white, middle-class people. We need to diversify publishing and diversify reading.
 

mccardey

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Really?

See post #5 above, your post telling people to shut the fuck up, and this. https://absolutewrite.com/forums/sh...-s-History&p=10639834&viewfull=1#post10639834

Ummm - just in case people haven't gone back to read the first page - I certainly didn't tell anyone to shut the fuck up. :granny: That would be rude.

Secondly, though, and more importantly, I still think you're over-simplifying. Post #5 says that the writer mightn't be the one to tell this story. Post #5 doesn't say "You're not allowed to write this story". Similarly, in the thread you've linked to, the poster hasn't said "You're not allowed to write this story". They've asked (and I think it's excellent question) why the OP feels they have a right to another tell another culture's story.

By over-simplifying as you've done, you're not really allowing for the power imbalance that exists in the issue of who gets to tell what stories.

All that's happening is an overdue redressing (to a very small extent) of the injustice of a privileged group assuming they have all the rights to all the stories and all the voices.
 

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Just bought a thwack of books from various voices.

I wish the library was open, but here we are.
 

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There's a difference between "you're not allowed to write this story" and "you're not allowed to write these characters." I'm not Jewish, but there's nothing wrong with my having characters who are Jewish. But if I write a story about, say, anti-Semitism then I won't be able to tell it in a real, honest way. I would be missing a lot of what it really means to face that. My roommate is Jewish and she told me how she was looking for Night by Elie Wiesel in Barnes and Noble. She couldn't find it and she had to ask. It was in "Jewish Literature" and not, you know, regular literature. Or memoirs, or historical or whatever. It was this deep moment of othering that still sticks with her almost a decade later. There is no way I could ever understand what that feels like. I could not write a story about experiences of people like her in a way that was true and honest.

I'm transgender, and I want cis people to have trans characters. I don't want them to be afraid of including us, because then you're forcing us to out ourselves as authors AND you're limiting us in media. But I don't want to see an author who is very openly cis writing a story about a trans person and the struggles that they go through. I don't need to hear from a cis person what they think I went through or my complex feelings about both femininity and masculinity. They won't understand. It's extremely complicated.

Of course, there is no PC Police who will break your kneecaps if you write a story like this. There will be agents and publishers who will be happy to publish you, and Amazon and other self-publishing places won't give a shit. But just because something is legally/culturally allowed doesn't mean it's the ethical thing to do.
 

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I've been told in no uncertain terms that as a white woman I am not allowed to write stories about anyone but me. I've stopped writing for the most part because I'm not interested in doing that.

If you did get this published, you can expect a response from the general public similar to this thread, amplified proportionally to the volume of the whole internet.

I did find it interesting when my company (I work in construction) brought in someone to do whole day training on diversity and inclusion, they brought in a middle aged white guy. He immediately addressed it by noting that the audience of 95% middle aged white people (60% male) are more likely to respond to training and direction from someone who looks like them and has a similar background to them. The same does not apply to literature and publishing.

Now see, I disagree with that training philosophy. I'd want to hear from different people when addressing these issues. It doesn't mean a white guy can't do a great job or should be excluded, just that it would be good to have some additional voices in the mix.

And I don't think there's anything not "allowed" in writing, except perhaps plagiarism and violations of copyrights.

I haven't taken the own voices movement to mean characters and stories including, even about, people who aren't White westerners are off limits to White western writers. Plenty of White western writers (and straight, cisgender and able writers) are still publishing stories of varying sensitivity and quality about people with other experiences. It would be an odd fictional world that is only populated by people who are white, able bodied, and cishet. I don't think it even means we can't have pov characters or protagonists who are unlike us in key ways. And for every story we hear about where a writer was called out or criticized perhaps unjustly (note this novel was eventually published after all, and the hate did die down), perhaps with good cause (note this book was also published and the author wrote a sequel in spite of the criticism), there are plenty of others that pass unremarked, including some with problematic elements.

It does make me think about the stories I want to tell and what elements I choose to emphasize. I don't think I am someone who is best suited to write a fantasy novel that analogizes the African-American experience with chattel slavery. And given how misrepresented and misappropriated Native American religions have been by mainstream culture, I personally wouldn't choose to base a magic system on one in a fantasy novel, at least not one I emphasize and show close up. If I did create a fantasy where this element was needed, I would definitely do my research and run it by sensitivity readers.

I don't think this means novels shouldn't take place in diverse worlds and include diverse characters with different skin colors, physiques, and cultures, and orientations, and ability levels. Again, it would be really weird to have a world where everyone is white, able bodied, and straight. Yet for a long time, most stories did take place in such a world--fantasy worlds were all white (or people of color were only added to fill very limited plot elements or to add an "exotic" flavor), SF took place in a mostly white future, and most mainstream novels seemed to take place in white suburbia or in cities with a Seinfeieldesque lack of diversity.

I don't think the own voices movement is telling White authors we should go back to this kind of homogeneity in our own storytelling, or simply not write anything at all anymore. I also don't think it means we shouldn't publish stories that addresses or echoes real-world injustices or struggles when the author is relatively privileged. It's a matter of emphasis, I guess, and of doing research and soliciting feedback. I think it does say that preference is overdue under-represented authors telling from the perspective of their own cultures and life experiences.
 
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lizmonster

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Of course, there is no PC Police who will break your kneecaps if you write a story like this. There will be agents and publishers who will be happy to publish you, and Amazon and other self-publishing places won't give a shit. But just because something is legally/culturally allowed doesn't mean it's the ethical thing to do.

This. You can write what you want. If you can't find a publisher for it, you can self-publish it. The court of public opinion isn't going to stop anyone from putting a book out there - but readers are entitled to say what they want about it.

There are a bunch of stories I'd love to read that aren't mine to tell. As a reader, I want to do everything I can to encourage ownvoices writers, because I'm waiting to read and love those stories.

To get just a bit soapboxy: I think the biggest (but not only) problem is the homogeneity in publishing, and that includes everything from agents, to editors, to sales/marketing people. Some stories "feel" different, and IME sometimes the folks who choose what to publicize (and how to publicize it) are puzzled when a story doesn't conform to their own background. (TBF I think a lot of those people want to improve their perceptions, but it's hard when you're steeped in the limits of our current white-dominated culture.) There needs to be a much more diverse collection of people deciding what gets in front of potential readers.
 

mccardey

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It's interesting to look at the issue from the perspective of PoC writers, who've been told forever that their writing doesn't sell (or worse We love your work, but we have another Indian writer slated for this year) and who are now saying Not good enough! We want more diversity! We want to write our own stories and we want to hear our own voices.

It seems like the minute PoC say that, the non-PoC writers are up in arms about "being silenced". We're not being silenced: we're being asked not to silence.
 
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Roxxsmom

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To get just a bit soapboxy: I think the biggest (but not only) problem is the homogeneity in publishing, and that includes everything from agents, to editors, to sales/marketing people. Some stories "feel" different, and IME sometimes the folks who choose what to publicize (and how to publicize it) are puzzled when a story doesn't conform to their own background. (TBF I think a lot of those people want to improve their perceptions, but it's hard when you're steeped in the limits of our current white-dominated culture.) There needs to be a much more diverse collection of people deciding what gets in front of potential readers.

I think this is true. And white readers are used to certain tropes, and narrative styles, and approaches to portraying nonwhite cultures and experiences too.

I have gone out of my way to purchase books by People of Color in recent years. Some I've really liked and some weren't my cup of tea. Some I simply can't relate to (The Three-body Problem by Cixin Liu is one--I just couldn't sink into the narrative or characters, but I get why it is considered a groundbreaking work), or the writing style leaves me flat, even though I can tell they are well crafted. This goes for stories told by White writers too, of course, but there is something to the assertion that one's comfort zone, in terms of storytelling style, voice, and underlying assumptions within a story, are heavily influenced by one's culture and past reading experience.

Still, our tastes can and do change. A quick peek at some of the stories I loved when I was younger but whose narratives seem klunky or simplistic now proves this. And some narrative styles I didn't care for once I like now. So I think it's good to push one's comfort zone. And if I leave a book unfinished because I really can't get into it, I'm not so poor at this point in my life that I consider the money wasted if it helped a struggling author. And I can still recommend books I didn't quite sink into myself to people who might enjoy them more.
 

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Read widely. Read in and outside and around your comfort zone. Try new authors. Talk about what you love, what caught your attention. Surface the good stuff.

If you hate a book, I give you dispensation to stop reading.

If you are made uncomfortable by a book, ask yourself why. It may be because it's saying hard things. But it may also be because it's saying stupid, hurtful, damaging things. You might want to talk about that, too. Or write about it.

But seriously, concentrating on surfacing the good stuff.
 

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I'm a POC and some of the posts in this thread have gotten under my skin in the past few days. These kinds of discussions often end in white people being like, "poor us, our freedom is being restricted" and centering themselves. Sigh.

If you are white and want to write a book about POC MCs (note I'm NOT talking about secondary characters...I've never seen anyone suggest white people shouldn't written secondary characters of color), just keep in mind that:

1) Books specifically ABOUT the MC's identity or marginalization are...not really your lane.

2) But what about books with MCs who just happen to be POC, but this isn't the focus of the story? I've never told people not to write these stories, but keep in mind that publishers (which tend to be quite white in the US), have a tendency to prefer books about POC written with a "white gaze" and may find these books more "relatable" and conforming to stereotypes that make them comfortable. They also may only want to publish so many books about XYZ types of protagonists in a year. So, if you submit your book to a publisher, you may well be taking away a spot from an author of color writing about people with their background. And in romance, the % of contracts offered to authors of color is appalling low. Like 6-8%. (for romance: see The Ripped Bodice's diversity report)

I'm biracial (Asian/white) and almost no romance (my genre) with a biracial character is written by someone who's biracial. A lot of biracial characters (specifically, those who are POC/white) are written by white authors, and there are certain things they tend to do over and over and over again. The MC's parent of color is almost always killed off very early in the MC's childhood, and they have no contact with non-white family members and have zero connection to this culture, just "exotic" looks. There are frequently no other POC in the book. Some white authors seem to think biracial characters are "POC-lite" and easier to write. So although I've read a number of romances with biracial MCs, there is not a wide variety in their experiences. It just does not fit with my own life, and what I know of other people with the same background.

So, when authors of color are uncomfortable with white authors writing protagonists who are POC in any sort of story...I understand. Authors of color have really not been treated well by publishers and are tired of seeing terrible rep (or, as I detailed above, representation that is not really terrible by itself, but becomes very repetitive, despite the wide range of experiences of POC).

Some white authors take major offense at any expression of "maybe you aren't the best author for this book" even though they're the ones who have had the advantage in publishing all along...
 

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We're not being silenced: we're being asked not to silence.

Yes, this. We (POC) just want the opportunity to have our own stories published and see ourselves represented in books. (And there are limits to the representation that white authors can provide.)
 
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Snitchcat

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Snitchcat, I'm always struck by the clarity of your views, and wonder if you could help me understand a little better. I thought it was understood that "straight white guys" have always had too much power in English-language publishing. In other areas we are encouraged to "use our privilegeā€ to support people who don't have that power. I interpreted the OP's words as saying other cultures are intrinsically worthy of attention and he wanted to help get the word out. Are you saying that this wanting to help is offensive in itself?

Yes, it's understood that "straight white guys" have always dominated and have too much power in English-language publishing. And therein lies the issue.

While I agree that other cultures are worthy of attention, it is not the domain of the "straight white guy" to tell the story of that culture from that culture's viewpoint.

For example, I am Chinese but I am not a Chinese refugee. Therefore, though I am of the Chinese culture, I do not have the necessary experience or access to being a refugee of the culture. To be a refugee of the Chinese culture is to have a very different viewpoint, sometimes (a lot of times?) it involves loathing, unexpressed fury, and a deep soul-rending hurt thanks to injustice and unfounded persecution. I can describe the surface emotions and thoughts (as I've just done), but the actual story of someone from that sub-culture isn't mine to tell. There are plenty of Chinese refugees who are willing to tell their own stories and publish those stories. And that publishing spot, IMO, belongs to them. It's not my place to "charge in" and say, "I have the right to tell your story", or "I can include your story and your life in my work, so your culture gets more exposure".

That's the offensive part of the original post: That a POC does not have the wherewithal to tell their own story and must rely on a "straight white guy" to get their story out there to the "mainstream". But the "mainstream" is... what, exactly? Is the "mainstream audience" white cishet? If so, is this "mainstream audience" the only market worth getting into? If so, then in this way, it's "white saviour syndrome". It's also offensive that the white straight writer feels it's necessary to silence the POC writer (as another poster pointed out), even though the POC writer is writing their story, to maintain white dominance in the English-language publishing space. (If that were truly the goal, then perhaps English should not be so widespread as it is? This last is completely hypothetical and, actually, makes a fascinating premise for a story.)

There's a film out there called "The Great Wall", and it's about China. The story goes that there is a threat from beyond the Wall and the Chinese have to defend the country. However, the Chinese cannot defend the wall properly or fail to do so because they do not have the knowledge. Enter the white guy (who's there to steal gunpowder secrets). With the white guy jumping in at the last minute, the Chinese are victorious in defending China against the enemy that the white guy knows all about. And the white guy has saved the day! (Writers are non-Chinese; the film was, obviously, made for a Western white audience and Chinese companies agreed, 'cos money.)

The levels of offensiveness and racism and whatnot are innumerable. The film also states that Chinese people and Chinese culture are incompetent and unworthy of being their own things, unless a white guy leads the people and draws attention to the culture.

(Disclosure: I've only read the description and seen the poster for this particular film.)

Similarly, I'm not watching Disney's live action version of "Mulan". The screenplay was written by four non-Chinese writers (I'm assuming they consulted Chinese experts). But why is "Mulan" their story to tell? The Chinese people have stories of Mulan, we have our films of Mulan, animations, comics, etc. Why can't non-Chinese film companies draw attention to these iterations of Mulan? Why do non-Chinese film companies feel the need to remake Mulan in their image? Why were non-Chinese writers given the job of writing a Chinese story?! (Yes, I know Disney steals its stories.)

In the same way, why is it that a straight white writer is given the job / takes the job of writing a First Nations' story? Why is it that a straight white writer is given the job / takes the job of writing a story from the point of view of another culture not their own? Why can't that straight white writer respect that culture and respect the fact that that culture has writers of its own?

If the white straight writer helps to promote a story already written / published, that's great! Helping to draw attention to a story already out there is a wonderful thing to do.

I also have a hunger to learn about other cultures, and wonder if there is anything I could do to get more diverse stories into circulation. Is this a selfish attitude?

No, not a selfish attitude. It's a great attitude, in fact!

Others have provided excellent suggestions.

I'd also like to add that perhaps requests can be made for translations of stories that aren't in a language one can read. One can also contact the publisher of those stories, or the authors themselves.

eta: I should make it clear that I do see insensitivities in the original post, just not any mean-spiritedness.

I agree, there was no mean-spiritedness. I saw only a desire to help. However, for me, the method chosen was inappropriate.
 
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Snitchcat

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Yes, this. We (POC) just want the opportunity to have our own stories published and see ourselves represented in books. (And there are limits to the representation that white authors can provide.)

QFT.
 

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It seems like the minute PoC say that, the non-PoC writers are up in arms about "being silenced". We're not being silenced: we're being asked not to silence.

(Bolding mine.)

Couldn't quote this fast enough!

May I share this to my FB timeline, please?
 

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While this discussion seems to have gone off on a tangent, I want to address the OP's post.

I am Choctaw Native American and I see issues with the story you propose:

1. Native American spirits are not "magic." They are religious figures no different than God, Jesus, Mother Mary, and saints are to Christians. If you wouldn't use major Christian religious figures as magic entities in your book, then why would you use Hopi religious figures that way? Keep in mind that portrayals of Native religions as magic and superstition have resulted in the devaluing of our sacred sites and led to the government routinely destroying those sites even to this day. Right now, sacred burial grounds are being destroyed to construct Trump's border wall. During Obama's administration, sacred burial grounds were destroyed to make way for the Dakota Access Pipeline. And before that... I think you get it. We need pop culture to take our religions seriously and end the "magic" stereotype because movies, books, and TV are where most people get their information on our religions. If that information is incorrect, there's little that Natives can do to counter the misconceptions. We make up such a small minority that our voices speaking out aren't heard.

2. You state that magic came about in the 1970s and that Natives became powerful because their rituals were more intact. Native cultures weren't intact in the '70s and they're not now. Forced assimilation and genocide have been destroying our cultures since 1492. Entire tribes have been wiped out and others have completely lost their traditional religions and languages. 130 million Indigenous Americans were killed to make way for Europeans. That amount of death and destruction can't happen without causing permanent damage to cultures and their religious practices.

3. An Algonquin person interacting with a spirit of another tribe--and one a thousand miles away--makes no sense. I don't pray to spirits of other tribes because they're not part of my culture, just like how a Christian doesn't pray to Hindu gods.

4. Languages are tricky if you don't speak them. I don't know how different Cree is from English, but my native Choctaw language is structured in a way that is completely different from English. If someone who didn't speak Choctaw tried to fake their way through it by translating word-by-word, the overall sentence would make no sense. For instance, to say "I am a young Choctaw woman" in Choctaw, you have to structure the sentence as "Choctaw woman young I am" (Chahta ohoyo himitta sia). We also have different verbs depending on the number of people performing an action. One person "going" is "ia," two people going is "ittiachi," and three or more people going is "ilhkoli." Again, I don't speak Cree, but if you're not taking structural differences, conjugation, etc. into consideration, you're not going to be able to fake your way through it.

I had no issues with the character's traumatic backstory, though. And I disagree with those who say that you can't write characters of races/ethnicities you don't belong to. In my view, writing non-ownvoices characters only goes wrong when you take someone else's culture and shape/alter it to fit your story or your views. You do that here with the Hopi spirit and the Algonquin character stepping out of her own culture to contract with that spirit. You may also be doing that with the languages you include but don't know how to speak. For these reasons, I find this story problematic.

I'm glad that you came here to ask about these issues before you went any further with your book. Many people (*cough* J.K. Rowling *cough*) tend to just write whatever they want about Native religions without consideration for the offense they cause to actual Natives. You're already better than they are.
 
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I am starkly impressed by the width and breadth of opinion and insight given on this subject, and I'm ill-equipped to address everything I've read.

Since the last time I posted, I've done a lot of rework. That said, I'll definitely be looking into sensitivity readers. Based on what I get in response I may call it quits and burn the project if it's irredeemable.

Again, thanks to everybody who helped me the decisions I've made, and I'm sorry if anything I've said caused somebody hurt. I'll aim to be less problematic in my subject matter of choice, and exercise better ways to support POC authors.

I'm in particular thankful for the suggestion to pick up more POC authors. The Marrow Thieves is the next on my list atm.
 

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I'm in particular thankful for the suggestion to pick up more POC authors. The Marrow Thieves is the next on my list atm.

Since picking up those titles mentioned on the previous page I've finished Jazz by Tony Morrison and The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates--and they tell these stories so well.
 

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(Bolding mine.)

Why?

I'm Chinese. Why does a straight white guy have to draw attention to my culture to bring it into the mainstream?

Same question regarding First Nations peoples: Why does a straight white guy have to draw attention to these peoples' cultures to bring it into the "mainstream"?

I find this offensive because it gives the impression that cultures not considered "mainstream" are only worthy of attention 'cos a white writer has featured them in their story. I want to say "white saviour syndrome" here.

#ownvoices is a very good search term. [/COLOR]

And I find it offensive that you single out 'straight white guys'. Are you really certain they are straight? Does whom they choose to be partners with really make a difference in how they interpret the world, and all of its beautiful diversity? Please do not single out one group to defend another. It is the same exact mentality as racisim and phobias. All (insert race, religion, orientation, cognitive abilities) are stupid and lazy. All (straight white guys and their ilk) are stupid and lazy. See the problem here? This fixes nothing at all. If a gay, Black woman wants to get together with a straight White guy and write a book about an experience they had with a First Nation family one summer somewhere along the Nova Scotia coast, then let them do it. Their perspective will be unique. Don't assume that it will be racisit or belittling by default. That assumption is in itself racist.

Also, do not be so certain that the long history of white guys writing about any other culture than their own is populated only by heterosexuals. There is a lot the history books do not tell us. Yet. Be inclusive, my friend. It makes for a happier and healthier world for everyone.

first-nation-miea9e8ckmaq.jpg


Meet my ancestors, from the First Nation Algonquian Mi'kmaq, from what is now Newfoundland, Canada
 
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Maddy you didn't read the stickies.

You're no longer welcome in POC.
 

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What an enlightening discussion. I canā€™t add anything to most of it, but itā€™s given me a lot to ponder, and Iā€™ll have to rethink a handful of bits of my own work now.

But I do want to go back to the OP real quick and say that I really like the core of this magic system.

Without gushing too much, the idea is that 90% of mythological creatures are actually a thing, but they live in the spirit world and have no physical presence. Somebody who does magic makes a deal with one of these creatures to cast spells based on what that creature's identity is tied to. Make a deal with a salamander, you can use fire magic, make a deal with a shoe-maker elf, get crafting magic (mostly shoe related).

This is a great concept, in itself. I keep thinking of the poor sod who gets stuck in the contract with some kind of giant-slug-like creature and magically gets the power to... leave behind copious amounts of ooze. I would absolutely write a whole book about that person. But thatā€™s me.

Magic words are a tool to cast spells, but it's not the words themselves, it's what the association between what the word means to the person and their intent. Words with homonyms leach efficiency out of a spell because it splits the caster's focus. I cast lightning using French, I say 'Elcair' which translates to 'flash of lightning' but I also think of the yummy treat, splitting my focus and causing a dip in efficiency on the spell.

This too, this is fantastic. My goofy brain would go full force on it, though; destroy your enemies in a whoosh of fire, and then, hey dessert! What a wonderful reward.

So it sounds like youā€™ll be reworking quite a bit of what you already have, which is probably for the best, but I do hope youā€™ll still run with elements of this magic. It seems like it would be fun to write (and to read!) and I donā€™t think Iā€™ve seen anything done quite that way before. Good luck!
 

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And I find it offensive that you single out 'straight white guys'. Are you really certain they are straight? Does whom they choose to be partners with really make a difference in how they interpret the world, and all of its beautiful diversity? Please do not single out one group to defend another. It is the same exact mentality as racisim and phobias. All (insert race, religion, orientation, cognitive abilities) are stupid and lazy. All (straight white guys and their ilk) are stupid and lazy. See the problem here? This fixes nothing at all. If a gay, Black woman wants to get together with a straight White guy and write a book about an experience they had with a First Nation family one summer somewhere along the Nova Scotia coast, then let them do it. Their perspective will be unique. Don't assume that it will be racisit or belittling by default. That assumption is in itself racist.

Also, do not be so certain that the long history of white guys writing about any other culture than their own is populated only by heterosexuals. There is a lot the history books do not tell us. Yet. Be inclusive, my friend. It makes for a happier and healthier world for everyone.

first-nation-miea9e8ckmaq.jpg


Meet my ancestors, from the First Nation Algonquian Mi'kmaq, from what is now Newfoundland, Canada



Sigh.
 
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Morning Rainbow

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And I find it offensive that you single out 'straight white guys'. Are you really certain they are straight? Does whom they choose to be partners with really make a difference in how they interpret the world, and all of its beautiful diversity? Please do not single out one group to defend another. It is the same exact mentality as racisim and phobias. All (insert race, religion, orientation, cognitive abilities) are stupid and lazy. All (straight white guys and their ilk) are stupid and lazy. See the problem here? This fixes nothing at all. If a gay, Black woman wants to get together with a straight White guy and write a book about an experience they had with a First Nation family one summer somewhere along the Nova Scotia coast, then let them do it. Their perspective will be unique. Don't assume that it will be racisit or belittling by default. That assumption is in itself racist.

Also, do not be so certain that the long history of white guys writing about any other culture than their own is populated only by heterosexuals. There is a lot the history books do not tell us. Yet. Be inclusive, my friend. It makes for a happier and healthier world for everyone.

first-nation-miea9e8ckmaq.jpg


Meet my ancestors, from the First Nation Algonquian Mi'kmaq, from what is now Newfoundland, Canada

That photo isn't yours. It's from the New World Encyclopedia article on the Mi'kmaq: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mi%27kmaq

I get really damn sick of people posing as Natives. It's hard enough being mixed-race and having my ethnicity constantly called into question without Pretendians like you giving people a reason to be skeptical.