Racist T-shirt - Runs with Beer
Night Shade Wolf-stone Francis of the Penobscot Nation of Maine was considerably upset when he discovered this t-shirt which is being sold by a company called What on Earth. This is the letter he wrote to the company in March 2006:
Hello,
My name is Nightshade Wolfstone-Francis. I am a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation of the Wabanaki Confederacy of Maine and the Maritime provinces.
It has recently come to my attention that you are selling a T-shirt which reads "My Indian Name is 'Runs With Beer'".
Link to Photo and Website
I find that I am quite deeply offended by the undertones of racism.
I also find the blatant negatively stereotypical depiction of Indian People as nothing less than appalling.
For a very long time now my people have been taunted by the alcoholic associations made to our race.
The reality of the matter is that most Indian Nations in America have done a lot of painfully hard work to eradicate the plague of alcohol brought to us centuries ago. So I must say to you seven times:
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
DRINKING IS NOT INDIAN!!
You have no right to butcher the character of Native Peoples!!
I therefore request that you remove this item from your sales catalog with all due respect to Native People and not just from apprehension that one or all of us may just sue you.
Respectfully,
Nightshade Wolfstone-Francis
"The Voice of the Four Winds"
As can be seen, in spite of Mr. Francis polite, but strongly written letter to this company they have made no efforts to remove this racist item from their website.
Perhaps many letters and phone calls combined with that of Mr. Francis may get this company to thinking it's not such a good idea to sell or promote racism.
You can reach the owner of this company at the following:
What on Earth
5581 Hudson Industrial Parkway
Hudson, OH 44236
Orders: 1-800-945-2552
Fax: 1-800-950-9569
Email: Email What on Earth's Owner
The following is a statement made by the owner in response to Mr. Francis' letter:
Mr. Nightshade, and who ever else reads this e - mail........
I do not have time to this BULL SHIT, since it was sent to me I will respond to it... this E-MAIL went out to about 200+ family members and friends under the Bcc: so that they could NOT be HARASSED by an individual or individuals.......
I spent 21 years in the armed forces of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA protecting our right to "FREEDOM of SPEECH"and I'm going to do just that in this e - mail being forwarding to all my relatives and friends: who gives a DAM what's printed on a T - SHIRT. What about the DRUGS THAT ARE BEING SOLD on the streets of our nation, why DON'T you find that offensive, and threaten to sue them (dealers), if you are not doing nothing about the DRUG problem then you are part of it.
Look at our FLAG the proud NATION..... 10 YEARS AGO I did not see an indian head printed on any of our flags, 10 YEARS AGO I did not see any signs of any indian tribe printed on any of our flags..... AND PRINTING ANYTHING ON THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES IS VERY OFFENSIVE.
Mr. Nightshade, you want to call me a racist person, then do it, I to have Indian blood in me, and I have family members who are 100% Indian.....
To all who read this e - mail I'm going to order 200 + of these T-SHIRTS, and I'm going to pass them out to who ever wants one........
Ken Hutchins-Owner
It's quite obvious by Mr. Hutchins remarks that he could care less about the offensive racism against American Indians that he is helping to perpetuate by the sale of his t-shirts.
One has to wonder about his claims to be of native ancestry - what Native American Indian would wear a t-shirt like this? What Native American Indian would want this false sterotype empowered?
So many people are working and have worked for years to eradicate the problems with alcohol - look at White Clay, as one example.
So, write a letter, telephone or fax Mr. Hutchins and let him know what we think about his support and sale of such an item which denigrates all of us.
Please pass this information on and post far and wide.
Special thanks to the individual who forwarded this to My Two Beads Worth.
Contents
April 2006 Reports
Last updated on April 16, 2006