Critical Reflection 4

I have never walked through a store to find something on a shelf that discriminates me and/or my race nor do I encounter any day-to-day events like taking a bill out of my wallet that has a man who took part in the destruction of my people. In Michael Yellow Bird’s “Cowboys and Indians,” Yellow Bird (2004) describes many of the discriminatory events that he encounters on a daily basis due to the fact that he is an indigenous person. He comes across a bag of cowboys and Indians in a store that “reminded me that Indigenous Peoples face the humiliation of American colonialism on a daily basis” (Yellow Bird, 2004, p.33). The other important focus of his essay is the Cowboys and Indians narrative that is used to support and reinforce oppression in the tribal community where he was raised. In this reflection I will be discussing Michael Yellow Bird’s encounters with oppression and compare it to my experience of being white. I will also be linking this with Peggy MacIntosh’s White Privilege article, as it is a great guide in illustrating white privilege.

Michael Yellow Bird’s story and analysis of encountering daily oppression is a clear description of continuing American colonialism. He mentions many things that usually go unnoticed such as the men posted on the currency in which he is forced to use. Looking for a twenty he accidentally pulls out a one-dollar bill “I looked at the picture of George Washington, remembering that cowboys call this guy one of the founding fathers of the United States while the Seneca called him ‘Caunotaucarius’ (the town destroyer)”(Yellow Bird, 2004, p.37). He then goes on to mention many of the other bills and the link between the men displayed and their contributions to the destruction of Indigenous peoples. This is interesting to me because throughout my life and other whites or “cowboys” George Washington is described as our hero, which is reinforced in history classes throughout our lives. So why is it never mentioned that he was responsible for so much chaos, slaughtering villages and leaving many to starve? Clearly the white colonial power resists teaching information that makes the white man look bad and by ignoring the true and unbiased account of history they remain a dominant force.

Throughout my life I have heard many times that people who come to Canada bring diseases that “our” people are not use to and are not immune to. People tend to built racist thoughts on this belief and generalize certain groups as being a threat to their perfect white lives. In my experience this is a very common argument for not allowing immigration to North America, I have heard it all my life even from my parents and siblings. This is interesting because it is a clear disregard of history and the immigration of whites to this land and it expresses thoughts of white dominance as they ignore the damages done from the white race. Michael Yellow Bird grew up in a reservation in North Dakota and was taught the same materials as any other American, that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln only contributed good deeds and were to be respected without question. It was not until after high school that he “learned that all along the Eastern seaboard, during the time of the pilgrims, the infectious diseases of whites wiped out between 60 to 90 percent of the indigenous populations”(Yellow Bird, 2004, p.39-40). I continuously argue our ignorance and disregard for the whites chaotic and savage history whenever somebody says something along the lines of “those people just bring a bunch of diseases to our country” however the general population are reinforced to maintain this school of thought. This way of thinking needs to be changed or the white population will forever view other races as spreading disease in “their” land as well as continue to ignore the fact that we almost destroyed an entire population and took the land that we call ours.

“I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see on of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage”(McIntosh, 1989, p.81). After reading Peggy McIntosh’s article I feel it necessary to note the advantages that I have being white by comparison to Michael Yellow Bird’s essay. I will just list a few that I thought of since a full list would be quite lengthy. One; I do not have to worry about toys being sold that are demeaning to my race. Two; I do not have to think about my race being exploited through corporations and made to work in sweatshops to produce products for more advantaged races. Three; I do not have to use currency created by a race that destroyed my people. Four; when I use money I do not have to look at the men responsible for brutally killing the majority of my race and taking away the land in which we once had. The list can go on but I think the most important thing is to have a conscience of the advantages I have because I am white instead of taking them for granted and only focusing on the disadvantages of others.


Yellow Bird, M. (2004). "Cowboys and Indians: Toys of Genocide, Icons of American Colonialism". Wicazo Review, 33-47