Cessation of Distriubution of Faux Headdresses by Rep. Jim Leach

To:  Rep. James A. Leach

We, the undersigned, request Congressman James A. Leach (R-Iowa) immediately stop his culturally insensitive practice of distributing faux American Indian headdresses at community parades and other celebrations in the second congressional district of Iowa. Please read the following message (a letter to the Daily Iowan) and sign the petition if you agree:
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The 2006 political season is upon us, impelling me to write yet another petition to Representative Jim Leach to cease his campaign "tradition" of handing out faux Indian headdresses. Four years ago I wrote to the papers about this subject and was pleasantly surprised to note the absence of headdresses at Iowa City and Coralville parades. While biking through the Iowa countryside, however, I came across a parade in Lone Tree. There, the Leach cadets were passing out the paper feathers, all in the spirit of "having a good time."

Representative Leach has enjoyed a long political career in part because Iowa Democrats want to see him as a very moderate Republican who will do no harm. But what about the American Indian constituents of Iowa? Granted, there are only a handful of us in Johnson County. But what about the citizens of the Meskwakie settlement whose children could be destined for the University of Iowa, if not for the wretched climate for Native Americans at the University, and in liberal (no, moderately Republican) Johnson County. I can assure Representative Leach that his ego-centered attachment to paper headdresses, and the unmitigated gall to refer to it as a tradition, does not create an inviting environment for real American Indians with real traditions.

One of the best Native students at the University wrote a graduate paper on the meaning and historical significance of headdresses. They, like the material culture of many tribes, are not traditional commodities. Rather, they are goods integrated with tribal religious, political, and social significance. If respect for neighbors, desire for peaceful relations, or just a little personal dignity will not stop Representative Leach, perhaps this will: faux headdresses, gyrating mascots, iconic toothy braves emblazoned on sports caps, and dime store wooden Indians make a mockery of (or willfully ignore) the genocide carried out against American Indians and theft of their resources. If we accept the middle-of-the-road scholarly estimate of a Native population that began in 1492 at 8-to-10 million, even the most cynical of us might be ashamed of the history that resulted in that population bottoming out in 1900 at 250,000, perhaps even ashamed enough to appreciate the insult behind Leach's childish political practices.

Some knowledge of an inclusive and honest U.S. history might make some pause over such persistently arrogant practices as those perpetuated by
Representative Jim Leach, a Princeton University educated government official. Is Representative Leach merely pandering to perceived Iowa City and Coralville liberals (and that noisy minority)?, a political coward, fearing to show his real self to all of his constituents?, acting every bit the denigrating colonizing oppressor who cares only for the majority constituency and showing us that he will do as he pleases because he can, or all of the above?

Jacki Rand (Oklahoma Choctaw)
Iowa City

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Cessation of Distriubution of Faux Headdresses by Rep. Jim Leach Petition to Rep. James A. Leach was created by and written by Dave Bradley (dlbcab@hotmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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