TO THE EDITOR:
On Nov. 13 at Player’s Nightclub, “Project Heal,” a campus organization, whose “mission is to engage undergraduate students in international service experiences to facilitate culturally relevant and locally driven sustainable development in Lawra and Kumasi, Ghana,” hosted a Wild, Wild West-themed party to raise money for their organization. As their efforts abroad are certainly commendable, I would encourage them to first understand cultural issues right here in America.
Their party’s original tagline, “Poke-A-Hotass with Project Heal,” presumably a pun on Pocahontas, was used to support the original theme of cowboys and Indians. As an American Indian student here at UNC, the event was highly defamatory and offensive.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about an inclusive campus community. Yet at this institution of the people, America’s “first people” (who still exist) don’t feel welcome because of blatant ignorance such as this.
Once contacted about the event and the offensive description, the group changed the theme of their party yet the tagline remained. But this is not an attack on a particular organization just a friendly reminder to make an effort to understand and know before perpetuating ignorance.
Tyler Thomas
Senior
Carolina Indian Circle President
Daily Tar Heel > Opinion > Letters to the Editor
‘Project Heal’ slogan was offensive, inappropriate
Published: Sunday, November 23, 2008
Updated: Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Senior
Carolina Indian Circle President"Carolina Indian Circle President"...? What a title. Personally, when I see the "I'm offended article" thats in the DTH every week I could care less. People are way too sensitive and politically correct these days. Why couldn't you have just read the slogan, immediately realized whoever wrote it was an idiot and left it at that? Bickering back and forth over such a trivial issue is childish. Maybe everyone needs to lighten up a little and pass the peace pipe around.
last time i checked, 'southerners' weren't a race of people. people who do ignorant stuff like this deserve to be called out. and the fact that you DON'T find it inappropriate confirms the need for letters like this. funny that you recognize it could be offensive but then tell someone that they shouldn't "take it that way." you don't reserve the right to tell someone how to feel and i find it ABSURD that you take such a dogmatic approach.
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