Indigenous Eyes?

Consistent with my recent predicament of "thinking too much" just like when I was a hapless teen, I have been thinking about this idea of colonial influence and the process of de-colonization. Perhaps my self-doubt is just bubbling to the surface lately, and you are coming along for the ride, but I have been thinking a lot about how I "see" the world and what exactly is the nature of authentically Indigenous. Now I know there are moments when everything feels right or strong and mostly these are moments immersed in culture and language, but the thinking Indian's world can be a lot more murky.

One of the things that I've recently allowed (owning my feelings...lol) to mess me up is the book, Rebel Sell by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter (maamulth'nii professors from back east). I have not finished it, but basically, it is a critique of Counterculture as a movement. I have never subscribed to counterculture as a movement (not sure if anyone has to the extent the authors assert), but I have certainly worn my share of Che Guevara t-shirts. Their primary argument is that counterculture (such as Adbusters etc.) actually encourages consumerism and is counter-productive, and they seem to make a compelling case but I think they utilize a few too many straw-man arguments, assuming that all leftist people do is look cool....hmm.

This was messing me up a bit because so many of our Indigenous radicals embrace counterculture-esque approaches, but what I am now thinking, "is that all some people are?" The question that inevitably arrises amongst people who genuinely care is, "what do we do now?" Then a friend said, "They are white people, writing for white people." I admit, I was suprised how quickly that made me feel better. And then I began to wonder to what degree am I seeing the world with Indigenous eyes and to what degree am I hampered by colonial sunglasses, even unwittingly and the wheels started turning again...lol.

Perhaps even rebels need vacations...what a can 'o worms that opens up!