Jul
28
“Who do +you+ say I Am?”
Posted by Lyndsey Scott on July 28, 2008 | 3 Comments
“The Cherokee lives as a natural part of his environment and strives to complement it, not subdue or dominate it. It’s an Indian {sic} philosophy that is playing an increasing role in everyone’s life now that we realize that natural resources are limited and imbalance between man’s technology and nature is perilously close to disaster.” -Huey P. Long
One day last fall, stopped at the stoplight at Jefferson & Cherokee, I saw a little fellow, maybe three years old?, holding hands and walking with his mom past the statue on the NW corner of the intersection. His neck strained, looking up at the man, walking.
Solemnly he raised his free hand, and waved at the statue.
The moment stuck with me.
This gesture leapt beyond the debate of whether the sculpture is an inappropriate “cigar box Indian” or much-beloved and welcoming icon. In his innocence, this child’s action spoke abstractly yet directly to the heart of the matter… something like, “You better recognize!” but a lot softer than that.
Maybe, simply: Acknowledge.
Walk bike drive live work poor rich hopeless hopeful middle-class dreamers workers slackers addicts old-timers black white Mexican Vietnamese thugs skateboarders rehabbers artists punks developers anarchists politicians entrepreneurs housewives welfare tax-credits meetings broken-windows crack-houses boarded-up power –plays community-centers street-kids alley-cats ….
Cherokee people. Worlds within worlds. What do we make of it?
When I talk to people on the street, so many say: “It’s alright, if you keep to yourself.” What has to shift to make it safe to explore Here?
How can we engage more voices to make more interesting, win-win results?
What would radical, sustainable design solutions look like in Cherokee neighborhoods – in businesses, public art, housing, healthcare, politics, entertainment?
How to interconnect the amazing work already taking place?
Hopefully, here is a place we can info-share, encourage, and debate as we listen to and transform this place.
And, …so…. what about that statue?
Organizations and Associations
- Arch Reactor
- Art Dimensions
- Benton Park
- Benton Park West
- Cherokee Antique Row
- Cherokee-Lemp Historic District
- Cherokee Station Business Assn.
- Community Arts and Media Project
- Dutchtown South
- Gravois Park
- Marine Villa
Neighborhood Resources
- - Quick Reference -
- Cherokee Recreation Center
- Community Arts and Media Project
- Franciscan Connection
- West Corner Community Garden
As a wise Angelo once said…
“Nothing is “inherently” racist, rather coated in a sticky residue of negative connotation!”
I don’t think the question should be:
How inappropriately racist is the statue?
Rather…
How can we use this icon from our past (whether, good or bad) to unite our current differences and move forward with common goals?
I think if we can do that the statue, regardless of what he STOOD for in the past, will surely STAND in a whole new light!
For the record; this is a great site. It’s about time Cherokee Street had a place where I can complain about Cherokee Street specifically.
As for the statue; I don’t regard it as overly racist. As far as I can see it is just supremely ugly; serving only to hide the uglier transformer box behind it. In my opinion it should be replaced by something that’s certainly better to look at; something that isn’t from a cigar box.
Keeping with the Native American theme would be fine; it is “Cherokee Street” after all. Though I have always thought it odd how we drove out or massacred millions of Native Americans only to then name our states, towns, cities, streets and baseball teams after them.
Perhaps we could obtain the help of a real, living Native American to create something that brings honor to his people and beauty to our neighborhood. Just a thought, of course.
As for our neighborhood’s culture; I think we aught to develop areas that we can all enjoy (preferably free of charge) and mix around in. It is difficult to really get to know people from other cultures when they have “their” activities, restaurants, and zones and we have ours. There really isn’t anywhere on the street that can bring people together in a positive way.
Each zone has its own ideas, philosophy, race, stereotype, preferences, and enemies. Most zones of Cherokee seem to be directly (or culturally) at odds with the other zones. At the moment there isn’t anything uniting them.
We’ve got a string of nice/unique monuments here (arch, mounds, eads bridge,…). I much prefer the Cherokee statue to one of Columbus or (god-forbid) Slay or a civil war cannon, and certainly to looking at a metal power transformer… zap. I assume his feathers, dress and posture are honoring Cherokee people. What I want to know is what’s written on his tablet….
Wise Angelo: I agree we need more places where mixing can happen between zones. Public space connecting the private spaces. Right now, it seems to be the street (and the sidewalk), that’s it. And maybe the painted-concrete patio at the burrito shack, though it’s not free, there’s usually a good mix of “zones” there and it’s outdoors. What (sub-)culture can’t appreciate a $5 burrito? More than anywhere else I’ve talked with strangers unlike me at the shack waiting for my order to be up.