For $1,000 You Can Be a Dog Soldier: The Tribe of Should-Be-Ashamed

Abstract

The use of American Indian imagery, material culture, and cultural traditions by non-Native peoples has received much recent attention by scholars, activists, and the media. However, most of the attention has been focused on sports teams and mascots. One area that has received little attention is the appropriation of Indian imagery and traditions by non-sports related organizations. This article details a recent meeting between members of the American Indian Health Research and Education Alliance (AIHREA) and leaders from the Tribe of the Mic-O-Say. The Tribe of the Mic-O-Say is a Boy Scouts of America™ honor society for Scouts in eastern Kansas and western Missouri who want to "play Indian." The Mic-O-Say have a long history of misappropriating and misrepresenting Indian culture and traditions as well as engaging in cultural imperialism. This alienates Native people from their traditions, undermines self-determination, and creates further animosity and distrust between Natives and non-Natives.