Indians, coffee, and other people

I have not posted anything in a while. This is mostly because... I'm busy. Weird, I know. This week I am subbing for social studies and PE. Next week I'll be doing science, hoping the kids understand everything perfectly or just don't feel like asking questions, because I won't be able to answer most of them.

There has been some time for fun, though. On Friday, Brian and I met up with a couple of teacher friends at the Hannover Indians hockey game. The game is always a good time, (even though they this one lost 4-2), because it's crowded, and loud, and smells like a combination of fried food, frosty air, cigarette smoke, and beer.

The stereotypes I notice at the game probably wouldn't even make a German think twice. . Before the game starts, 5 or 6 people skate out onto the ice wearing headdresses. They put a totem pole at center ice and play a war chant kind of a song before the starting lineup is announced. There's no tomahawk chop, but it's not too far off. One of the jerseys you can buy looks like it's made of buckskin with fake fringe printed on it.

To an American these images are, at mildest, a little politically incorrect, or at worst, downright racist. But if you've never met an American Indian, and if the places you go aren't named Indian names, you haven't learned about treaties and smallpox, and you haven't seen a reservation, then you wouldn't notice anything offensive in this characterization. If there was a Jewish stereotype out there, though, that you would notice.

Here are some of the images from the Indians that I found online:

There's another other image I noticed at the game. This one makes the Indian stereotypes seem pretty tame. It's the logo for Machwitz Coffee, one of the Indians' sponsors. It's printed on the shoulder of all their hockey jerseys:

Yikes. So I could try to rationalize this image and say that if you live in a country of very few Black people, and you see this as a quaint vintage advertisement, maybe it's ok... but I can't. It's just too wrong.

Is there more overt racism in Germany than in the United States? I don't know. I know there is a lot less diversity in terms of how people look and speak and dress. So I can understand why these stereotypes don't seem offensive to Germans, but I may never get over it myself. I'm not sure I want to.

The Indians games are fun. We will keep going, and eventually I will understand a little more about hockey. And the games will still be dirty and loud and exciting. I will get used to seeing the stereotypes out there and eventually they won't catch my eye so much... but you won't see me tomahawk chopping in the stands.