The buffalo nickel; how un-politically correct was that?

I, like Doug, have a unique perspective which I don't usually share - I am 9/32nd Cherokee - an unusual fraction since I get the ancestry from both parents I can remember as a kid in the 1970s when the AIM - American Indian Movement adopted the "Indian" from the nickel as one of their logos. Frankly it may not have been the case at the time the nickel was designed - but the fact remains that it's adoption later on by the AIM qualifies acceptance. In fact they use a variation of the 1970s era logo still, only adding feathers and colourising the design to yellow and red.

Really? The whole American story, be it good, bad, or indifferent is about the evolution of Liberty and our understanding of it. I know for a fact there were forward thinking people even in the 19th century that saw what was going on and thought it was wrong. At least African Americans had a couple of subsequently meaningless constitutional amendments after the Civil War to look back on as giving them something on paper if not reality. Native Americans weren't even recognised as US citizens until 1926.

 

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Man, there are WAY too many Cherokees around here for this little Creek boy to be comfortable.

 

It's a coming out Pow Wow! :yes:

 

I think it came at a time of great realization. The reality after the fact that they destroyed a wild animal and destroyed native civilization. Humans are great at commemorating things in hindsight...not so great at thinking far enough ahead to prevent themselves from having tragedy to commemorate in the first place.
Guy

 

If Liberty existed at all it would mean that politicians were no longer able to steal production from the productive and give it to themselves or their pet rocks.

 

I feel the motivation was to pay tribute to the Native Americans and the Buffalo.


I do not feel it was politically incorrect at the time it was done.


James Earle Fraser the artist that created the portraits, I feel was very empathetic to both Native Americans and the Bison. I'm 100% sure he would not offer his talents if he felt it was in bad taste to the Native Americans or the Bison.

 

Right, I was wondering what if these things led to a pacified public, or docile, whatever, in regards to the political correctness or incorrectness.

edit: after reading the rest of the thread I would like to add that my maternal great-grandfather was a full Cherokee Indian. One picture of him exists in the family. He had jet black hair, long and straight. The picture made him look like Johnny Cash in full black suit, vest, boots and hat. He was nicknamed, or perhaps named Pompee, probably not Pompeii.

 

Doug would know...he was there. That buffalo skin hat and buffalo tooth ivory aren't fooling anyone.
Guy

 

News they never reported:

June 26, 1876
Little Bighorn

Today the arrogant dolt George Armstrong Custer ignored reports from his scouts that a world of splatter was up yonder a spell and instead led his company into an all too obvious ambush. Your tax dollars at work pilgrims.

In other late breaking news the federal government today honored one of it's treaties with the Lakota Nation.

 

He knew Geronimo and Tatyanka Yotanka(Sitting Bull) - lucky old dog!