Manipur, Oct. 20 -- There is this magical made-up time between Indigenous Peoples' Day ("Columbus Day" for the unenlightened) and Thanksgiving, when white Americans think about Native people. That's sort of our window. Honestly. In the middle of this window is that Halloween thing, and until about three years ago, one of the most popular Halloween costumes was Pocahontas. Essentially, people know nothing about us, but like to dress up like us, or have us as a mascot.
Take it from me: No one can name us. If we are named, it is only Lakota, Cherokee, Navajo, Cheyenne, Blackfeet - mostly Native people from westerns, or maybe that Cherokee great-great-great grandmother someone believes they have. This is the problem of history - writing out th...