As a Tsalagi (Cherokee) and therefore an indigenous American, my heart was saddened by the use of racially derogatory terms used by the Krewe of Natchez Indians.

In The Democrat’s defense, if there were to be one, their promotion of this might have been done through a lack of knowledge of how offensive the use of squaw is to Indigenous Americans of all tribes. In addition, the nations do not have witch doctors, the traditional healers were known by the term of medicine men.

It would be almost understandable, if we did not live in the period that we do, that those who seek to use indigenous Americans as mascots for their events have such low esteem for the first peoples of this land.

We are not mascots to be paraded and played as fools. While Europe was starving, the indigenous Americans had cultures still not equaled in many parts of the earth.

Is it because we have become the minority in our own land that so little is thought of our concerns or respect shown to our traditions?

Due to a lack of a coherent voice, we have none that will stand and ask for an apology for this insult to our peoples.

We are not great in number, but our pride in who we are still remains. It would seem in matters concerning us that we are expected to fade into the darkness as shadows.

I wish apologize to those who might feel that I have be vitriolic is this letter, but at times the use of insensitive slurs becomes too much for those offended to bear.

If there are those that seek to understand the indigenous Americans, they would do themselves a favor by seeking to learn from the past events, such as The Trail of Tears and even the cause of the elimination of the Natchez tribe.

Jerry W. Sweat

Ferriday