I just remembered the comments I usually get when I am out talking to Nuagers. Some of the most common ones are:
Before the lecture (and this happens eeeevery time!)
"There is an Indian standing next to you/behind you" (Could I pleaseeee have a Samiii - just once?!)
Meaning: You might know a lot about Ndn:s but I am much more spiritual than you because I see things!
After the lecture:
"The Indian is gone!"
Meaning: You scared him off by what you said.
Real meaning: What you said sucks, but I am too much of a coward to take that discussion with you, so I might make you shut up by telling you that the spirits are angry!
"You must have been to the wrong tribe!"
(There are good and bad tribes....)
"Maybe you haven´t met a *real* Indian!"
Real Indian = Native person who exploits Nuagers by exploiting his culture.
"How can you say that Ndn:s don´t have shamans when my medium/shaman told me I was the head shaman in my past lives?"
Meaning: Not only am I the centre of universe in *this* life - I was also the centre in all my *past* lives!
"I want to marry an Indian - do you know of anyone?"
Meaning: I desperately need to boost my ego by using another person as merchandise or as an object to show off to my friends.
"I want to have a child with an Indian, he doesn´t have to stick around because the welfare will take care of us...!" Meaning: I want to use my child as an object.
"Don´t they want us to be happy??"
Meaning: Happiness = being able to steal, violate, appropriate and damage sacred objects and rituals without anyone telling me off.
"Why do they want to keep everything to themselves?"
Meaning: We have taken almost everything they had in the past, why can´t we take the rest??
"They have the knowledge to save us, then why don´t they share?"
Meaning 1) All Ndn:s have some kind of secret formula that they are hiding from us. 2) If I get the "secret formula" I can use it myself and become rich and famous.
Go ahead, Barnaby - you can make this twice as funny....
Annika
