We suck

[Grandpa Paddler]

I'm not sure (probably because I am lacking in intellect), but I think I was being bullshitted their.

I think I'm in the same canoe as Steve, But I still found it 'profoundly' humorous. I generally don't understand most of what comes out of places like MIT (not meant derogatorily) but that's what happens when one is an under-achiever

 

[Steve in Idaho]

So, this whole thing makes me wonder if the issue - rather than cultural appropriation - is actually based on cultural abandonment.

The assumption that only privileged whites have the money and/or time to paddle canoes is flawed. If it was a fact that people of color have no hobbies or cultural interests that they pursue, then it might have merit. But I see plenty of ethnic groups golfing, fishing, playing various ball sports, riding motorcycles, gambling at casinos....you name it.

If there are few or no First Nations people (or other people of color, FTM) canoeing, why are they not attracted to the activity? We know it isn't expensive, unless you choose it to be. It doesn't require any more time than these other leisure activities (we should include the most popular - watching TV). There aren't social barriers that I am aware of (those nasty bigoted paddling groups?)

Is there some self-imposed stigma that repels non-whites from canoeing? If it were simply a matter of being offended because canoes were employed in First Nations' subjugation, why would other groups not participate? And if the canoe was a First Nations traditional tool, why wouldn't they want to reclaim their dominance in it's design and skill?

Seems if it wasn't for "privileged whites", canoeing would be all but dead and forgotten. Even if it is "cultural appropriation", is that necessarily a bad thing?

BTW, I have FN blood in my veins, as well as European, so none of this applies to me.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

There's only one problem with her entire premise; canoes can be found all over the world, like the papyrus canoe found in Egypt, to the dugouts and bark canoes of Australia and South America and bark canoes in India, and even wood plank canoes in Vietnam!
Even the word "canoe" comes from the Spanish word " canoa" which was adopted by the French as "canot"

Scoutergriz, you've got to broaden your horizons of oppression and cultural appropriation. The white European males, from countries such as England, Spain, France and Portugal, conquered and oppressed the native canoeists from all the countries you mention too, just as they did in Canada.

The very picture of a canoe, much less a white man's use of one, is unnecessarily demeaning, humiliating and hurtful to the indigenous peoples of all those countries. It's even worse than having men's and women's bathrooms, or using the pronouns "him" and "her". These symbols and words of majoritarian privilege hurt lots of people, particularly the special snowflakes in today's colleges. We should thank god there are college professors and politicians who bring these intolerable "dog whistles of oppression" to our attention, except for the fact that they have also taught us that there is no god.

 

[sweeper]

I saw this over on FB with all kinds of outrage. I think she wants us as canoeists to think about who we are, where we are when we paddle and how we as people got to this point.

 

[Srobocop]

Maybe its a sick trick for us to give her a good paddlin

 

[Muskrat]

Maybe its a sick trick for us to give her a good paddlin

Hahahaahahaaa

 

[redoleary]

She can just cry me a river, then I'll paddle my canoe down it just to spite her.

 

[scoutergriz]

Glen; I hardly think that there was any "white oppression" involved in the 6,000yr old Egyptian culture! Whites were still smashing rocks together to start a fire. in every one of those cultures canoes were a common mode of transport long before "Rule Britannia" became a thing.
The point I'm making is that canoes and canoeing is in almost everyone's heritage, heck, the oldest canoe ever found was in the Netherlands!