"On Native Heritage American Day, it’s time to take a step back and realize what it would be like if our family’s past and struggles were of the same kind.

In the past, people of our country kicked Native Americans out of their native lands, forced them to adapt to our standards and norms, and then used inaccurate portrayals of their society to represent items in the mass media.

The images are all around us, especially with Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving closer than we anticipate. Look at butter, sports teams, alcohol and a number of other products. Native Americans are on labels dressed in clothing seen in “Pocahontas” or “Peter Pan.”

Get the Story:
Sarah Tomkinson: Respect Native American symbols (The Macomb Western Courier 9/28)