Mary Pember: Racism surfaces in war against Wisconsin mine

The dispute over iron ore mining in Wisconsin has taken to Facebook and includes shocking racist statements and photographs as well as threats of violence. It’s difficult to sort out either the players or their motivations in these heated exchanges. A Facebook page entitled Wisconsinites for Safe Mining, has been the home of some of the more egregious racist slurs.

A post that has since been removed includes a historical photograph depicting a black and white portrait in the Edward Curtis style of a stoic-faced Native man dressed in regalia. The author has placed the following caption on the top and bottom of the image, “Tries to Explain How Natives Are a Proud People, Too Drunk to Form Words.”

The administrator took down the racist photographs and posts and has subsequently claimed that the page was hacked by anti-mining interests in order to discredit the pro-mining folks. “We here at Wisconsinites for Safe Mining do not agree with racism or racist posts.”