Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 10-14-22

Feature
In Honor Of Indigenous Peoples Day, Race Amity Recommends Film
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Indigenous Peoples Day was on Monday, October 10, 2022. The holi- day celebrates and honors Native Americans and commemorates the tribes varied histories and cultures. Originally, it began as a protest against Columbus Day, a day that cel- ebrated Christopher Columbus.
Advocates for Race Amity (AFRA) Pinellas is an organization devoted to improving relations and understand- ing among different races. The group seeks to not only bring people to- gether, but most importantly, to bring understanding between all races.
The celebration of Indigenous People Day was the catalyst for the group asking people to view the movie, Black Indians: An American Study. Narrated by James Earl Jones, the documentary seeks to il- luminate the relationship between Native Americans and Black people.
Fariba Cavitt and Beth Hovind
... Advocates for Race Amity, Pinellas County.
The deep dive into the issues of racial identity among Native Ameri- cans and African Americans, the most mistreated and misunderstood people in America. Native and African peo- ples have often shared a common past in certain regions.
The Black Seminoles of Florida and Oklahoma are examples of the
complicated history of blood descen- dants of the Seminole people, Freed Africans, and escaped enslaved peo- ple. Despite historical ties, the rela- tionship between African people and Native Americans have been strained to the point of accusations of racism against the Seminole Nation of Okla- homa.
Beth Hovind of AFRA Pinellas says this is one of the reasons people need to learn the history, “At one time, African Americans and the Seminoles were allies in war and faced racism together. We want to under- stand what happened so we can learn from it.”
Fariba Cavitt, also of AFRA, stated, “Today the Black Indians are all but invisible. Their heritage ig- nored, unknown and frequently de- nied by most Americans, many Native- and African-Americans and sometimes by Black Indians them- selves. We need to explore the past to learn how to not repeat it.”
The film also features interviews with Black Indians from many tribes, including Narragansetts, Pequots, Seminoles, Cherokees, and others who discuss such issues as blood ver- sus culture, detribalization, and per- sonal identity in an increasingly multicultural world.
Cavitt continues, “Our knowledge on the topic is limited to what we have learned from this movie, which touches upon events and laws in American History with the added per- spective of many interviews with peo- ple and their reactions and perspectives.”
AFRA Pinellas is a local chapter of the National Center for Race Amity. Its goal and approach are to advance amity among people from different nationalities, backgrounds, and races in Panels County.
The movie can be viewed for free on YouTube at the web ad- dress: https://www.you-tube.- com/watch?v=hRHZvU6CTBc.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 7-A