Reading about Native Americans will make you a better person

A better person. Look how happy she looks.

Oh, how I have missed my loyal T/Sers! The truth is it’s hard being a reporter. Especially when a bunch of big stories hit at the same time.

I’m also going to miss True/Slant as it has been once the Forbes developments truly kick in. This has been a nice place to explore Native issues for an audience that might not not have always known they cared about Native issues.

It’s funny, I write on a daily basis for many really passionate Native American readers who are so keyed in on Native topics, as well as mainstream issues. They tend to know every little detail of tribal-federal policy, but also care about Justin Bieber’s hair just as much as the next red-blooded American.

I wish more mainstream readers would take just a slight percentage of time to read and understand more about Native issues; there are so many amazing bits of information to ponder in a wide swath of genres. I’m not asking for such readers to become impassioned zealots, just a tiny bit better informed. Since America was formed on the backs of indigenous people who thrived in spite of it, isn’t that a pretty easy thing to do in return?

Now a special thanks to Osha Gray Davidson, who recently made the point I’m trying to get at through his post naming this blog as a “must-follow.”

Osha writes: “For affluent white people in Phoenix, Arizona — where I live — it’s entirely possible to go through life never seeing or having to think much about what’s going on in Indian Country, despite the state’s large population of indigenous peoples. The only part of a reservation most Phoenicians will ever see is the inside of Casino Arizona. National media coverage is about the same. That’s one reason why Rob’s T/S blog, Native Pop, is a valuable addition to this site. Rob is a staff writer for the influential Native publication, Indian Country Today and his blog shares the ICT’s geographic coverage and, more important, the emphasis on today. With the rare exception of the newest Twilight film, media Indians are frozen in time: the middle-to-late 19th century.”

Very flattering, but also a whole lot of truth there in terms of the need for so many Americans to open their eyes.

P.S. I just picked up a Native American Journalists Association media award in the best daily/weekly news category, so that’s pretty cool. Many of my fellow Native-focused journalists were deservedly honored, and they have so much to share. Seek them out. They’re all around you.

You can follow my work on Twitter @RobCapriccioso. It’s sometimes as intriguing as Justin Bieber’s hair, I promise.