Tony Johnson - What Makes a Chinook Indian

Summary: 
Tony Johnson talks about some of the differences between indigenous and non-indigenous cultures and how colonial culture sometimes seems invisible to non-indigenous people but becomes obvious in comparison to indigenous cultures living here.
Description: 

The following text is a transcription of this video.
"People ask what makes a Chinook Indian or I always hear people say "oh you're so lucky you have a culture." And then we just like to shake our heads and say wait a minute--we're born and raised in your culture. I mean the school that we go to, the store that we go to...I mean people just don't see it. The average American doesn't see that they have a culture, right? But it's kind of really obvious to people that are from here and have their own sensibility and way of looking at things because it becomes real clear when things contradict each other or aren't really compatible. But my answer to people about what makes a Chinook Indian or whatever is really these rules and taboos, and obligations to what we have to each other. A lot of that comes from our myths, from our stories, and that's really what determines who we are"