(Editor’s Note: This commentary was received on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. Due to the One Feather policy of only publishing one commentary per reader per month, it is being published online now and will appear in the Jan. 11, 2024 print issue.)
By ANN COGGINS
Big Y Community
I wrote a commentary opposing an adult event at the Cherokee Fair. The actual message of this commentary was lost or misunderstood by some people on Facebook, so I intend to clarify it.
Even though I never mentioned God, Jesus, Christianity or any religious teaching, that is what a lot of people commented about. Spiritualism is one of our core values, but that is not what my commentary was about.
Cherokee is the only community fair I know of that includes adult entertainment along with a family friendly atmosphere. Children should not attend, but there is nothing stopping them from accessing the show. Furthermore, the contest is blasted over the PA system so loud that it can be heard in the rides area, making it hard to avoid entirely.
There were several comments saying “Just don’t go”. The problem with this kind of attitude is that it is part of why so many bad things happen. If a rape occurs, did it really not happen just because we didn’t see it? If a child is molested, did it really not happen because we didn’t see it? It doesn’t matter if I am at the Pretty Legs Contest or not. If a child is there, they are being exposed to adult situations, and children exposed to adult entertainment are set up for opportunistic predators.
Who will an abused child go to if they see the adults laughing about and encouraging deviant sexual behavior? What do children learn by being exposed to a show that normalizes the message that women are nothing more than sexual objects? How many times have domestic or sexual abuse victims stated that their abuser made them feel “less than human”? Children grow up to be adults, and based on what they learn, they act accordingly.
I would like to remind everyone about the laws concerning crimes against children (Article VII Sec 14-30.9 Disseminating and exhibiting harmful material or performance to minors) and Tribal employee conduct (Chapter 96 Tribal employees Article I Sec 96.2 Code of Ethics). These can easily be googled, which is how I found these codes, lyrics to the songs mentioned in my other commentary, and other things.
I understand that the contest has been a “tradition” for several decades. We are trying to end the generational trauma and have our children grow up healthy and restored. Emasculating males, along with beatings and child rape were used to control our people at boarding schools. Some things need to come to an end.
Does the Pretty Legs contest honor our Core Value of Educating the children by providing values-oriented education and recreation, and by being strong role models for them? No. It is the opposite.
If we want to have a comedy show it can be clean and honorable. I adhere to the
Core Value of possessing a strong sense of humor. However, I, along with many others in the Tribe, choose not to have a “dark” sense of humor.
I also adhere to our Core Value of possessing a Strong Individual Character. I am not a “look the other way” type of person. If I see something harmful to children or our Tribe, I will speak up. I will not be embarrassed or bullied because I am willing to stand for victims. I am not ashamed to stand with the many wonderful people who are trying to save our Tribe from destructive behavior towards children, teens or vulnerable adults. I admire people who choose to fight against domestic violence, child abuse, all other abuse, and human trafficking. It is hard to fight against these things, and it takes a mental toll on everyone involved.
If you didn’t attend the last Human Trafficking presentation, I would encourage you to do so. Education is a key ingredient to help prevent people falling victim to sexual crimes.
The next time you feel the need to attack someone trying to make the world a better place, consider putting your energy into something more productive. Put your energy toward the greater good by joining an organization that helps victims. There are many volunteer opportunities. Let’s work together to better everyone’s lives.
