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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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Campaign targets Mayoki krewe, Geronimo's liquor store |
Current rating: 4 |
by Lauren Anzaldo
Email: compassiontothecore (nospam) hotmail.com |
05 Sep 2004
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A community forum Aug. 25 was the starting point for establishing a local campaign to challenge racist portrayals of Native Americans. A second meeting will be held Tues., Sept. 21, to solidify the goals of the campaign. |
PENSACOLA -- About 30 participants at a community forum on Aug. 25 delved into the issue of racism against Native Americans manifest in Geronimo's Spirits liquor store on Pensacola Beach and the "Mayoki Indian" krewe that participates in the annual weeklong Fiesta of Five Flags celebration.
After watching a video about Native American contributions to this country and talking generally about stereotyping and racism, those in attendance began brainstorming specific strategies for pressuring Geronimo's owner Fred Simmons to change the name of his store and the Mayokis to revamp their krewe.
Linda Lindsey, who helped spearhead protests againt Geronimo's earlier this year, described Simmons' stubbornness. "He said he wanted to speak to Geronimo's family. We brught the family to him. We brought Apaches to him. We suggested new names. He just kept making excuses," said Lindsey, a descendent of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations.
Simmons has not changed the name, though he said in February, after ongoing protests, that he was considering doing so. (See the story at http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/news/021104/Local/ST004.shtml)
Those in attendance at the forum committed themselves to pushing Simmons to drop the Geronimo name, the use of which is seen as an insult, rather than a compliment, to an ethnic group that has been devastated by alcoholism and colonialism. One man at the forum, Kent Stanton, likened naming a liquor store after Geronimo to naming a condom store after Mother Theresa because both the humanitarian and the prophylactic are linked to disease prevention.
Ideas for protesting the liquor store name include demonstrating at the site, calling and writing to Simmons and his liquor suppliers to express opposition to the name and demand a change, and informing his suppliers that their products will be boycotted unless and until the suppliers pressure Simmons to change the store name. Similar tactics have been used by groups such as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (www.ciw-online.org), who launched a boycott against Taco Bell in 1999 to gain negotiating power, and Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty (www.shac.net), which targets companies that do business with animal-torture labs.
Geronimo's Spirits is located at 69 Via De Luna Drive, Gulf Breeze. The store phone number is (850) 934-5600. Simmons' cell phone number is (850) 232-2188. He also owns Paradise Beach Homes, 27 and 29 Via De Luna Drive, (850) 916-0777.
Local Creek and Cherokee hiphop artist Shadowyze, aka Shawn Enfinger, also discussed the racism and cultural mockery of the Mayokis, a krewe that participates in the annual Fiesta of Five Flags, a celebration of the colonialization of Northwest Florida.
The Mayokis, a majority white, middle- and upper-class group, bedeck themselves in colorful, sparkly, skimpy outfits, feathers and face paint. Their syle of dress mimics the Indians of the Great Plains region, not the tribes native to this area, and their performance resembles Indian religious ceremonies. According to the group's website, formerly viewable at www.mayoki.com, the word Mayoki comes from the name of a tribal leader. No recognized Indian tribe has the name Mayoki.
"They hop around mouth patting (in some cases in bars) in replica native regalia symbolic of sacred spiritual connections, with no regard for the centuries-old social degradation they employ with heart-crushing impact on our people," said Shadowyze, a one-time Grammy Award preliminary nominee and three-time Native American Music Award nominee.
Ideas for protesting the Mayokis include writing letters to members of the 2003 and 2004 krewe courts, contacting Fiesta of Five Flags sponsors and participants to voice opposition to the Mayoki program, and demonstrating during the Fiesta of Five Flags, the main events of which are June 2-10, 2005.
The names and home addresses of the Mayoki courts (available in the phone book) are as follows:
2004 Mayoki Indian Court:
Barry and Laura Cole, 2471 Semur Rd, Pensacola, FL 32503
Tom and Beverly Vaughn, 2340 Bayou Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32503
Terry and DD Burchett, 1627 Bali Hai Ct, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Clyde and Gretchen Busbee, 136 Siguenza Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561
Jerry and Janice Clark, 1021 Wild Roost Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Peter and Julie Dyson, 2750 Belle Christiane Cir, Pensacola, FL 32503
Sean and Courtney Fell, 1646 Tuscon Ct, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Mark and Michelle Griffin, 4360 Devereux Dr, Pensacola, FL 32504
Jeff and Leigh Hoskins, 816 N 14th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32501
John and Tammy Kvartek, 5644 Whispering Woods Dr, Pace, FL 32571
Martin and Kylar Lewis, 1520 E Cross St, Pensacola, FL 32503
Arthur and Vonda Oates. 520 James River Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Gene and Patty Pereira
Brett and Ashley Turner, 1801 E Strong St, Pensacola, FL 32501
Scott and Jennifer Tyler, 4532 Menewa Path, Pensacola, FL 32504
Jon and Rachel Watts, 104 Pine Tree Dr, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
2003 Mayoki Indian Court:
Blair and Yvette Crooke, 740 Peakes Point Dr, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Ban and Betsy DuBose, 4570 Lavallet Ln, Pensacola, FL 32504
Scott and Cynthia Booker, 306 Williamsburg Dr, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Gary and Linda Brown, 2166 Reservation Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Steven and Dawn Clay, 1106 Tiger Trace Blvd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Joe and Carlee Costello, 111 Highpoint Dr, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Lane and Jill Harper
Ken and Fran McCurdy, 1212 Moldonado Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561
Tom and Nikki Owens, 1901 E Gadsden St, Pensacola, FL 32501
Scott and Cindy Pritchard, 38 Bayshore Dr, Pensacola, FL 32507
Kurt and Jackie Sanborn, 3996 Bay Point Dr, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Brett and Dana Vigodsky, 2935 Bay St, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Nelson and Danice Welman, 3044 Coral Strip Pkwy, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Donald and Angel Whyner, 4527 Whisper Way, Pensacola, FL 32504
Joe and L.B. Zayszly, 244 Le Starboard Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561
The primary sponsors of the fiesta are corporate giants Budweiser (www.budweiser.com), Cox Communications (www.cox.com/gulfcoast), Wendy's (www.wendys.com), Coca-Cola (www.coca-cola.com), Albertsons (www.albertsons.com) and Bank of America (www.bankofamerica.com). Local sponsors include law firm Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon (www.esclaw.com), Pensacola Runners Association (www.pensacolarunners.com), Cordova Mall (5100 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola, 850-477-5563)
and Centennial Imports Mercedes dealership (www.centennial.mercedescenter.com). Contact information for these businesses is available at the specified websites.
The main Fiesta of Five Flags website, with a calendar of events, is www.fiestaoffiveflags.com. According to the site, "The mission of the Fiesta of Five Flags is to celebrate our heritage, promote tourism, and build pride in Pensacola through festive activities which enhance the quality of life in our Community." Clearly, the Mayoki krewe does not accurately celebrate Native American heritage nor does it build the pride of indigenous people or others in the rich Native contributions to this area.
Members of the Mayoki krewe were personally invited to the Aug. 25 forum to learn more about Native Americans' feelings about the krewe, but none attended.
Another meeting will be held at 7 p.m., Tues., Sept. 21, End of the Line Cafe, 610 E. Wright Street, to further solidify the goals of the campaign to challenge the racist and insulting portrayals of Native American people by Geronimo's liquor store and the Mayoki krewe. For more information about this campaign or the meeting, contact Lauren at 417-2766 or compassiontothecore (at) hotmail.com. |
This work is in the public domain. |
Comments
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Re: Campaign targets Mayoki krewe, Geronimo's liquor store |
by Jessie
matotoyela (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 2
05 Sep 2004
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I would just like to say that I am a part of the group protesting the Mayoki's and hope that more people who find that my people have been degraded enough will attend the meeting on the 22nd. "Queen White Dove" has misinformed the public in her letter to Lauren in the last article written about this subject. I have made a few contacts lady, and boy were you wrong! |
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Re: Campaign targets Mayoki krewe, Geronimo's liquor store |
by sm
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: -1
10 Sep 2004
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I'm excited about this. I think it's a great chance to take these people on. Any word on if AIM will come to Pensacola to take this up? |
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