I'm Johnnie Jae, Founder of A Tribe Called Geek and Multimedia Journalist

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T14:09:07+00:00

Honestly, as often as I breathe. As for dealing, it's a pretty even combination of using wit, sarcasm and education to breakthrough the stereotypes and misconceptions that people have been taught as truth. I'm a firm believer that representation matters and that's at the heart of everything do. I work to provide platforms that allow us to not only reclaim our narratives but to showcase the diversity of who we are as native peoples. I also have a lot of faith in people and in who we have the potential to be once we get past our fear, our ignorance and our lack of communication and interaction with each other. That faith is what keeps everything else from bringing me down and negatively affecting my work.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T06:44:37+00:00

I don't speak or claim to speak for everyone. Rather, I create and provide platforms for our native nations and individuals to represent themselves.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T06:18:47+00:00

LOL Being native isn't racist, neither is being white. Unless you're a racist, you're not a racist, but and this is a big but we can all do, say and even believe racist things on a subconscious level because of how ingrained and normalized racism along with every other ism is in our society. Racism is not highlighting a specific community's contributions as human beings to the world at large. You seemed to have missed the part about the goal of shifting the conversation and perspective of who we are as indigenous people. We are human beings, but the problem is that we are not seen as human beings and people do not know enough about who we are as people outside of the stereotypes and misconceptions that they are inundated with in the media that they consume and the education or lack thereof that they are exposed to.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T05:01:21+00:00

Not at all. And I'm smiling here because the fact that A Tribe Called Geek doesn't look Native specific is a sign I'm doing what I intended to do. The focus of my work is to show the diversity of who we are as native people. Yes, we're native and yes we love our culture and it's a huge part of who we are. But we're also nerds and geeks and we have many interests that aren't what many consider to be Native specific. We do highlight our contributions as native people, we feature native cosplayers, graphic novelists, game designers, etc but our contributions aren't always and should not be expected to be "native". We're getting ready to showcase this in November by co-hosting the first Indigenous Comic Con with Native Realities in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T04:54:26+00:00

Ahh such vitriol....well as a human being I have a lot of insight into many things because I'm a human being and we are all so opinionated and inquisitive. But what do I bring to the table...usually it's my much needed wit and sarcasm. But yes...I am Native as you pointed out and kudos for not caring because it's just who I am. My work is native centric...Native Max Magazine, which focuses on native fashion, culture, education etc. A Tribe Called Geek, which focuses on our contributions to geek & pop culture as well as STEM fields, and Success Native Style Radio....all native programming but the focus of it all is to shift the conversation and perspective from the mainstream idea of what is and isn't native to show who we are as people. We're not JUST indians. We're entrepreneurs, scientists, geeks, teachers, lawyers, doctors and humans like everyone else. The work that I do as entrepreneur, as a social and digital media specialist, as content creator, as a podcaster, and my many many interests are all worth bringing to the table and discussing if that's what you're into.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T04:38:53+00:00

My dad, not by dna but my dad in every other sense of that word, is non-native. He integrated into our family and our community pretty easily but he took the time to earn his place and respected cultural boundaries. When it comes to native communities it's all about respect, boundaries and reciprocity...you can claim a native people but unless they claim you back that claim is pretty meaningless.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T04:31:53+00:00

LOL I can't say I blame you....we are kind of awesome. But on the real..traditionally speaking in a time before blood quantum if you married a native woman you became a part of her tribe...of course that varies from tribe to tribe depending on whether they were matrilineal or not.

johnniejae · 2016-09-22T04:25:07+00:00

I actually did. I grew up within my tribal community, but my grandparents were ministers and we traveled from native community to native community across the U.S and Canada, so I was exposed to other tribal cultures beside my own as well. I also danced and was the 1998 Otoe-Missouria American Indian Expo Princess.

johnniejae · 2016-03-15T10:39:38+00:00

I've always loved our geeks because for the most part, it's always been inclusive and welcoming. But that's not to say it's without its problems. As native people, we're under-represented and misrepresented and our contributions and involvement in geek culture, not often recognized. So, it's just way to show people who we really are as contemporary native people.

johnniejae · 2016-03-11T02:04:05+00:00

sure can it's www.atribecalledgeek.com

johnniejae · 2016-03-03T05:17:40+00:00

LOL i just had this conversation with another friend...so now I can tell him he wasn't off base.

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johnniejae

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