Category Archives: Personal Commentary
Everything I have to say about the #SiouxperDrunk Controversy and T-Shirts
Dear UND and larger Grand Forks Community, Stop being dicks to Native Americans. Sincerely, -Speakfaithfully/Kevin Gonzaga
Posted in Culture, Personal Commentary, Politics
Tagged Grand Forks, racism, siouxperdrunk, UND, University of North Dakota
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Trinity Western University’s Law School, Discrimination, and the Need for Change
Recently my alma mater, Trinity Western University, had its law school approved by the B.C. Law society. However, there is controversy surrounding this issue because TWU is a private Christian university and it requires all its students to sign a Community Covenant. … Continue reading
The logic of Whiteness: We can take everything from you, but don’t you dare take from us!
The other day I was in a job interview. I struck up a conversation with my interviewer, a middle aged white male from North Dakota, as he ran my background check. Despite the fact it had come up that I had … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Commentary, Race
Tagged Fighting Sioux, racism, settler-colonialism, UND, whiteness
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#CancelColbert and the need for Solidarity
Is it satire critiquing racism or more racism? Recently The Colbert Report ran a segment mocking Dan Snyder’s attempts to woo Native American support as controversy surrounding his team’s name (the R*dskins) has increased significantly in recent months. However, the segment itself … Continue reading
The Myth of the Melting Pot: Multiculturalism and the USA
The United States often sells itself as a unique multicultural nation, where waves of immigration have given us the benefits and richness of many cultures, languages and histories. When talking about our culture we often suggest our nation is a … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Commentary
Tagged culture, culture in the USA, foreign cultures, multiculturalism, US, USA, whiteness
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Philip Seymour Hoffman, Addiction and Mental Health
Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead of an apparent drug overdose last Sunday. After having been clean for many years, Hoffman relapsed in 2012 and entered residential rehab in June of 2013. Despite this effort his struggles with addiction continued … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Commentary, Uncategorized
Tagged Addiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Philip Seymour Hoffman
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Alone But Not Alone and The Christian Imagination of History
Recently the indie Christian film Alone But Not Alone made some waves when it was nominated for an Oscar for best song, a number sung by Joni Eareckson Tada. This was controversial because it was such an obscure film that … Continue reading
Blackface and Bloodstains
Fall, the season of racism. Every October people around the world get dressed up and attend various costumed parties or functions, usually in some connection to Halloween. Inevitably stories and pictures emerge of white people dressing up in racial or … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Commentary
Tagged blackface, cultural costumes, george zimmerman, halloween, race relations, racial costumes, racism, travyon martin
213 Comments
Filming Sundance: Tradition, technology, and journalism collide.
A few weeks ago I was invited to help at a sundance ceremony that was being organized and run by friends of mine in the Native American community. Sundance is a sacred ceremony common to a number of Native American … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Commentary
Tagged APTN, ceremony, Chief Blacksmith, filming the sundance ceremony, Native American, sacred, sundance
26 Comments
Speakfaithfully 
The Need for Healthcare Reform
My job is full-time but because of a loophole (I’m paid through a grant) I do not get medical insurance through it. When I got this job I purchased medical insurance privately, which costed me $500 a month and it was crappy … Continue reading →