Seminole Tribe now fully controls Hard Rock brand ...

In todays log we will discuss the fluffy’s second most common killer. Humans.
But before we do that I would like to explain more of the fluffy’s biology.
The nutrition of the fluffy in the Neverglades is actually quite good. They are omnivores believe it or not. Meat does have some vital vitamins that they require to sustain good nutrition. However, they can have a full vegetarian diet and survive, however, their muscles and digestive system will not be up to par. Fluffy’s from the north tend to have lots of diarrhea, that is what happens if their only food source is just milk or just grass. Grass is low in fiber and nutrients compared to other vegetables so it is no wonder northern feral fluffy’s defecation is mostly liquid. In Florida, they can eat pond apples. A very bitter but still nutritious cousin of the apples we know and love. Fluffies don’t seem to mind the bitter taste, however, that is because they are feral. Pond apples were given to domestic fluffies and they rejected it. As ferals they will make the most out of any flavor. Other fruits they can eat are seagrapes, coconuts, and the thousands of orange, lime, and peach trees left over from the farms. Such trees are now spreading all throughout the Neverglades. As for meat, they have 2 main sources. Other fluffies, foals, and insects. They will munch on the countless grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and any other small arthropod. So I guess fluffies are above at least bugs in the food chain, however there are plenty of insects that can eat them if they have large numbers. With such a balanced diet, mares rarely have stillborns or defective foals! Also these Neverglade fluffy fecal matter is solid. Their rear ends still get covered in the stuff however…
The Neverglades have countless factions that scour the land. Keep in mind fluffies are biologically programmed to love humans unconditionally. Most feral fluffies have never seen a human and yet they still crave their love. Our drones have caught them murmuring to themselves that they want a “hooman huggies.” Humans are practically mythical gods to them at this point. When they do see one, they will become overjoyed and charge towards them asking for “huggies” and “gib upsies.” The human almost always kills them. After a few foul encounters with a human a fluffy will learn to fear us, unfortunately, they can’t seem to teach other fluffies that lesson.
In parenthesis is how their standings are with fluffies, from most friendly to least it goes
Loving-neutral-aggressive-hostile.
Researchers (Neutral): Us, we do not kill fluffies unless required for an experiment or if we are low on food supplies.
Rangers (Aggressive): These are the park Rangers, they are one half invasive species hunter, one half SWAT team. They will kill any python, boar, Nile crocodile, or iguana they come across. As for fluffies, they used to kill on sight, but the fluffy population always seemed to bounce back. They were spending countless dollars on ammo and trying to club a whole herd to death could take hours. And again, the fluffies always bounced back, always. They deemed it pointless unless using them for target practice. Also, they will kill them if bored.
(Video plays, it seems to be from a phone)
Filming Ranger: Duuuuddee got the ‘nade?
A herd off fluffies are running to them in the distance, feint “huggies” and “upsies” can be heard.
Other Ranger: Yeah dude! Fuckin’ watch. (Now Shouting) HEY FLUFFS, PLAY WITH BALL!
He pulls the pin to the grenade and throws it at the herd. The fluffies shout “yay baww! fank 'ou.” They played with the grenade for only a second before it went off, causing blood, shit, fur, and dead foals to coat the surrounding land. The explosion was followed by the roaring laughter of the Rangers.
(Video Ends)
Armed with assault rifles and large artillery, the Rangers are also in the Neverglades to stop the Cuban Cartels, Brofluff Cultists, Anarchists, malfunctioning robots, and any other nefarious activity in the Neverglades.
[Redacted] Man (Extremely hostile, even to [Redacted]!): [Redacted] Man is [Redacted], im*e#sely da^ng3r&s [Red4c1ed] d0 4OT A9pr0c#-----
Squatters (Hostile): Not everyone took kindly to evacuate all land south of Lake Okeechobee order. Many demanded to say, and the governor obliged, however, he warned them that there would be no police force or fire fighters to protect them, or corporations to supply jobs. Over the years many Squatters moved back to the inhabited parts of Florida such as the pan handle after life got too rough. Not only that, many Squatters have been killed by the Cartels, Anarchists, and even panthers and black bears. The Fort of Fort Myers was completely destroyed by [Redacted] Man. Which used to be the largest Squatter stronghold. Now they are sparse and no longer live in large communities, instead they live more of a hermit life. Fluffies are their main source of meat. They will hunt them; such a task is easily done with fluffies prancing to them. But they will also construct traps. The most effective is a Comfortfluffy. Think of it like a scarecrow but opposite. It is human effigy that it is made to attract Fluffies. As they approach the comfortfluffy, the fluffies will try to hug it. At the base of the comfortfluffy is a large mouse trap device hidden under pine needles. Such a device can kill 5 fluffies in 1 activation.
(Video starts)
A Comfortfluffy is erected in the backyard of an isolated house in a grassland. Around the Comfortfluffy is tan palmfrawns that hide the killing mechanism. There is even a small radio hidden in the chest of the Comfortfluffy playing songs one would hear on Fluffy TV.
A small pack of 5 adult fluffies with 2 mares with foals on their backs happily waddle towards the comfortfluffy shouting “huggies!” They begin to nudge the pants of the comfortfluffy and although metal creaking sounds could be heard, the trap does not activate. Then one of the fluffies begins to jump while singing “upsies!” The jump was just the pressure needed to activate the trap. A rusty screech is heard as the trap activates and 4 mouse trap-like bars swing down around the comfortfluffy. The cheers of the fluffies turn to a quick shriek, a loud crack, followed by some meek crying. 3 of the fluffies died on impact, their scull or chest cavity popped like a pimple. The 2 that survived had their hind ends crushed and their entrails shot out their rear. “Big owwies!!!” They meekly cried as the life in them slowly drained. The Foals that got hit by the bars were completely obliterated. The ones that were not hit were completely unscathed, however, they began to cry about everyone taking the “foweba sweepies.” As shadow then looms over them.
“Sandra! Were havin’ foal stew tonight!”
(Video ends)
Cuban Cartels (Hostile): Even after the legalization of marijuana the Cartels did not slow down. They are still quite in business thanks to the ever-growing demand for cocaine, heroin, and opium. The Cartels will make landfall in the Neverglades if the make it past the heavily patrolled Keys Atolls. They even have some bases the Rangers can’t take out unless they get military assistance. The Cartels will actively lure fluffies into their bases. They will put signs featuring happy looking humans with arrows pointing at the base. The fluffies will gladly follow the signs. Once lured into the base the Cartel henchmen will slaughter them for food.
Anarchists (Loving to Hostile): True to the definition of their namesake, they have no set rules or governance, and most anarchist groups have no relation to one another. You’ll have the ones who come to the Neverglades to abuse its low surveillance to torture and murder Squatters, other anarchists, and any other poor human that gets in their way. They will of course have their way with any and all fluffies. Then you’ll have the more hippie kind who just want to have a nice little commune away from corporations. These are usually very loving to the fluffies, most wont even hunt them with the amount of vegans they have. However, these communes don’t last long due to attacks from the Cartels, other anarchists, [Redacted] Man, and even large animal attacks. We’ve even witnessed a massive pack of coyotes kill an entire commune.
Brofluff Cult (Loving): This all male cult worships some sort of female equine pantheon. Part of their religion is to be subservient to all fluffies. They will come to the Neverglades and build small fluffly sized homes. They will cook countless spaghetti for the fluffies. They will protect the fluffies, even going as far as killing any human who dare hurts a fluffy. However, do note they will… mate… with a mare they call their “fluffu.” They will also breed fluffies in hopes of reincarnating the “Daughters of the Goddesses.” The Rangers will keep a close eye on them, if they make any aggressive move towards other humans the Rangers will rout them.
Pirates (Hostile): Basically anarchists that patrol the seas. They will commonly go ashore to restock on fluffies unless the find a drifting boat full of fluffies.
Fathers of Freeport (Hostile): Please remember, when I write “hostile” I only mean to fluffies, these men are actually very kind. The name of their faction was dubbed by me, they are simply Bahaman refugees searching for food. After sea level rise the Bahaman government disbanded, taking the upper class with them to live in Florida’s panhandle. The rest of the civilians were left to fend for themselves. Food is now critically short over in the Bahamas. What little land is left can’t grow food and the coral reefs have been overfished to depletion. However, some savvy fisherman have learned about the fluffy situation in Florida. They sail over to the east coast and collect a hulls worth of fluffies to take back to the remnants of their starving country. This particular group I was monitoring always stocks up at an atoll building at Hallandale Reef. This building is completely surrounded by water and somehow stuffed to the gills with fluffies on all dry floors. I was even able to intercept and question the captain of the fishing boat.
(Start of transcript)
Researcher: So what brought you to Hallandale Reef?
Captain: The reefs ova’ by Miami have too many pirates scoutin’ the seas. But here it is close enough to Seminole Territory dat da pirates shy away.
Researcher: Has the Seminoles have any qualms with you?
Captain: Nah, dey know we mean no harm. We take only the fluffy ones. Dey seem to not care fo’ them.
Researcher: Are you afraid this building will run out of fluffies?
Captain: (Laughs) No, no, no. Dees tings have many many babs’. If anyting we be doing them a favor and stoppin’ them from ending up like our own home.
Researcher: Have any of your men gotten hurt trying to farm these fluffies?
Captain: Yes, a greenhorn died. The floors of dis building be covered in shit. Poor greenhorn slipped and fell down stairs.
Researcher: I see, have you encountered [Redacted] Man?
Captain: Oh no lord Jesus, nonono! We be going now, good day!
Researcher: But…
Captain: Our hulls are full, and you reminded me of why our people can’t immigrate here, goodbye! And may lord Jesus protect your soul, science man who pokes tings dat need not be pokin’!
(End of Transcript)
Seminole Tribe (Neutral): A very powerful faction on par with the Rangers when it comes to control in the Neverglades. With the rising waters the Seminoles have lost lots of their ancestral lands and the USA did not grant them any more territory. However, they adapted. Their crowing hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel was a casino and hotel that is shaped like a giant guitar. Now that it is surrounded by water, they modified it to work also as a yacht club and dock. They even built an underwater hotel near it. People from all over the world fly in to West Palm Beach to take a cruise to their establishment. They also rule the area with an iron fist, killing any pirates, cultists, Cartel, or any other undesirables that try to make a footing in their territory. To fluffies, they are indifferent. See them as nothing more as a pest. They will kill any feral fluffy that is found in the halls of their hotels. But for any fluffy roaming the marshes of their territory, they know culling won’t really solve anything, so they let nature take its course. They also breed fluffies for desirable colors and will even have Fluffy Shows where breeders exhibit their fluffy show-pony.
Fighters For Florida (Or the FFF) (Neutral to Hostile): With the right permits and go aheads from government bodies, civilians can enter the Neverglades. The FFF is a hunting force of civilians that is organized to hunt invasive species such as pythons, Nile crocs, and any other invasive threat. However, ones hunting for pythons and such do not target fluffies because they know it will make no difference and their reserve ammo is better spent fighting any human threat that tries to harm them. That being said, some… questionably moraled FFF hunters that call themselves “abusers” come to the Neverglades to only torture fluffies to death. Since fluffies are labeled as invasive animals “to be removed by any means necessary” the abusers are 100% in legal right to… “hunt” fluffies in any way they want.
That about covers the humans of the Neverglades. Now we shall talk about native fluffavores, aka native animals that can eat adult fluffies.
The Black Bear: This animal is an omnivore in which 80% of their diet was vegetation. Not anymore, now their primary food source is fluffies. Because they are easier to hunt then to forage for fruits. If a heard of Fluffies spots one, they will usually shout and panic and try to quickly waddle away. The Black Bear will make chase and usually eat the one that trips, or it will swipe at the slowest one and kill it. Black Bears can even take out a nest by themselves. Even if the fluffies try to hide in a burrow the bears can dig down to them, but they usually go after easier fluffy prey. Black Bears in human ruins have learned that pushing open doors or breaking into boxes, cars, trash cans, and other containers have a good chance of revealing a hiding fluffy. Also note, fluffies also tend to think ALL land animals fear the water like them and will rush into shallow water to escape the black bear. They will then tease the bear, until the bear effortlessly charges into the water and kills them.
Panthers: We have talked about the general hunting habits of the panther in log 1, however I’d like to add on the habits of an alpha male panther. Alphas will patrol a large territory and basically kill any animal it does not want in its territory including other male panthers. One alpha has been documented killing 125 fluffies in a mega herd. It only ate 2.
Florida Gar: This fish can grow up to 3 meters in length. It used to be a very rare sight this far south in Florida after overfishing from humans. Now, they have made ma huge comeback thanks to the Neverglades low human population and fluffies as a food source. Unlike smaller gar or bass, these fish can eat an adult fluffy. They will glide into the shallows and scoop up a fluffy wading through the water and then use its serpentine body to slither back into the depth all while the fluffy begs to be let go. If the initial bite does not kill it that is.
Raptors: Hawks, Eagles, Osprey, Falcons and any large bird that hunts with talons. The red shouldered hawk is very common predator of the skies. “Wingie munstah” as they are called by fluffies are common throughout all habitats and thus Raptors have the largest kill count of fluffies if you don’t count humans. Our camera drones must always use its cloaking device not only to not spook the fluffies, but to hide from raptors.
(Video starts)
A Red Shouldered Hawk sits on a tall cypress branch as it spots a herd of fluffies waddling into the dried cypress dome. “Fluffy so thiwsty… need some wawas…” They then come across a puddle and joyously begin to drink. That is when the hawk makes its move. It glides down under the branches and before the fluffies can even cry out in warning. The hawk snatches up a small adult fluffy, as it flies the fluffy shits on everything below. The hawk waits for it to stop shitting and carries him up to a branch. All fluffies scatter in fear but one, the victim fluffies mate and her foals. “Wingie munstah! Pwease gib speshuw fwend back!” The foals also cry for their mother’s mate. The hawk then lands on a branch and holds the fluffy down with one talon that has dug into his flesh. The hawk begins to peck at the fluffy’s side and the fluffy begins to cry out “biggest owwies!” The hawk rips out the fluffy’s liver, then a kidney, then more chunks of flesh until the fluffy dies of organ failure. Stated, the hawk then pushes the fluffy off the branch. Its corpse hits multiple branches on the way down until it lands and the mare and her foals begin to cry at his corpse. The mare then is snatched up by a bald eagle and the cycle repeats.
The video then shows a clip of two ospreys fighting over a filly midair. It should be noted that not all Raptors kill fluffies by consumption, sometimes they simply drop them. The osprey continue to fight until they drop the filly into the brackish water below. She screams and shouts until she drowns and disappears under the tea-like waters of the estuary.
The video then shows a clip of a bald eagle migrating high in the air. The fluffy it is carrying then shits so hard it startles the eagle and it drops it. The video zooms in as the fluffy splats on the abandoned parking lot below.
(Video ends)
Alligators: These ancient predators are a fluffy’s worst nightmare because it is a “wawa munsta” that can exit the water and kill them. It is immensely rare for an alligator to hunt on land. They are almost entirely ambush predators, laying low in the water, hidden until a land animal needs to take a drink so it can immediately bite the prey’s head and pull it into the water. Such a perfect strategy is why alligators have been relatively unchanged since the time of dinosaurs. Such a strategy is perfect to eat fluffies, to no surprise. However, why wait? Alligators will leave the water, charge at a herd and scoop up one that did not run away in time. If they see trapped fluffies, they can devour multiple.
(Video starts)
There is a large abandoned Olympic sized swimming pool that has essentially turned into a marsh. Ten fluffies have entered the pool on the shallow end where sediment pile up from draining rainwater has made a ramp. They waddle to the diving well of the pool which has become a small pond within itself. The fluffies begin to drink from the pondwater and a massive alligator from the kiddie pool scurries into the pool marsh. The fluffies finally see her but it is too late. The walls of the pool got them trapped and the alligator blocks the only way out. The alligator slowly gets them to back up into the corner of the pool as they meekly cry and whine and shit. She lunges forward and bites one, then a second, then another! She shallows 3 fluffies down as they scream and defecate. The rest of the herd use this time to escape. However, more alligators enter the marsh pool as their cries altered the whole waterpark.
A new video clip starts to show off how some mares will sacrifice foals to save themselves.
A mare is cornered in a sewer as a 50cm juvenile alligator hisses and harasses the mare. The foal on her back shouts “Mummah! make wawa munsta go 'way!” She lets out a sad cry “Am sowwy bestes' babbeh.” And drops the foal on the ground, the alligator scoops it up as the mare escapes.
(Video ends)
Seagulls: Alone they can eat a foal, but a flock can peck a lone adult to death and eat small chunks of them.
Those are all the native fluffavores we have for today. Next log we will talk about defective robots that are scattered throughout the Neverglades. And how their glitched programming makes them a threat to fluffies… unless their programming was to kill them in the first place. Then they are not glitched.

Today, I heard about recent efforts by Disney against the gambling industry. I thought you guys would be interested in hearing about it, as it also heavily involves Star Wars...and particularly, Disney's plans in 2019 for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and the Star Wars hotel, at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
It also involves Disney's existing, popular offering "Star Wars Day at Sea", and other Star Wars-related plans for its cruises in 2019, which is parly based out of the Port of Miami in Miami, Florida, and Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida).
The tl;dnr of it is as such: (broken down into smaller sections)

• Before Disney purchased Lucasfilm, Lucasfilm had allowed the construction and use of character-themed slot machines, and other gambling aspects, as related to the Star Wars brand. This was presumably done for Lucasfilm to make money off of licensing fees and royalties.
  
• Disney, after buying Lucasfilm in 2012, "phased out" (re: banned) Star Wars and Marvel slot machines at casinos, and online gambling games, after being "exposed" as [now] owning them by New York Times reporters Lizette Alvarez and Michael Snyder. They have done so to protect their "family-friendly" brand, of which they now consider Star Wars to be a part of.
  
• Casino owners and online vendors were against the move, saying it would hurt their businesses by taking away some of their slot machines / online gambling games.
  
• Casino owners in Florida, seeking to expand their business(es), formed pro-gambling-growth groups, designed to try and stimulate local economies and businesses by building new casinos across the state. This would presumably include in tourism-heavy areas, such as Orlando (of which Walt Disney World is a major feature) and Miami (which is a major port for Disney Cruise Lines).
  
• Disney has now collaborated with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the latter of which is a major gambling monolith and owns the Hard Rock franchise, to try and pass law to change current Florida rules. The change would make it harder for people to build and open new casinos in, and around, their properties (including Disney's currently-in-production Star Wars Orlando theme park, Galaxy's Edge) by making it so that 60% of state voters would have to vote "Yes" on gambling and casino expansion in the future.
  
• Disney has spent an estimated $17.5 million, in conjunction with the Seminole Tribe, since 2015 to combat gambling expansion in Florida. (Source) Disney donated $5 million to anti-gambling expansion efforts in April 2018, which the Seminole Tribe matched. (Source)
  
• Disney also donated $400,000 to support the campaign of Florida governor candidate Adam Putnam, who supports Disney's anti-gambling expansion stance.
  
• Disney has invested an estimated $1 billion in the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. As the theme park is doing something never before done - building a land around an entirely new environment within the franchise, rather than an existing one - they are taking a huge financial risk. Their anti-gambling expansion efforts are also related to protecting their financial interests in Galaxy's Edge, as well as their planned Star Wars hotel and resort.
  

The Walt Disney Company is one of the most successful media conglomerate companies in the world. Just about everyone has heard of the Disney theme parks stationed in Florida, California, and abroad. Just about everyone has seen classic Disney films like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Not everyone knows about Disney's relationship with the gambling industry, however, and it is a noteworthy one.
Over the years, Disney has acquired the rights to several major entertainment companies and their licensed characters. In 2009, Disney bought the Marvel Entertainment company, creator of the famed Marvel comic books and a slew of popular superhero characters. In 2012, it purchased all rights to LucasFilm, the parent company that created the Star Wars brand.
Disney announced its plans to phase out all Star Wars and Marvel-themed casino slot machines in the United States last fall. The multimillion dollar company has the power to do this, because it now owns all rights to these brands.
According to a Disney spokeswoman, the character-themed slot phase-out is not a new decision. As part of Marvel's “integration” with Disney, she said the decision was made several years ago to let the machines gradually fade out through attrition. Only a few Marvel license agreements remain at this point, and they are set to expire within the next several years. Star Wars-themed slots will also trickle away, but it will take a few more years for that process to complete.
[...] Disney wields a certain amount of power over casinos, both on land and online, because of these acquisitions. Instead of promoting Star Wars and Marvel characters via slot machines, the company prefers to use their likenesses in movies that serve to perpetuate the Disney brand.
As the owner of LucasFilm, Disney has another trilogy of Star Wars films currently in the works. [...] Fans can expect to see Disney continue to advance their brands through avenues other than the gaming industry.
Disney has made its opinion of the gambling industry known in Florida: It does not support the addition of more resort casinos to that area. Not only does Disney plan to phase out Marvel and Star Wars-themed slot machines, it also hopes to prevent the development of new casino resorts in the state.
As it stands today, Orlando's Walt Disney World is the top tourist attraction on the globe. Over 50 million people visit the entertainment resort every year and partake of theme parks like Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. From a business standpoint, it makes sense that Disney would not want another tourist draw infringing on its potential customer base in the Orlando area.
Disney denies that self-interest is its main motivation for opposing new casinos. Andrea Finger, a spokeswoman for the company, said the corporation opposes casino expansion for “many reasons.” One of the primary reasons is the fact that Florida is a “family friendly” vacation spot; adding more casinos to the landscape would tarnish that. Finger lauded Florida's efforts in “research, innovation, and entrepreneurship” and indicated that adding more casino resorts would create an “inconsistent” atmosphere in the state.
Finger made no statement suggesting that Disney is protecting its own interests by objecting to more casinos. This inference has been made, however, by critics based on the connection between Disney and its Marvel and Star Wars slot machines that recently came to light.
Critics also cite the fact that increased Florida casinos might steal valuable convention contracts from the Mickey Mouse company. At this point, Disney hosts approximately 700,000 square feet of convention space in its Florida resorts.
Disney's ownership of Marvel and LucasFilm slot machines was brought to the public's attention by New York Times reporters Lizette Alvarez and Michael Snyder. Critics immediately began shouting hypocrisy at the fact that Disney, a vocal gambling opponent, owns and profits from character-themed casino slot machines.
The Times reporters asked Disney whether its ownership of the slots “undercut” its casino gambling stance. A spokeswoman responded that the company's affiliation with the casinos was only temporary, and that it would take a few years for current slot machine contracts to expire.
[...] When Marvel and Star Wars-themed slots do eventually disappear from casinos, their absence will be a blow to the gaming industry. Casino patrons are drawn to the colorful games touting Spider Man, Darth Vader, and other exciting Hollywood characters. Until the machines are completely phased out, the characters will continue to entertain casino patrons both online and on land.
The online gaming industry will definitely be affected by Disney's prohibition. The Spider Man Slot game, for example, is an enticing game for online gamblers that was introduced in 2012. Other Marvel-themed online slots include Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Thor, and Wolverine Slots. The eventual loss of these games will leave a gaping hole in customers' palette of gaming choices.
[Possibly in response to Disney's decision], a group called the Associated Industries of Florida launched a new pro-casino campaign. This group is lobbying for more casinos in the area as a means of promoting jobs and stimulating the local economy. Analysts expect the battle between Disney and pro-casino lobbyists to become more heated as politicians compete for voter support in the upcoming election. (Source)
[However, Orlando isn't the only city that Disney is engaging in anti-casino efforts with.] The biggest challenger standing between [the city of] Miami and casinos is a mouse.
Walt Disney World, the giant resort near Orlando whose four theme parks draw more than 45 million visitors a year, has made preventing "destination" casinos a top priority. And few, if any, businesses carry as much weight in Florida as Disney, which employs more than 60,000 workers, generates nearly $600 million a year in tax revenue — and doled out more than $2 million to political candidates and causes during the past election cycle.
Some analysts say Disney — and, by extension, Orlando's entire tourism industry — has good reason to be wary of casinos. Though adult-oriented resorts in South Florida are unlikely to appeal to Disney's core audience of families with young children, they could siphon away travelers in narrower segments that are also important to the resort, from South Americans to conventions to weddings.
"Disney has lots of little pockets or niches that they're really good at getting market share in. And it adds up," said Duncan Dickson, a professor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. "Disney doesn't want another Las Vegas anywhere close to them. Who needs the competition?"
[Case in point, Disney also has Disney Cruise Lines, based in both Miami and Port Canaveral (Orlando).] Disney Cruise Line has revealed it will extend its popular "Star Wars Day at Sea" program through 2019, with the addition of nine cruises -- each of which will include a Star Wars-themed sea day, complete with special programming and restaurant menus. Family-friendly activities include Star Wars character meet-and-greets, movie nights (featuring new releases), Star Wars trivia, and a Jedi training show, where kids can learn lightsaber skills and battle Darth Vader.
Throughout the day, restaurants and bars also will serve themed foods and cocktails. The sea day will end with a fireworks show and deck party, hosted by Star Wars heroes and villains. All cruises span seven nights and depart from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida. (Source)
[...] Disney has always opposed efforts to expand gambling, [citing it as being againts its "family-friendly" image].
The Walt Disney Co., one of the most brand-protective companies on the planet, does not want to jeopardize its kid-friendly reputation by any association whatsoever with casinos and the taboo images they often conjure. The company's cruise line is the only major operator to sail ships without onboard casinos, which are typically one of the biggest generators of on-board spending.
"We've studied this issue carefully and remain opposed for many reasons," said Disney spokesman Mike Griffin, "including the fact that it is inconsistent with Florida's brand as a family-friendly destination, and with the efforts we've long supported to diversify Florida's economy through research, innovation, and entrepreneurship."
The legislation to be considered in Tallahassee would authorize three "destination" casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Each would boast a luxury hotel, shops, restaurants, convention space and casinos with every major game, from blackjack to roulette and craps. Any company awarded a casino license would have to spend at least $2 billion building the facility.
Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts, both based in Las Vegas, and Genting, a Malaysian-based resort developer, are among the companies expected to seek licenses. Genting has already spent more than $300 million to buy bay-front property in downtown Miami and has announced plans for a $3.8 billion resort.
All have promised they will create thousands of jobs in South Florida, making the deal attractive to lawmakers hoping to lower the state's 10.6 percent unemployment rate.
Analysts say anyone that invests that much capital to build a resort also will have to spend lavishly to market the property. At a minimum, that will force Disney to ramp up its own spending on advertising, eroding its profit margins.
"Anytime you've got to fight and compete with more marketing dollars, which you know these folks have in abundance, it makes Disney's job that much harder to battle against," said Vicki Johnson, a tourism-marketing expert in Orlando.
More specifically, casinos could prove attractive draws in key markets for Disney. Executives at Genting, for instance, have said they would market heavily in Latin America.
Latin America — particularly Brazil, its biggest country — has become one of Disney World's most valuable markets in recent years. This summer, even as overall attendance at the resort was about flat with a year ago, Disney officials said traffic from Brazil was up by a double-digit percentage.
Though Disney doesn't disclose exact attendance numbers, national data show that visitation from Brazil is up 27% to more than 833,000 so far this year. And though Miami is the most popular destination for South American travelers, Orlando is growing more rapidly.
Disney says its business from Brazil is predominantly family-leisure travel, the group least likely to be swayed by casinos. But some industry followers say lavish resorts, when combined with the boutique shopping already in Miami, might be enough to peel away some of that business, especially Brazilians with older children or none at all.
"All of a sudden, it really cuts into their [Disney's] South American markets," Johnson said.
Group meetings and conventions business is also a growing profit center for Disney, which has nearly 470,000 square feet of meeting space spread among its hotels. It also routinely picks up lucrative private parties and other business tied to shows using Orange County's massive, publicly owned convention center.
Finally, allowing casinos in South Florida could lead to pressure to build more in other parts of the state. Already, some hoteliers in Orlando — led by Harris Rosen, owner of three major convention hotels — have made rumblings about bringing casinos to Central Florida. And officials at Port Canaveral — Disney Cruise Line's home port — are interested in casinos, too.
"Once they get their foot in the door, what's next? Orange County is going to say, 'Well, if it's legal in Dade County, why isn't it legal here?' " said Dickson, the UCF professor.
Disney has worked to enlist broader business groups to fight the casino legislation, most notably the Florida Chamber of Commerce, even though more than half of the businesses represented on the chamber's board of directors say they are neutral on the issue.
And the opposition from Disney has put casino boosters on the defensive during the past few days.
"Florida's identity cannot be changed because one casino or two destination resorts open in Miami-Dade County," said state Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, who is sponsoring the casino legislation in the Florida House of Representatives.
"Florida will always be the Sunshine State," he added. "The dominant trademark of Florida will always be Disney World. I don't think they have anything to worry about when it comes to that." (Source)
There have been multiple attempts to garner support in the state legislature for non-Native American casinos and other forms of gambling expansion in the state. Currently, the Seminoles control the ability of Florida to expand full-fledged casinos per their current compact. And the power of the Seminoles in the state is substantial.
In order to change current law, there must be a constitutional amendment backed by the voters of Florida. There is one such opportunity on the ballot for the November 6, 2018 election.
The Casino Gambling Initiative, if approved, would give voters the exclusive right to authorize casinos going forward, casinos being comprised of card games, slot machines, and other casino-style games. All ballot measures in the future would then require a citizen-initiated process by which a number of signatures of registered voters must be obtained for ballot consideration.
Currently, however, the Seminoles reserve the exclusive right to offer blackjack, craps, and roulette in Florida, which would present a problem that would have to be addressed. The agreement with the Seminoles was signed by Governor Rick Scott in 2015, and is effective for 20 years.
While this may end up in a legal fight, poker rooms are not an exclusive right of the tribe, and would not be an issue.
If Amendment 3 passes in November by 60% or more of the popular vote, a new day may begin for casinos in Florida. This will also drastically increase the opportunity for poker rooms throughout the state. (Source)
The US Supreme Court repealed the longstanding federal sports betting ban known as PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act). The landmark decision allows states to dictate their own sports wagering laws.
That means sports betting could be coming to Florida casinos, should the legislature pass market regulations. But Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam said this week that if he’s elected, he would oppose such legislation.
[Putnam also echoes Disney's reasoning.]
“I’ve always been one who has said we don’t need to expand the footprint of gambling in Florida,” Putnam declared at a campaign stop. “It’s not who we are as a state. We’re a family-friendly vacation destination. We’re a small business-oriented state.”
“If I lived in the middle of the desert in Nevada, [like Las Vegas], maybe I would grasp onto whatever straw or life raft somebody threw me,” he continued. “But we live in Florida, and we’ve got unlimited opportunities, and we don’t need to sell our state short.” (Source)
Earlier this year, Disney also gave $400,000 to Florida Grown, a committee supporting Putnam's gubernatorial bid.
[...] Disney officials would not agree to an interview, but in a statement, Jacquee Wahler, vice president of Walt Disney World Resorts, wrote, “We support candidates who understand issues important to our company, and demonstrate strong support for business and tourism in Florida.” (Source)
[Meanwhile, Disney is busy constructing what it hopes will be its next big moneymaker: Galaxy's Edge, a Star Wars-themed land in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Disney also plans to construct a Star Wars-themed hotel and resort adjacent to Galaxy's Edge.]
The ongoing success of high-profile films, like the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, can play a big role in the theme parks ability to tap into new characters and storylines for rides and shows.
Experts have said the success in theme park rides today are built on characters and properties that resonate with visitors outside the park. Thus new lands themed after popular franchises have proven to be a boon — like Disney's Star Wars and Frozen attractions, and Universal Orlando Resort's success with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
[So far this year], the theme parks division for the quarter saw a 13% increase in revenue to $4.87 billion, up from $4.29 billion for the same time last year. The division also saw a 13% increase in revenue for the first six months of the year to $10.03 billion, up from $8.85 billion for the year-ago period.
According to the earnings report:
"Results included a benefit from a shift in the timing of the Easter holiday relative to our fiscal periods. The current quarter included one week of the Easter holiday, whereas the entire Easter holiday fell in the third quarter of the prior year. Higher operating income at our domestic parks and resorts was primarily due to increased guest spending, attendance growth at Walt Disney World Resort and higher sponsorship revenue, partially offset by increased costs.
Guest spending growth was due to increases in average ticket prices, average daily hotel room rates and food, beverage and merchandise spending. The increase in costs was primarily due to labor and other cost inflation, an increase in depreciation associated with new attractions and higher technology spending." (Source)
[Driving this growth are Disney's planned new additions, including Galaxy's Edge, which is currently under construction ("labor costs").]
Disney’s new Star Wars land won’t open until next year, but it is not too early to declare that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be the most ambitious theme park land ever built.
The numbers alone might justify the claim. At 14 acres each, Disney’s twin Star Wars lands will be the largest the company has built at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts. Disney has not confirmed a budget for Galaxy’s Edge, but the project is believed widely within the industry to be costing at least one billion dollars. (Source)

In case you aren't aware, /26frightsoffreddy has been running into some technical difficulties as of late relating to the Great Firewall of China. So I'm giving you a little one-off that has aspects of that series (but it is closer to canon + UCN in one key aspect of plot).
Some days both Lefty and Mike wished that they'd just burned, that they should just have let eternal rest take them in. To fight that off and keep motivated, Lefty read almost every hour of waking rest she got. She'd probably finished over 100 novels from various libraries across the US, most touching on familiar themes - robots, automation, AI, the afterlife, and the battle of dark and light. One day she'd read an ultra-grim Horus Heresy novel to remind her of the dangers of playing with the afterlife for fun and profit, while the next she'd tuck into a utopian novel of the Culture series in which humans and AI coexist in a world free of poverty. She probably didn't even need that motivation, though, as the daily news alone should be enough to keep her and Mike going. One day in April, they and Mike were driving through their home region - the Desert Southwest - and listening to news radio.

"Unknown hackers crippled the computer systems of Hard Rock International and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, taking offline the systems of every Hard Rock Hotel, Casino, and Café worldwide as well as the Seminole Tribe's independently flagged casinos in Florida. The attackers are a heretofore unknown individual or group based out of Thailand called Khun Rat, and claim that they were exposing corporate use of Afton-derived security and IT systems by creating a worm that would only target Afton's proprietary operating system, Hand Unit. The group has given Hard Rock 36 hours to donate $500,000,000 to charity or else face total physical and digital annihilation. Khun Rat's logo consists of a Freddy holding a machine gun in each arm with a mask and the Thai and English words 'Khun Rat Enterprises Ltd.'"
"In the first major European election since the full scope of the Afton scandals, popularly known as Animess, came to light, the far-right political party Jobbik has won an unexpected absolute majority in the Hungarian parliament. The openly anti-Semitic and anti-American party rode populist sentiment after video leaked of the incumbent prime minister stating that he 'doesn't care about this - animatronic - funny business'. The speech caused massive protests and dovetailed with increasing anti-Americanism in central Europe, allowing Jobbik to coast to victory. Reports of antisemitic, anti-American, and racist violence are pouring out of cities within the country and its surroundings, emboldened by the unexpected performance of the far right and rising conspiracy theories."
"Police have responded to a tragic mass murder in Lemay, Missouri, in which seven children at a special-needs preschool were found mauled to death at a nearby family fun center. Brenda and Chico's, named after its rabbit and duck mascots, has been closed indefinitely after a security guard was captured brutally mauling the handicapped children; the guard reportedly killed himself and his identity has not yet been determined due to forged identification. The animatronic duck, Chico, has been reported missing as well."

Michael suddenly lost his decorum and pulled over to the side of the road. "Sick f-" he stated, before cracking the door open and becoming violently ill. Lefty reached over and whispered in his ear. "I hope that's not Henry, back from the dead just like you and your dad to play with more kids for science or power," she muttered. "I still cannot accept that my father killed innocent children. Henry, yes, but that man was not my father, and whatever new bodies he's been playing with are not my father either. He was corrupted somehow by what he researched for so many years."
The two crossed into Nogales, Mexico - Mike had briefly been married in the 1990s to a Mexican-American named Rosa, and had remained on good terms with her even though she had wanted kids he could not father, being a zombie and all - and pulled up at her current in-laws' house, where they had given the two animatronics a place to get away from the US for a bit. There was a note in broken English on their little beat-up Chevy - "Take this car, Mikel. Is free" - in Rosa's father-in-law's handwriting.
The two of them drove their car, and the Chevy, out to the desert, and ringed it with flowers and the names of everyone they knew who had died at William's, Henry's, or desperate animatronics' hands. Lefty pulled out a horribly damaged phone and pressed "play" on the music app, and out came a familiar voice.
"Uh hello, hello. I'm back. She - they - fixed me. They're really sorry about what happened, you know."
"P.G.?" replied Mike, incredulously.
"Yup, that's me. I just wanted to say that we in the next life are very proud of you guys and all you've done to try and put the world back together. Keep calm and carry on."
"Well, thanks", replied Mike.
"Anytime," replied the midwesterner.
"Watch this," said Mike to both Lefty and the possessed phone. He grabbed a cigarette lighter and threw it into the old Hyundai, sparking a fire. "To the fallen", he said with no emotion in his voice. "To the fallen," replied a chorus of human and robot voices in the background.
This can be a sequel to this story here.

The Walt Disney Company spent $20 million in support of a ballot initiative that would give Florida voters the right to prevent the expansion of casino gambling within the state, a measure designed to protect their tourism interests and the state’s brand as a “family friendly” destination. Amendment 3 of the Florida Constitution passed on Tuesday evening, with more than 70% of the state’s voters backing the law that will require new casino projects to gain the support (60% must vote in favor) of the state-wide voting public prior to breaking ground; few (if any) projects are likely to meet the 60% benchmark. MGM Resorts International (seeks licensure in state), the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (both NFL teams are hoping to profit on sports betting) were among those that publicly opposed the measure; each of the 3 entities spent $500K on the proposed amendment’s “no” campaign.
Howie Long-Short: Disney (DIS) was invested in the amendment passing for its own selfish reasons, but there’s no bigger beneficiary to the “Voter Control of Gambling” amendment passing than the Seminole Tribe of Florida (spent $16 million on “yes” campaign). The Tribe dominates the Florida gaming landscape, operating in the state under a Federal gaming exemption afforded to Native Americans with little competition; the amendment’s passage ensures the moat remains around their business.
The long and costly battle for gaming company expansion into the state just became infinitely more difficult, but don’t expect casino operators to give up on Florida. Dan Alkins (Chairman of the committee opposing the ballot initiative) said should the measure pass “there’s going to be litigation just continuing on forever.” The state’s size/population, reputation as a tourism destination and abundance of retirees makes it a highly desirable locale for casinos to take up residence.
It’s worth pointing out the irony in the Miami Dolphins opposition of the amendment, while playing their home games at Hard Rock Stadium; a chain owned by the Seminole Tribe and the one that will pay the franchise $250 million over the next 18 years for naming rights.
Speaking of MGM Resorts International (MGM), the company is reportedly exploring a potential merger with Caesar’s Entertainment (CZR) to form a gaming behemoth (think: +/- 50% of all hotel rooms in Las Vegas and Atlantic City). While there’s no offer on the table (and it’s possible regulators could determine a merger would create “undue economic concentration), it’s known that “without a CEO, Caesar’s is in play” and that it’s CZR’s activist investors (own +/- 25%) driving the tie-up talk; a merger would allow the combined companies to eliminate redundant “overhead and marketing” expenditures. Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and the Genting Group (OTC: GEBHY) have also been names as companies that could have interest in a CZR (-25% YTD) take-over. With licenses in 13 states (49 casinos), the company is well positioned to benefit from wide-spread sports betting legalization.
Fan Marino: Howie mentioned Las Vegas and Atlantic City, so it seems like an opportune time to note that Eilers & Krejcik is projecting New Jersey sportsbooks will generate more sports betting revenue than those in the gambling mecca, as soon as 2021 ($442 million vs. $410 million). The boutique research firm (with a focus on the gaming industry) supported their thesis by pointing out NJ gamblers can make “sports betting transactions” on credit card (as opposed to being forced to make a deposit in a casino), that the state’s sportsbooks have created a highly competitive online/mobile market (think: pricing/promotions) and that state’s licensees have had “very high rates of black market recapture.”
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Recently, J.K. Rowling had this to say on the American school of magic.
Apparently the school has "relevance" to the "Native-American-Indian culture", "the name is of immigrant origin", and "indigenous magic was important in the founding of the school". Rowling also claimed, "if I say which tribes, location is revealed".
The first thing that concerned me is that Rowling used the term "American Indian" to refer to American tribes. However, the preferred term by U.S. natives is Native American, and in Canada, the tribes are known as First Nation peoples.
As I posted on another thread, it also concerns me that Rowling was born and raised as a British woman, with a British education. From what I know, she also lives in the UK, and only travels to the US seldomly. UK children, from my knowledge, are really not taught much about Native American tribes. That's more so American history. Even in the US, not much Native American history is taught in public (and private) schools, as much is focused on the "white narrative" of the country.
To compare myself to Rowling, I am a born American, with a similar education and upbringing to Rowling (college-educated white female), and most Native American history was scant in school. It had to be learned more so in college (American or Native American History). It's probably more likely that an American would know more about Native American history than a British person.
Even then, for anyone who knows anything about Native American history, it is clear that the past relations between Natives and white "immigrant" settlers (colonials) has been a long, bloody one, fraught with mistrust and warring. From the time that English settlers stepped foot at Roanoke (Virginia), and later Jamestown (Virginia) and Plymouth (Massachusetts), this has been so. The aptly named "French and Indian War" is evident of this as well, and that's not even counting later battles, such as Custer's Last Stand. For a very long time, Native Americans have been deceived, forced out, mistreated, mocked, and even killed by "immigrant" white settlers.
In the end, those Natives that resisted the US Government's attempt to drive them off their lands were hunted and killed (see Battle of the Little Bighorn, just one example among countless others), and the rest forced on to reservations - often times, land that not many wanted.
Even today, a great majority of Native Americans live on reservations, forced into poverty, poor education, and few options. There is one exception, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which I will get to below.
To sum up my concern, Rowling is taking a huge risk to herself (and the Harry Potter series and world) by introducing a school of magic "founded with Native American magic, but with an immigrant name". It is already questionable for her to introduce such a connection, due the fact that she is British-born and raised, with no known Native American ancestry to boot. Should she forgo consulting Native American history experts, tribesmen, and elders, the use of Native American names and/or symbols by a non-native author may prove a harmful form of ethnic stereotyping. That, in turn, would promote misunderstanding and prejudice, which contributes to other problems faced by Native Americans today.
As a LOTR fan would put it, "One does not simply write about Native Americans in popular fiction". Especially when it is a "wizarding school with an 'immigrant' name".
One prime example of why this should not be done is Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga books and films, which controversially uses the Quileute, Makah, Ticuna, and Mapuche native American tribes.
Meyer's work and portrayal of such tribes has also been heavily criticized by Native Americans in various articles, some of which you can read here, here, and here.
Stephenie Meyer is American, and even she didn't get it right. While the popularity of the Twilight Saga brought fresh blood and money into La Push, the main town on the Quileute reservation, it is a temporary solution to a widespread problem (reservation poverty) that needs a permanent fix.
For example, Native Americans are, unfortunately, one of the poorest minorities (in both wealth and education) in America. The sole exception seems to be the Seminole tribe in my home state of Florida, which was not only never defeated by the US military, but owns and operates the multi-million (billion?) dollar, international Hard Rock casino franchise.

Time and time again, the Seminole Tribe of Florida have proven their ability to strengthen their position in an evolving world. A sovereign government with an elected Tribal Council, the Seminole Tribe has achieved remarkable success since it became the first U.S. Indian Tribe to open high stakes bingo halls in 1979. In 2004, the Seminole Tribe opened two Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Florida. With the March 2007 acquisition of the Hard Rock brand, the Seminole Tribe of Florida added the prestige of one of the worlds most respected brands.
It's the perfect marriage of two kindred spirits. Like the Seminoles, Hard Rock's philosophy has always been based on strong values, including the importance of being authentic and independent and a shared service for preserving our wildlife and protecting the planet. Building on its rich heritage of courageous and groundbreaking achievements, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is now poised to expand its horizon even further, to all corners of the globe. (Hard Rock Cafe official website)

For one, I would certainly hope that the school of magic, if it does have "indigenous magic", does involve the Seminole Tribe in its founding. Logically, the Seminole Tribe would be one of the only tribes (if not the only tribe) rich and influential enough to even fund such a school of magic, especially into the modern day. Rowling also mentioned "tribes", as in "more than one tribe", and technically, the Seminoles are just that. According to Wikipedia, the Seminole tribe "emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of [different] groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creek from what are now northern Muscogee".
As the Seminole tribe have a branch in Florida - including influence via the Hard Rock casino franchise in Orlando, the home of the first WWOHP - it is the tribe that makes the most sense for Rowling to write on. From my knowledge, Rowling did visit Florida (Orlando) at least once in the past while the original WWOHP was being constructed. It would be easy for her to take a detour to the local Hard Rock Cafe - located in CityWalk, in front of Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure/WWOHP - or even to the Seminole reservation itself.
tl;dnr: Rowling is opening a rather large can of worms and taking a huge risk in including an American school of magic with "an immigrant name, but Native American founding/influences"; the Seminole Tribe is a possible candidate for the "tribes" mentioned by Rowling.
As an added note, I may get downvotes for this, but it is fact that, whenever someone not of Native descent tends to write about Natives in any way in popular fiction, it has a large potential to stir up controversy. Controversy that may not be good for the Harry Potter franchise as a whole.

I am an MBA student and one of the classes I am taking this semester is Business Law 1. We were discussing the topic of gambling, and the fact that it is illegal throughout the United States, except in certain areas such as Las Vegas and the territory of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Because gambling is legalized in Las Vegas, if you need to seek a remedy against a casino you could take them to a Nevada state or US federal courthouse. However, outside of Las Vegas, one cannot seek legal remedy because the act of gambling is illegal. I then posed about the Hard Rock Casino located on Seminole territory. If a situation were to arise, and legal remedy were to be sought, which court would the action take place? A Seminole Tribe courthouse, Florida courthouse, US federal courthouse, or somewhere else? This is assuming the Plaintiff is not a member of the Seminole Tribe.

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Date: 2012-11-17
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Questions	Answers
That's all fine and good, and I'm proud of our stance, but it leaves me with a sense of "now what?" What are your thoughts on what organizations like ours could best do on our side to bring about reconciliation and justice? What would that reconciliation and justice look like? Am I asking the wrong questions? What would you want to do/have happen regarding the doctrine of discovery?	The doctrine of discovery is the foundation of the American narrative. Euro-Americans really don't like their fairy tale to be screwed around with. I feel like this basic idea, that America was theirs for the taking, is the reason for most contemporary native issues. In Johnson v. M'Intosh, the game plan for all future native relations was laid out. It was okay that our land was stolen. It continues to justify the diminishing of treaty rights. There is no justice. Things can move towards mutual respect, but without our land, we can never have justice. Even with true sovereignty, without our land, we aren't ourselves. What could make things better? Euro-Americans understanding that we are sovereign, we owe you nothing, and you can't keep stealing our lands and resources. For people to know that colonization is still happening. For the Keystone pipeline to be shutdown for good.
If I'm not mistaken, Benjamin Franklin was impressed with how various Native American groups developed political relationships. I remember reading a paper on his decision making during the continental Congress being hugely influenced by Native ideas.	Yeah, many of the so-called founders were inspired by the Iroquois confederacy.
Woot woot for the Iroquois! hi A.F. (it's pj, btw)	I knew by the name, haha.
Do you speak Ojiberish? (No offense intended, this is what my Ojibwe friends call it.)	I took Ojibwemowin, the Ojibwe language, for three years and am still absolute shit at it. It's an incredibly difficult language, and I am much more comfortable reading/writing it than I am speaking it. I got the opportunity to work in an Ojibwe immersion preschool, and I hope that when I have kids they will be able to attend immersion school.
Were you raised Christian? How do you feel about Christianity now? What do you relate to a religion that viewed natives as savages?	Happily, both my parents are atheists. My grandparents didn't see religion as a priority, and raised my parents without religion. I have a hard time understanding how native people, or African-Americans, or to be honest, most people can be Christians with the amount of blood on the hands of the church. But especially those of us that used to be considered less than human.
Canadian here. Have you studied anything about the Canadian First Nations people? How are Canadian and American First Nations different today? Do you feel that since you have a Norwegian mother you are treated differently by fellow natives? I am sure you know the story of Louis Rielle (I hope...long story short he fought for Metis people to gain rights since neither natives nor caucasions saw them as their 'people'). From what I have seen today, there is still prejudice against Metis people (or mixed races). Have you run into this problem, from either side? Thank you for this AMA.	I feel like the biggest struggle I've had has been more of a personal one than one related to my community. I grew up in a city with an very, very strong native community, so I never felt like being mixed was an obstacle. The biggest struggle I had was because I was pretty crazy Industrial goth/punk in high school, and it didn't fit with how most native kids identified themselves.
Have you ever thought that some mascots of kinda being respect for that group of people? For example there's a school by me called the Wappingers Indians, because the Wappingers tribe lived in that area and fought for the Patriots in the American Revolution until they were slaughtered by the British. There is still an ongoing controversy about that. Another school by me had a Gael (People from Ireland and Scotland) as their mascot and he was depicted as a savage warrior with weapons and armor, but nobody minded at all. Do you think it might be a double standard at all or kind of like a "it's not offensive when a black guy says the n word" thing?	Even if it's done to honor a people, it never seems to lead to that. It seems to lead to people doing silly dances that mock us, wearing headdresses or facepaint and perpetuating stereotypes. Native history in the states is incredibly complicated, and life for native people is still difficult in a way that no other race faces. We shouldn't have to justify why we are offended when people continue to take our power and use our so called image for their own purposes.
Being half Norwegian and born in Minnesota, how offended are you by the Vikings?	Not at all. It was a Scandanavian majority when the team was named.
How do you feel the Ojibwe language is doing? How do you feel about it personally?	I have a deep love for the language. Nothing feels better to me than hearing and understanding our language. My grandma is a speaker, and she survived boarding school, so learning the language was my way of honoring her and her strength. It's an amazing language, and I feel like the current language movement is helping us move back to the language in a pretty amazing way. I said somewhere else here that I really hope that when I have kids I can send them to immersion school.
This is a little nerdy but I'm really interested in the unique grammar of different languages. Can you describe specifically what you love about Objiwe? For instance, how you talk about relationships, time, or causality?	The language is verb-based, and divided into animacy and inanimacy. So we talk about animals, plants and a few other random things the same way we talk about people. The language is also polysynthetic, so each word is made up of morphemes, or like, tiny word parts that make sense when you put them together.
I can't even begin to imagine the connection you felt at that point. It is different, but if it is only half of the emotion I got from seeing my Grandmother's name on the Ellis Island records...well, I bet it was something else.	My trip to Ellis Island was how I found out that our Norwegian family narrative was all a lie and we came illegally through Canada!
So my question is, what can I do to push these kids a little closer to caring about college?	I was nurtured, told I was smart and that got me where I am today. I am lucky to have two fantastic parents, and my dad's been sober since before I was born. My dad read to me everyday from the day I was born until I started reading to him. Nothing can match the power of great parents.
What was your household environment growing up? Were you poor, middle class, etc? (If that's not too personal.)	I feel like tribal-run schools are the answer for us, but they obviously can't be successful without addressing community-wide issues. Question for you: Did you go to A.I.M.S in St. Paul? If not, where?
I went to language magnet elemnetary school where we were taught Ojibwe and Spanish. The morning announcements were in Ojiibwe and there was a relatively high native population. I still think Ojjibwe is one of the most beautiful languages, a d its decline is depressing. What programs are you aware of that are working to restore the prominence of Ojibwe, and how well do you think they're working? What is your experience with the language and any elders who still speak it?	I was working class? Not dirt poor, but I know what it's like to go without.
	It's actually a pretty exciting time for Ojibwe language! People are working together and racing to stop the decline. I worked in a language immersion preschool for a semester and it was so inspiring everyday to see tiny kids "get the language". I took three years, and my grandma is a speaker.
I went to the now-defunct (I think) Grant Language Magnet Elementary School in Duluth. They had a Math and Science Magnet, a Music Magnet, etc. We didn't learn them (Ojibwe and Spanish) as immersion languages, just seperate classes, but I think it was really valuable to have different languages and cultures as part of our daily routine. I continued learning Spanish in high school and while there actually was an Ojibwe course at that time, I was too intimidated to take it. Would you mind expounding on the 'community-wide issues' you feel should be addressed to improve tribal schools, and how you think those issues would be best approached?	Drug and alcohol abuse, lack of education, lack of hope?
What is your opinion on Native Hawaiians? 49 out of 50 states have recognized indigenous tribal groups and have a place in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Akaka bill has tried to be passed since 2000. Link to en.wikipedia.org Do you think that Native Americans would support the inclusion of native Hawaiians? What can be done to recognize them as equals under the law?	I think it's important for the distinct identity of Hawaiian Natives to be recognized. I don't think the Akaka bill is a solution though. While Hawaiian Natives shouldn't be grouped with American Indians identity wise, they should have the same rights that American Indians have when it comes to issues like the ability to hold land in trust status. It is really upsetting that some of the most devastating colonization and land theft happened so late in American history. So many multinational corporations profit off of stolen Hawaiian land. The land will never be returned, and justice will never be done, but I believe some sort of official status and tax set-up, possibly gaming, could be used to preserve and strengthen Hawaiian language and culture.
	I believe most American Indians would support it.
they should have the same rights that American Indians have when it comes to issues like the ability to hold land in trust status. It is really upsetting that some of the most devastating colonization and land theft happened so late in American history. In this day and age, why care so much about land? It's relatively cheap after the housing bust and it's no a paticularly lucrative investment. Why not focus on assets that are more relavent in the 21st century?	Because land to native people isn't just an asset or an investment. We are connected to our land spiritually, it helps to give us our identity as people. Many creation stories tie a people directly to their land, like the Dine (Navajo) and Dinetah, their homeland. It's a completely different worldview.
Because land to native people isn't just an asset or an investment. We are connected to our land spiritually, it helps to give us our identity as people. Many creation stories tie a people directly to their land, like the Dine (Navajo) and Dinetah, their homeland. It's a completely different worldview. Navajo's didn't do squat with the land, they simply raided the Hopi farms whenever they needed food. They were aggressive assholes, and not good neighbors. Why do you cherish the values of such aggressive violent people? Also, what do you care about that made up spiritual nonsense, you said you were atheist? And what do you plan on doing with all this land? Scorch earth it and let the buffalo run free?	So you are obviously just racist, so I'm done responding to you.
So why do you want to steal it from people who worked hard for it? Wouldn't that be repeating the same injustice you're so upset about?	No one wants to steal land from anyone, most tribes try to buy back land when it's put up for sale, not steal land from individual land owners.
The fuck you talking about? I'm in an interracial relation. You're the bigot lumping all tribes into one group. Learn your fucking history the Navajo were shitty neighbors and notorious for raiding. Link to www.pbs.org.	I know my history thank you, and I've been incredibly careful to say over and over again that all tribes are different. I have you a specific example, which is true. Go read the Navajo creation story.
	And how ignorant can you be thinking that you can't be racist if you are dating someone of another race. When was the last time "my best friend is black" was a valid argument?
I also had some very specific examples too which you have yet to address. Throwing around the racist card is the biggest cop out to legitimate criticism you could have possibly used. By the way, I'll be sure to tell her I'm a racist. LOL!	Your examples weren't connected to my argument. Saying that the Navajo raided the Hopi has nothing to do with the Navajo connection to their land.
Is the term 'Indian' offensive for you? I was told not to use that term when i was in Canada, live in a country where a similar term is used to describe native Americans.	I am a Redditor, so I am not easily offended. Indian doesn't bother me tremendously, because it's what I grew up calling myself. I prefer Ojibwe. If a boy wants me to love him, he'll know to say Anishinaabe, which is what I call myself. I really dislike Native American, and I shouldn't have used it in the title of this thread.
Will you talk about your objection to Native American? I typically just say 'native' unless I'm referencing a specific tribe or if the native person I'm talking to says Indian.	I like "native." I probably use that most frequently in casual conversation. Native American just sounds generic to me. It has no history or pull to it. American Indian connects to the history of our struggle.
Do you feel that the preservation of communities is more important than the wellfare of the people who make up those communities? It often feels like people over-emphasize preserving a culture, instead of just making sure everybody has access to education and a good social infrastructure and then let them decide how/if the culture they were born into should develop and/or change. What I mean to say is, we're all just people. I may not know how it is for native americans, but I do know what it's like to be part of a small culture that is and has been changing rapidly. ( I'm Icelandic) I don't think preserving how Icelandic culture was 50 or a 1000 years ago is really important, outside of museums and maintaining a basic awareness of how it is, just like I don't think the first caveman who invented a bow should've worried about the club-using culture he might be endangering. Societies evolve and change. Ok, sorry, a bit of a rant there. But in regards to what I've expressed, how do you feel Native american culture should be treated. Should it be preserved specifically? If so, how?	I don't think preservation of culture and current welfare are different, at least in the way I think about my community. I believe that preserving and maintaining our traditions is the best way to improve our current situations. Traditional food and medicine, spirituality, can all be very healing to us. I am a strong believer that historical trauma is a main cause of the negativity in our community, and returning to our ways as a people, speaking our language is a powerful way to overcome that trauma. Separating ourselves from our culture to improve our individual well-being would just be self-imposed genocide.
I think I disagree with just about every facet of what you just said there. I don't believe preserving or maintaining traditions will improve your current situations, that traditional food and medicine and spirituality will be healing to you, that historical trauma is felt by people who didn't live through it, or that it needs to be healed. That speaking a language would do so in either case or that seperating yourselves from how your culture used to be would be genocide. It might make the old culture, as it used to be, cease to exist, but that culture has no existance, rights or demands on sympathy, seperately from the people who make up that culture. (i.e. if all the individuals are better off, then who cares?)	Well, that's nice that you don't agree, but most of what I said is fact. Students in language immersion schools score higher than average on tests in both their native language and the immersion language. Traditional foods improve health, helping to control rates of diabetes and obesity. Engaging in activities, like canoeing, snowshoeing, sap making and ricing also helps to promote health. You can tell me I don't have a right to feel the pain of history, but you'll never understand what it's like to hear your grandmother scream in her sleep every night because she was nearly beaten to death by her boarding school teachers when she was six years old. Add to that, that many native kids were raised in multi-generational homes, and these are very real issues to us.
Are you a fan of Louise Erdrich? Most of what I know if the Ojibwe comes from her writing. When I was a kid I had a friend who was Native American. She was awesome. So awesome that I wished I was Native American, too:)	I am! I also love her bookstore. Funny story, I went to school with one of her daughters, and our parents were at our senior presentation together, and my dad asked her to get him a coffee (she was getting one for herself) and I was like "Jeez dad! Do you know who you just asked to wait on you?!" I was so embarrassed.
Do you find the word "squaw" to be offensive? I read it developed from feminine suffix (kw or skw) used in Algonquin languages and was never meant to be insulting but today, it is defined in dictionaries as a derogatory term. I find this funny since there are many places and businesses with squaw in the name. Just wondering what you think?	I do find it really offensive, mostly because of what it came to mean in the 19th and 20th centuries. Native women face very real issues and don't need to be sexualized in such an ignorant way.
Have you played Assassin's Creed III yet?	I am not a gamer, but one of my best friend's is a Ojibwe/Kootenai dude, and he is really interested in video game portrayals of Natives. I'll have to ask him how it is.
How was the coursework in your chosen field? I mean: how does one major in Amerind studies? Is there an American Indian Studies department? What are the kinds of sources that are available? Thanks.	The University of Minnesota has the oldest American Indian studies department in the US, so it's pretty well established. There are two tracks of study, language and general. I did general, but I also took three years of Ojibwe language. My area of interest is obviously more political, so I took mostly courses related to treaty law, constitutional issues and tribal economics, but I also took American Indian literature, cinema and philosophy, and a wide variety of other things. It's very interdisciplinary. The resources we use vary depending on what the subject matter is, but thankfully we have a lot of amazing profs that wrote the book on what they teach.
Is Native American an acceptable term for others to use for various groups when one isn't sure what specific group (Ojibwe, e.g.) a person is part of? Is there any distinction between the terms First Nations and Native American or is that just Canadian vs. U.S. preference?	It's mostly a Canadian/U.S. thing. I prefer American Indian over Native American, but Indigenous over either.
What do you think is the biggest political issue facing Ojibwes in your area? What about Native Americans in the country as a whole?	I think drug/alcohol abuse is still probably the number one issue facing most tribes. There have been a ridiculous amount of heroin overdoses in Minnesota in the past year. All of these problems lead to high levels of violence/gang crimes, drop-out rates, and a general cycle of poverty.
Do you have any book recommendations? I don't know a ton about Native cultures or history but I love to read nonfiction.	Hmmm! So many. All of Vine Deloria's work contains a breathtaking about of knowledge he wants to drop on you. Custer Died For Your Sins is a good place to start. Other than that, "Do All Indians Live in Tipis?" is a super easy read, and will make your more knowledgeable about natives than 90% of the population.
Thanks! Another question: I was just about to mention that I'll be glad to have some time to read said book over Thanksgiving break- does the concept of Thanksgiving piss (you, personally) off/how do you feel about it as a celebration of gratitude in general vs blah blah plymouth rock bullshit?	I would not celebrate Thanksgiving at all, because it's a completely made up story, but I really, really, really love the Tater Tot Hotdish and Turkey. I hate that it seems to make people think it's okay to put their child in a construction paper headdress.
What are your thoughts on the Leonard Peltier case? For those who don't know about him: His wikipedia page.	It is probably one of the greatest examples of American injustice. It's shameful, and if Barack Obama had any balls at all he would issue that pardon already.
Hey! Do you happen to have any authentic Native American recipes on hand? When I was in elementary school we visited a tribe and they made us absolutely delicious foods! Thanks :)	My favorite food is wild rice anything. Real, hand-parched, wood-toasted wild rice is so different than the garbage they sell in most stores. If you want the real stuff, hit up Native Harvest
	Frybread is probably the most popular food associated with native people, but it's different by region. Ojibwe frybread is fat and fluffy, Dine (Navajo) frybread is big and thin. I try not to eat too much of it because it's terrible for you.
I like rice. Rice is good, especially if you're hungry and want to eat 2,000 of something.--MH.	I always have enough upvotes for Mitch.
There's a BBQ restaurant near me in CA that makes tacos with fry bread. It's delicious! And, I guess, an interesting case of cultural diversity ;)	Now I'm hungry!
The Seminoles do fluffy fry bread too :)	I'll have to stop by.
There is a fry-bread taco truck in Seattle.	Dreams do come true? What is Pacific Northwest frybread like?
Do you consider yourself similar to the Aboriginals of Australia? (as in the events that unfold over history)	I haven't studied aboriginal history in depth, but the basic narrative of colonization and genocide has been told endless times around the globe, and is still happening today.
Do you think it's appropriate for natives to go to school for a heavily reduced or free cost? I myself will have to be in a great amount of debt after college if I don't get some scholarships.	I do think it's appropriate. Several schools that offer programs like this do so as a qualification of their founding, such as land-grant schools. American Indian people are barely removed from an active campaign of genocide. My grandma went to a boarding school where she was beaten for speaking Ojibwe. Special programs for native students is really the least thing that can be done.
	And, mind you, it's not like we just get a free coupon for college. We still have to qualify, apply for programs and scholarships and take out loans for the rest like everyone else.
What do you think of programs in which the standards for first nations/native people are lower than others?	I don't know about those programs. I had to do the same things to graduate as everyone else.
Where did you go to high school? I'm curious because the school I went to, South, has a program for Ojibwe students (All Nations). Were you in it, or, if not, how do you feel about having essentially a separate high school for Native kids?	I also went to South, and to All Nations. What up?! I think it's pretty much bullshit how segregated the Minneapolis Public Schools are. But I also think it's valuable to have a program that celebrates our language and culture, and to be around other native kids. I don't know how the program works now, but as a senior I felt like we got a ton of valuable "extra attention" to try and get us all to college. And those of us that got to college seemed to graduate and do well.
Oh, sweet, I kind of guessed you'd gone there. When did you graduate? (I graduated in '09.) Re segregation: Agreed, and it's total BS. They've now gone to making all schools neighborhood schools rather than magnets, which, given how segregated Minneapolis itself is, only exacerbates the problem.	I graduated in '05.
I'm heavily into genealogy and making my family tree..I have tons and tons of relatives on there, all fully researched and mapped out. Yet when I try to research her...It's like she didn't exist!! There are no records of her, no birth certificate, nothing. I'm guessing it's because of the American government not really documenting 'native americans' (sorry for using the term, i know you hate it >.<) Anyway, what would your advice or thoughts be on this?	First of all, you might want to find out if she was Lakota, Nakota, or Dakota, or choose one to use, because Sioux doesn't have great connotations. Most native people were actually pretty heavily documented. You should try using the databases at the National Archives. I have found both my grandparents on Census rolls and school records.
How are you?	I'm pretty good. I've been up since five and can't fall asleep, but there's always more reddit.
How do you feel about Native American stereotypes? Whats the deal with the casino thing? I have no clue cos im British.	Man, I was just in London for 10 days, and I got such mixed messages about native people. I watched that great documentary on BBC 4, Inventing the Indian, saw some cool exhibits at the British Museum, but then saw some awkward Indian costumes on Halloween. That documentary would never been shown on mainstream media in the states, it's far too progressive.
	Many people, both native and non-native, dismiss stereotypes and claim that it's silly to be offended by them. But it's the place they come from that is the most offensive. Sure, you might look cute dressed up as Poke-a-hot-ass, but would you wear black-face to a party? No. People think it's okay to stereotype native people because we still aren't seen as people. We are more of a fairy tale part of the American identity. So until people stop naming sports teams after us, dressing up as us and making light of us, it's hard to obtain the advancements that our people need/want.
	The casino thing, is that some tribes own casinos, some of them are incredibly profitable, and some make enough just to support the jobs they provide. Often times, the jobs that a casino provides might be some of the only jobs available for miles, if not hundreds of miles. Casinos have a ton of downsides, but they have also allowed for major advancements in sovereignty.
Sadly im sure a lot of people probably did black up for halloween.	Yeah, if people do that here, they will catch endless shit. It happens, but it usually makes the news/reddit. It's not socially acceptable, like how it is to portray native people.
I'm in a Native American Literature course right now, and I just came here to ask about Erdrich, but then I saw that the question had already been asked. :(	I think the quickest building stereotype is that we all get a ton of money from the government/casinos. The people that get money from casinos (per capita payments) are in the extreme minority. I don't get any money from my tribe other than scholarships for college.
Anyway, are there any stereotypes of Native Americans that you can dispel for us? I'm really interested in Native American culture, and I'm Native American myself (only about 1/18, but still), and I always hoped to learn more about the various types/cultures.	And as for money from the government, my family get's hilariously small checks from the government, for land payments, every few years. We are talking like $2.76 here.
Your thoughts on petroleum/resource extraction on reservation lands? The Ft. Berthoud reservation sits on what is quite likely going to be the most productive oil field in all of North America in the next decade. How can the royalties be distributed in a way that actually helps those on the reservation?	I'm pretty hesitant on resource extraction because of the unknown effects on the environment. Especially with techniques like fraccing. It should be left to tribal governments to decide how to use their resources, but I hope that as more tribes grow their economies, green energy will be a growing part of things.
A fellow Anishinaab woman here from Turle Mountain. We're actually the same age and are probably related. I went to Dartmouth with Louis Erdrich's daughter, who is my cousin as well. So yeah. If you and I don't know each other in real life, we should!!! (PM me if you'de like to!)	I went to the U with Louise's other daughter, haha. You should PM me so I don't lose track of you in this growing thread.
My question is did you take any Ojibwe before attending UMN? My great-grandparents spoke Mitchif but did not teach it to their children/grandchildren because they were all part of the boarding school generation, and as such I never got a chance to learn my language. I'd love to someday.	I did PSEO in high school, so I took Ojibwe with Rick at Augsburg. I want to teach my imaginary future children Ojibwe so bad. Brendan at the U says the best way to carry on the language is to have babies and speak to them in the language!
Also, do you plan on teaching Ojibwe to your children? How do you feel about having kids with a non-Native or non-Ojibwe man?	I feel like the racial aspect of marriage is one of the hardest issues of being native today. I really want to find an Ojibwe man, but damn, it's hard to find a good one (that's not already taken.) But seriously, how cute are native babies, right?
No. I'm in Montreal for an llm in aviation and space law. Try to get back a couple of times a year. Grew up in Detroit. Any future education plans?	I work in a museum right now, and I'd love to go back and get my Ph.D in public history. I was going to be a lawyer, kicked ass on my LSAT and everything, and then my favorite prof got me into museum work instead.
	Are you married? Young? Not that I am in the market for an Ojibwe lawyer or anything. Hahaha.
Do you speak your language? If you do, at what level, do you know basic phrases, or are you fluent?	I took it for three years in college, so I am somewhere between those two options. It is incredibly hard language.
What is it with Norwegians and Natives? My mother in law is half chippewa, and my father in law is mostly Norwegian. And don't say "it's because Norwegians (re)settled the great lakes", because we're all in Utah.	Chippewa is the same as Ojibwe, you know that right? :) O-jib-wah became Chip-pe-wah.
Also I texted my wife about this AMA, she's excited to check it out.	Norwegians and Ojibwes are both incredibly hot people, so I can see why we dig each other. Not that I am biased or anything.

Last updated: 2012-11-21 20:22 UTC
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