Rowling Offends Native Americans

[spongebending.livejournal.com]

I don't know if anyone on here heard about it, but Rowling is writing a new series of sorts called the History of Magic in America.

Not only does she seem to have done barely any research at all on American history (if there are any Americans on here, check it out and have a laugh!), but she also seems to have caused a bit of controversy as many Native Americans have found her portrayal of them to be backwards and offensive.

Can't say I'm surprised, I've always felt that in Potter fans could reread the books without their nostalgia goggles on they'd find the series has a lot of unfortunate implications and overall nastiness. Without the protective shield of nostalgia, it seems that people are starting to see the many of the faults of Rowling's writing that this community has been pointing out for years.

Comments

[sunnyskywalker]

I can't imagine that there would have been much of a gulf between their opinions and their muggle neighbors' views, no. After all, they weren't officially separate from the muggle world for the first few decades of English colonization, and we see how close the communities are even after centuries of separation. A few individuals might feel differently, as in real life, because people are variable, but the group average? I'm not seeing the universal respect and friendship happening so easily... At least, not without a lot more serious worldbuilding to explain how things ended up so divergent.

And this initially porous muggle/magical boundary with increasing separation over the decades could have had all sorts of interesting consequences, especially when you factor in the supposedly longer lifespans of wizards. Maybe some families are still feuding about who sided with Britain and who with the rebels during the Revolutionary War. Heck, maybe there's still an enclave of Loyalists ruled by Britain within the geographical boundaries of the muggle USA! Or maybe the competing magical governments aren't separated by geography at all, since it matters so much less when you can teleport, and one wizarding family might be MACUSA citizens while their next-door neighbors are magical British citizens.

Or maybe something completely different happened. But pretty much anything would have been more interesting than what we got. Even what we got could have been more interesting if JKR had just done some research and created more solid foundations (and, you know, not relied on stereotypes and mashing hundreds of different cultures together and declaring that a particular religious tradition is just wrong according to her fake world's rules).

LOLing over the idea of wizards in Pilgrim hats. Someone who can draw needs to bring that to life.

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

Maybe your pro-Brit US wizards were the impetus behind the 'special friendship' between the US and the UK in the beginning. We'd had two wars with them, then, friends.

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

There are plenty of real-life historical and cultural reasons for that. We don't need wizards to explain it.

[seductivedark.livejournal.com]

I know, but playing in an AU, could this be (at least one) reason?