"Indian friendly"

The last two days I am absolutely amazed, that a country that has turned kindness into an art form, houses so many unfriendly Native Americans. For three days now we are either in the Navajo or Hopi Indian Nation, and in restaurants, motels, shops or even on roads or trails a numerous number of people have a very unpleasant way of treating us.

As a European I feel free to comment on this subject, while James sees the same things I see, but maybe for historical reasons keeps a distant from any judgement.

The examples are lots: holding up only a slip of paper with figures when you inquire about the rates of a motel, not greeting us when we wait to be seated in a restaurant or not acknowledge you when you meet them on a hiking trail. The only way they will greet you however along a hiking trail is, if they want to sell something. Vending stuff is very popular around (pre)historic sites (even in a National Monument).

What really pissed me off was an incident today. We were driving up a hill top and a thunderstorm was in the valley. I thought it would be nice to stop for a moment en take some pictures. So I stopped the car and we climbed on a little dirt hill along the way side. No harm was done. Eventually a pick up truck with seven Indians stopped under the hill and the driver gave us a lesson that it was absolutely forbidden to walk on any Indian lands. Keep in mind that there was no sign to tell us, that there was absolutely nothing but dirt and a few bushes around us, and that the only thing we left there were foot prints. While many Indians pollute their own environment with heaps of trash and junk around their spread out trailer dwellings.

I must say that I really had it now. I look forward to tomorrow when we leave the reservations behind us.