Yesterday, the White House began soliciting questions from Native American youth for him to address as this year’s White House Tribal Nations Conference. Via Twitter, those with questions for the president could direct them to his attention with the #GenIAsksObama hashtag — GenI being short for Generation Indigenous.
@POTUS our community & tribal leaders play large influences in our communities. Who were your influences in your community #GenIAsksObama
— BIG TIME COUNTRY GAY (@garrettlank) November 4, 2015
Good question. Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, etc.
President Obama began the conference with prepared remarks and then had a sit-down chat with a handful of tribal representatives. First, though, he adopted his new tribal name, President Barack Black Eagle.
"I am President Barack Black Eagle," says @POTUS, using his Crow Nation name, as he began remarks at WH Tribal Nations Conference.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 5, 2015
@markknoller @POTUS you have to be freaking kidding me?
— proudRWNJ (@gritsandeggs1) November 5, 2015
That's innaccurate, @markknoller @POTUS's real Crow name is "Putz Who Putts."@RichLowry
— Bob Owens (@bob_owens) November 5, 2015
@markknoller #ObamaIndianNames Chief Thin-Skin @POTUS
— CQ (@ConspiracyQuean) November 5, 2015
https://twitter.com/glenn_carswell/status/662379272233984000
https://twitter.com/LilyBolourian/status/477565441359892480
Ah, we can see why the name change was necessary.
"In Alaska, I met with native communities & witnessed how climate change threatens their livelihoods" —@POTUS pic.twitter.com/VZt6QVt9mb
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) November 5, 2015
"Many of the young people I’ve met have gone through more than anybody should have to experience in a lifetime" —@POTUS on Native youth
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) November 5, 2015
"It’s not acceptable that anybody doesn’t have running water in this country." —@POTUS on the issues facing some #TribalNations
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) November 5, 2015
Rest assured, the EPA is working on it.
President Obama did manage to work in his own pet issues of climate change and sports teams with stereotypical names and mascots, a concern he shares with Adidas.
.@POTUS: "We have to preserve those bonds. Break stereotypes. I believe that includes our sports teams…"https://t.co/OGxdUzAAr4
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 5, 2015
"I believe that includes our sports teams," @POTUS says of doing more to break the stereotypes to which Native Americans subjected.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 5, 2015
Sports can change lives. We’re honored to visit the @WhiteHouse Tribal Nations Conference today to support high school mascot name changes.
— adidas (@adidas) November 5, 2015
Thank you @adidas for your corporate leadership. https://t.co/rJafvSkSJ2
— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) November 5, 2015
Here’s a purely optional exercise for those suffering from insomnia: Watch a portion of President Obama’s “worth watching” conversation and be glad he relies on the teleprompter as much as he does.
Worth watching: @POTUS sits down for a conversation with Native youth. #GenIAsksObama https://t.co/C6G92yj0OI
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) November 6, 2015
Now you know what he meant when he said many of the young people he’s met have gone through more than anybody should have to experience in a lifetime.
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