Hey, Danehy: 'Littlefeather' Was Not a 'Fake-Ass' Indian
Tom Danehy makes a mistake when he calls Marie Cruz a "fake-ass" Indian (March 4). Actually, Cruz is descendant from tribes in our area; her paternal father is from the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The name "Sacheen Littlefeather" was falsified, but the "Indian woman" was authentic.
Cruz spent the last 30 years working on behalf of Native American issues, including health and youth issues. Marlon Brando had a long history of providing assistance to Native Americans, before and after the Oscar event. The reason he rejected the Oscar in March 1973 was because in February 1973, the Pine Ridge reservation town of Wounded Knee had been seized by the American Indian Movement. When Oscar night came in 1973, Native Americans were in violent struggle against the United States at Wounded Knee, and Brando drew attention to the situation.
I don't scorn Danehy's lack of journalistic discipline, because he was writing a humor piece, but he should apologize to the local tribes for the error.
Kevin Lee Lopez
Supervisors Erred by Elevating Antenori
I am puzzled as to why the Pima County Board of Supervisors would appoint a sitting elected official in the state House to another seat in the Senate ("Antenori Moves Up," The Skinny, March 4). How does a shell game like that help move the legislative agenda forward? Now, the board has to appoint another person for the vacated House seat until the November election.
Only Supervisor Richard Elías truly represented the people of Southern Arizona by not being bullied by the extreme lobbying by Rep. Frank Antenori. Antenori should have been doing the people's work in his current elected position instead of spending exorbitant amounts of time to promote himself up the political ladder.
Antenori has been a disappointment, and he does not represent the people. Our communities deserve better.
Todd Camenisch
Legislative District 30 state Senate candidate
