Opinion of Native Americans

[Ban my account ffs!]

The town I'm from is probably one of the most significant cities with a sizable Native American population in the US.  Roughly 1/4 of the people you see shopping on a given trip to the store are Natives.  They were about 1/5 of my graduating class in HS.  We are surrounded by three reservations...Red Lake, Leech Lake, and White Earth.

Yet when I've left, the attitude about Native Americans among people who have never met one is either patronizingly idealistic and ignorant or simply viciously malicious.  "good for nothing moochers with their casinos...too bad there weren't more pox blankets" seems to be the impression I get.

They are easily the most maligned group of Americans in practice despite all the "good intentions" people have towards them.

What do I miss most when I leave my hometown?  The Natives.

I mean even the famous 1970s commercial with the teary eyed Indian lamenting the littering passersby was played by a non-Native.  Blackface is tantamount to a hate crime....and yet....

Do you know any Natives?  What is your opinion?

[Ban my account ffs!]

Well, like any other decent human being, I don't have ONE set opinion about an entire group of people.

So...you have zero opinions about Native Americans.  Just as I thought.

Put you in the patronizingly idealistic and ignorant category.