Despite Mr. Terry’s assertions (Nov. 14), in my letter to the editor about the Molly Ockett curse story I never used the words “discriminatory” or “inflammatory” (Nov. 6). Those are his words.

What I said was the details were historically and culturally inaccurate, and it is time to stop treating Native topics this way. This article is written as if factual, but most of the information about Molly is fiction. This might be entertaining to readers, but it is at the expense of another culture and in a way that increases the cultural gap. We should be trying to increase our understanding of other cultures and this should start with our own neighbors.

For 200 years, Euro-American writers have been writing Indian history and legend – each time the current author adds their own personal touch to the story to make it better – from a Euro-American perspective. The things they add generally come from a Hollywood-like stereotype. After 200 years of this, the general public has no idea what the Native history and culture of this region actually is. That’s a shame because our Native history and culture is very rich and worth knowing about.

It is not OK to depict Native people in fictitious ways. It is time to start taking responsibility for the things we write.

Nancy Lecompte, Lewiston

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