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No, this isn’t an Onion story. It actually happened at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) this past Monday.
Tara Houska — a Native American attorney and environmental activist whose hair was in braids — was pulled aside for further screening while going through a TSA line.
Her braids needed a patdown. Interestingly, this isn’t uncommon for her. The Bemidji Pioneer reports “she said her hair regularly activates security scanners.”
The TSA officer conducting the patdown (whom Ms. Houska described as a “middle-aged blonde woman”) snapped Ms. Houska’s braids and said, “Giddyup!” as though she were a horse.
Yes.
Going through @TSA at @mspairport, the agent said she needed to pat down my braids. She pulled them behind my shoulders, laughed & said “giddyup!” as she snapped my braids like reins.
My hair is part of my spirit. I am a Native woman. I am angry, humiliated. Your “fun” hurt.
— tara houska (@zhaabowekwe) January 13, 2020
The officer’s response? “Well it was just in fun, I’m sorry. Your hair is lovely.”
When I informed the middle-aged blonde woman who had casually used her authority to dehumanize and disrespect me, she said “Well it was just in fun, I’m sorry. Your hair is lovely.” <— that is NOT an apology and it is NOT okay.
— tara houska (@zhaabowekwe) January 13, 2020
This situation is not remotely funny at all. It’s downright unacceptable and dehumanizing to anyone.
In my opinion, this wasn’t something “accidentally” offensive — like a first-time traveler to Japan inadvertently breaching chopstick etiquette or wearing shoes inside people’s homes. This was full-blown disrespect.
In an email to employees (that NBC obtained), the TSA’s federal security director in Minnesota confirmed the incident happened “Exactly as described.”
NBC’s Elisha Fieldstadt writes,”(The director) said their conversation was pleasant, and Houska said she didn’t want the employee to be disciplined, but that ‘she is hoping we’ll take the chance to continue to educate our staff about the many Native American Tribes/Bands in our state and region to better understand their culture.'”
Bravo to Ms. Houska for being so forgiving — and insisting the insensitive officer not be punished. I doubt I would’ve been as kind as she.
— Chris
H/T: Rick E.
Featured image: ©iStock.com/David Tran
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Rather than publicize one incident with TSA and an NA, why not mention the thousands of whites who are abused by the TSA everyday despite committing the lowest level of violence amongst any group. The biggest victims of police, tsa and customs abuse are white people yet that hardly gets any mention by the mainstream press and blogs.
I agree it is disrespectful on a human level, but as a native american, this has nothing to do with disrespect to native people.