Tibetans and Native Americans

Re “Last of the Tibetans,” Opinion, March 26

Ian Buruma has many good points about the dangers Tibetan culture faces from Chinese modernization, but his opening sentences that describe American Indians as “doomed” and “reduced to peddling cheap mementos” call into question his ability to make such an assessment. Indeed, American Indians are going through a cultural renaissance wherein more of our youth are learning their languages, practicing their traditions and attaining more educational success than ever before. One need look no further than Harvard University’s Honoring Nations awards for proof.

This is not to say that native peoples don’t face many challenges, but to declare that we are little more than “tourist attractions” is as false as it is insulting. Is his take on Tibet based on similar romantic notions of a culture that isn’t his own?

Adam Bailey

Washington