Was ‘Swastika’ Blanket That Caused Uproar A Native American Symbol?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Sam Kestenbaum September 6, 2017
Last month, a group of activists rallied at a Flea Market in Utah to protest what they said was a swastika-decorated blanket on sale.
But flea market organizers said this this was no swastika — but instead a sacred Native American symbol.
“I know antiques and I knew exactly what it was when I saw it,” Michael Sanders, who organized the flea market, told the Salt Lake Tribune, “a Native blanket with a rolling-log motif.”
The “rolling-log motif” is a Native American symbol that resembles, but pre-dates, the Nazi use of the swastika.
At the August 13 market, the activists demanded the blanket be removed. “They started screaming ‘Nazi’ and ‘white supremacist’ and cursing at the vendor; they made a big scene,” said Sanders, who was later harassed on social-media over the blanket. “Then the vendor decided to pull it.”
Activists continued to rail against market organizers online, calling another a “racist” who “looks like a neocon.” One of the posts was hashtagged with #punchanazitoday.
The swastika has a long history outside of its use by the Nazis. Over the years, American Indians have denounced the Nazis use of the symbol.
Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
