Pop star Justin Bieber recently had an interview in Rolling Stone Magazine. In the interview, he made a comment that indicated that he thought that he was “Inuit or something”. This comment, coupled with his remark that his heritage could get him “free gas”, is making its way across the internet.
Justin Bieber was interviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine. His photo is on the cover of the issue, next to wording that indicates that he has recently had his eighteenth birthday. I haven’t read the interview itself. My best guess was that the decision to interview Bieber had something to do with his milestone birthday.
The interviewer points out that Justin Bieber is wearing a Chicago Blackhawks cap. A quote from the interview reads:
“’I’m actually part Indian’, he says – “I think Inuit or something? I’m enough percent that in Canada I can get free gas’”.
The comment is now being passed around the internet, for many reasons. First of all, it seems that Justin Bieber, like many people, isn’t entirely certain of his heritage. It is clear that he was born in Stratford, Ontario, though, which means that he is Canadian. However, there hasn’t been any evidence presented that confirms that his suspicion that he has native heritage is correct.
The more troubling part of the comment is the connection he makes between being Inuit and being able to get gas for free. Betty Ann Lavallee, the spokeswoman for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples points out that no one, whether native or not, gets free gas in Canada. She released a statement that said (in part):
“These kinds of remarks are another example of what Aboriginal Peoples in Canada struggle with every day. It promotes the misconception that we are somehow getting a free ride. This simply is not the case and we are concerned that many people may believe what he said”.
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples has offered to help Justin Bieber to learn more about his heritage, and will help him to trace his roots. Lavallee, and Dwight Dorey, the Vice Chief for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, are offering this help because they realize that Justin Bieber is young, and probably didn’t intend to be malicious or to make a joke of aboriginal issues.
The Museum of Inuit Art (MIA) in Toronto has their own response to Bieber’s comment. The museum is offering free admission, to everyone, for the month of August. This is their way of helping people to learn more about Aboriginal people. The museum is calling the free offer “No Free Gas, But Free Admission”.
Image by iloveJB123 on Flickr