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When we talk about the crisis of mis-and-disinformation, no other group of people perhaps understands such threat to reality than Indigenous Peoples. The mangled story of Pocahontas is an easy example, one that continues to be mythologized, and thanks to Donald Trump, mysogonized, even up until a few days ago. Trump took to the debate stage wasting little time dissing Joe Biden while mentioning his former Democratic opponent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But of course, we know Trump didn’t call the Massachusetts lawmaker by her actual name. “Yes, President Trump Really Dropped a Racial Slur on Live Television Tonight,” wrote Vogue. Now, as we wake up to the realization that the Trumps have tested positive for the coronavirus, there’s reason to take this news with a healthy dose of skepticism. As my colleague Jelani Cobb reminded us on Twitter, today, Trump submitted a fake letter about his health during the 2016 election. “There’s zero reason to take his word for anything,” he tweeted. That’s not to say these covid claims are a hoax. There’s a lot to questions about deep fakes, right now. And then there are ethical ones, too, like whether Bob Woodward should have let us all know earlier that Trump was downplaying the virus. It’s okay to question your headlines. In fact, you're better for it. But you should also do so with a bit of media literacy under your belt. I’ve peppered this week’s newsletter with some helpful links to be a better media consumer, including a fun quiz about how to detect bots from real social media accounts. (I surprised myself by how easily I was fooled.) Also, the Index features a few good stories about liars and the lies they’ve been telling. Meanwhile, here’s what’s on my Sunday reading list: a Yellowstone Institute Red Paper on reclaiming Indigenous lands, a series about how we can live respectfully with the land and with each other, and a story about when White people stopped Indigenous Elk Hunts in Jackson Hole. I’ll most definitely be taking in the new doc, Newstown, too. What are you reading? Anything good? Send me a note and let me know. Until then, honor what’s left of our full moon. Such a source and force - the moon. Jenni Monet
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