Like if you call a Scottish person English, they get offended and that's totally understandable, but calling them British (even if they generally refer to themselves that way) is okay. It's the politically-neutral term.
For most Native Peoples, Native American or Native People is the politically-neutral term, they won't be *upset* with you for using it. Also, just asking them, how do you like to be addressed is also pretty neutral, at least among my group of people.
Saying s/he is Cherokee, or Lakota, or Dine is even more specific/appropriate, but you don't want to get it wrong (i.e, Scottish/Irish/English :)) and you don't want to use a word that another culture gave them that is (in many causes) actually an insult.
A lot of people use the term Indian or NDN and it's both a reclaiming and also an honoring of the ancestors. I know people who say they're NDN because it was good enough for their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, it's good enough for them. Who are they to believe themselves better than their ancestors? That's something that's in embedded in the cultural understanding of ancestors and living history etc., and doesn't always make sense to other people. Even then, most people would say that they're Indian, but they're, for example, Osage Indian etc. The tribal affiliation is important because they are from a different Nation and People than, for example, the Hopi. :)
I really am lecturing now. Sorry. If you do ever want to talk about this stuff, I have a complicated perspective and a bizarre situation, but it's something that I'm actually trained to do. I was president of the Native Peoples' organization on my campus for three years. :)
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asenathwaite
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-26 08:15 pm (UTC)Like if you call a Scottish person English, they get offended and that's totally understandable, but calling them British (even if they generally refer to themselves that way) is okay. It's the politically-neutral term.
For most Native Peoples, Native American or Native People is the politically-neutral term, they won't be *upset* with you for using it. Also, just asking them, how do you like to be addressed is also pretty neutral, at least among my group of people.
Saying s/he is Cherokee, or Lakota, or Dine is even more specific/appropriate, but you don't want to get it wrong (i.e, Scottish/Irish/English :)) and you don't want to use a word that another culture gave them that is (in many causes) actually an insult.
A lot of people use the term Indian or NDN and it's both a reclaiming and also an honoring of the ancestors. I know people who say they're NDN because it was good enough for their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, it's good enough for them. Who are they to believe themselves better than their ancestors? That's something that's in embedded in the cultural understanding of ancestors and living history etc., and doesn't always make sense to other people. Even then, most people would say that they're Indian, but they're, for example, Osage Indian etc. The tribal affiliation is important because they are from a different Nation and People than, for example, the Hopi. :)
I really am lecturing now. Sorry. If you do ever want to talk about this stuff, I have a complicated perspective and a bizarre situation, but it's something that I'm actually trained to do. I was president of the Native Peoples' organization on my campus for three years. :)