Re: Amerind an offensive term (was: Early Amerind assimilation
HR57JazzandBlues.@worldnet.att.net
18 Aug 1996 07:38:23 GMT
Stephen Barnard <steve@megafauna.com> wrote:
snip>
I have been quietly and intermittently watching this thread but
now I think its time for me to have my say.
I have seen at least one Native American who's name I can not
remember, try to teach, yes teach white America a thing or two
about Native Americans and how they view themselvs, White America
just can't seem to get it! It is no longer up to white America to
decide what is or is not offensive to anyone but white America!
These postings are for sci. archaeology and sci. anthopology but
it appears that no one is interested in learning or understanding
anything but their own narrow and many times arrogant points of
view.
For starters - white America does not have American sports named
according to skin color or the lack thereof, white America have
not been hearded on to a piece of forign territory and told to
live, white America has not had the culture of the old world
ripped from memory and white America has not had any of her
emmigrant ethnicities (tribes) become extinct.
snip>
>A few people have questioned my motives in starting this thread. Well, tough.
Did you take any time at all to wonder WHY people questioned your
motives? Judging from your post you could have cared less.
>I'm not anti-Native-American. I *do* happen to find the hypersensitivity of
>some ethnic groups to nomenclature to be unfortunate. Can you believe that
>some white-bread Midwesterners actually think that "Jew" is an offensive term,
>and that you should say "Jewish person" instead?
Your words shoe that you are anti Native American and very smug
about how some of those, you know, minorities react to white
Americas nomenclature. My question is what kind of an American are
you? And as for the lack of hypersensitivity from the Indian
newsgroup -news flash- people will have more tolorance when they
are addressed or referred to in a fashion that THEY, not you, deem
acceptable.
Well the white-bread midwesterners may be on to something. Does
the word Hebrew ring a bell? JU-daism is a religion. Remember, the
one that came before Christianity and Islam, numero uno in the
chronology of the big three!
On the whole, I found the
>attitude of the Asian Indian respondents to be refreshingly tolerant.
Well mercy be!!
I do not beleive that the Native American (except may be Ben
Nighthorse Campbell) really cares about how tolorant white America
think they are. In comming to the decision to call themselves
Native Americans I do not think the comfort level of white America
was of any concern, nor will it be if and when they decide to
change it! It seems to me that quite a few of the people on this
thread are intolorant, arrogant and some are just plain stupid to
think that the sun rises and sets only on them.
Native Americans are going through a rebirth much like the African
Americans. They are making some strides and I feel are on the
right tract. In spite of people like some of those on this thread
they will be just fine.
I suppose it is obvious that I am angry at the lack of tolorance
and understanding from some of the participants on this thread but
my intent is not to flame anyone. Giving respect and accepting a
name that white America did not create is a very simple and easy
thing to do. Just resist the need to anil-lyze. Improvise and go
with the flow. It feels good.
-Paloma
"Don't worry about the changes in the key
just play within the range of the idea"
Charlie Parker
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