I object to the term "Native American"

[Pekka]

I object to the term people.

[Dis]

people? what an insult. I don't think they'd go for that.

[Bkeela]

I profoundly agree with the original post. The term 'African American' in reference to blacks gets on my nerves. If a black visits America, is he known as an African African?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Actually, North American Indians themselves tend to prefer "Indian" to "Native American."

It really depends.

[chequita guevara]

White people objecting to what other people call themselves

The point of being an anything-American was not to highlight differences between them and "real"-Americans but to point out, that in fact they were Americans also. After all, until very recently an American was a white person who descended from immigrants from Scandinavia, Germany, England, or Scotland. Everyone else was just a dirty scummy foreigner, including the people whose ancestors lived here before anyone else and the people who were kidnapped to be here. Hence, Italian-Americans called themselves such to remind racist *******s that we too, are Americans.

As for Native Americans, this song pretty much says it all.

King Missile - "The Indians"

The Indians lived all over this land before we came and killed them.
That was very bad of us.
We thought we needed the land,
But for the most part,
We just ruined it anyway,
And now, nobody can use it.
That's the way we are.
We're pigs.
One of my favorite foods to eat is called corn.
The Indians call it , "maize."
We call the Indians , "Indians."
This is because Columbus thought he was in India
When he first came to this land.
Some people say we should call the Indians, "Native Americans,"
'Cause they were here in America before us,
But before us,
This land wasn't called, "America."
It was named "America" by a mapmaker who never even came here.
He just lived in Europe
And made maps and when he found out about this land,
He just made a map of it,
And just put his name on it,
'Cause he could.
That's the way we are.
We're pigs.

As I was writing this,
A cockroach fell from the sky and onto the table.
I killed it,
'Cause I did.
That's the way I am.
This doesn't really have very much to do with the Indians, though.
I guess I got kind of sidetracked.
Anyway, I hope you see my point.

[Lorizael]

I wish you didn't care so much about this issue, Che. Then you might sound reasonable when you talked about it.

[Elok]

Wow. That song looks like it sucks even worse than "Indian Reservation."

[DAVOUT]

Sava,
I know a country where all people are only referred to as citizens, whatever is their color, origin or religion; it is even forbidden to mention it and to make statistics on it. Is it different from what you wish?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DAVOUT
Sava,
I know a country where all people are only referred to as citizens, whatever is their color, origin or religion; it is even forbidden to mention it and to make statistics on it. Is it different from what you wish?

Tell me where that country is, for it surely is not France, where, from what I understand its quite mentioned whos an "beure", whos "noir", and I can assure you, the word "juif" is not unmentioned either, both by the "blanc" and the "beure".

Now maybe the government doesnt mention it, or keep stats, but thats hardly solved the problem.

Im not a France basher, but asserting French superiority on intergroup issues is surely something silly to do this year.

[lord of the mark]

Being descendants of the lost tribes, I suggest we call the native peoples of the Americas "Jews" (yeah, i know, Israelites, the Judeans werent lost, but lets keep it simple)

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by lord of the mark



... asserting French superiority on intergroup issues is surely something silly to do this year.

I cant see where you find an expression of superiority in my post. Is the simple mention of it a suggestion of superiority?
Regarding the problems of "this year", it is also the time when an american organisation made an inquiry all over Europe asking Muslims what they feel their identity was : based on the nation they were citizen of, or on their religion. The proportion of French Muslims answering that they identified to the nation was the highest. Sorry if you feel that "superior"; for me it is only better.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DAVOUT


I cant see where you find an expression of superiority in my post. Is the simple mention of it a suggestion of superiority?
Regarding the problems of "this year", it is also the time when an american organisation made an inquiry all over Europe asking Muslims what they feel their identity was : based on the nation they were citizen of, or on their religion. The proportion of French Muslims answering that they identified to the nation was the highest. Sorry if you feel that "superior"; for me it is only better.

Yes, a policy that pressures toward loss of identity, and ignores real group social differences, will lead to more folks identifying with the nation of residence, but also to those who dont, having their problems misunderstood cause its forbidden to speak of reality. So lots of French muslims identify as French, while some other French muslims go burning buses and shooting at police. Look, I can accept its the French way, and I dont mean to impose the US approach on France, but it seems silly to me go around claiming its better. And yes, I read your first post as definitely implying that.

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
In south america "indians" dont really object to being called that, they call themselves indios, even the leftist, lets worship mother earth, kill the spanish ones.
So, if they dont have a problem with it, you shouldnt either.

For me the problem with the word indians is the confussion with indians from the indian subcontinent

This does depend much on the country and on different contexts. In some countries they prefer "indígena" over "indio". AFAIK, Argentinian tribes insist on "pueblos originarios".
But the labelking problem is far from being such a huge issue as it is in the USA and Canada.

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Being descendants of the lost tribes, I suggest we call the native peoples of the Americas "Jews" (yeah, i know, Israelites, the Judeans werent lost, but lets keep it simple)

Pah, lost tribes. Everyone knows the Indians are descendants of basques and livonians.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Wernazuma III


This does depend much on the country and on different contexts. In some countries they prefer "indígena" over "indio". AFAIK, Argentinian tribes insist on "pueblos originarios".
But the labelking problem is far from being such a huge issue as it is in the USA and Canada.

it's not a huge issue here by any stretch. Sava AFAIKT is the only one showing any hint of passion over this.