This Friday, Hillary Clinton did a not-very-cool-thing by saying "I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get ' off the reservation ' in the way they behave and how they speak," in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. Understandably, many people did not care for that particular turn of phrase, particularly Native Americans.
This is generational. There's a lot in the social justice movement about awareness of unconscious racism in standard phrases. People of Hillary's (and my) generation have to be unusually vigilant to avoid these phrases. I would put "off the reservation" squarely in this one, and would say it's probably something she should be aware is a racist construction and shouldn't be used. Evidence of actual racism? Nope.
Ok, enough earnest exploration, back to the snark.
I'm guess the expedition that named those mountains was all male and they hadn't been within a thousand miles of a woman in six months by the time they got there.
There are some Native Americans who prefer to be called Indians, or American Indians. I wouldn't have thought so myself given what I had read, but then I actually lived with one (not to be all "I have a friend" blech), and got to spend time with others through him. Some of them preferred Indian, others preferred Native American, others preferred Indigenous People. Shockingly there isn't a lot of airtime/space given to Native Americans. So things like how they would actually prefer us to call them, is given short shrift. (again, shocker!)
"IS DONALD J. TRUMP A SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORING PC THUG NOW?" Not to worry, his supporters know he's just a pandering asshat that says what he has to gain the support of fools. They also know that the things he says which appeal to them are the things he is totally serious and genuine about and he is totally going to do when he is preznit. *cough*
May I add to your lecture, Prof? Many non-Arizonans might not know that the Peak (referred to as Squaw Tit, even earlier than it was more politely called Squaw Peak), was renamed during the administration of former Governor Janet Napolitano. Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe, was the first Native American woman in U.S. history to die in combat and the first woman in the U.S. armed forces killed in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A rocket-propelled grenade hit her Humvee. She survived that and was taken prisoner. She died in an Iraqi hospital of head injuries.
Lori was raised in a trailer park in Tuba City, AZ, which is on Hopi land. HerHopi name was Qötsa-Hon-Mana, which means White Bear Girl and her last name translates to "people who live by the water." The Pima Tribe named the mountain Vainom Do'ag, which translates to Iron Mountain, what it was called for generations before white people started calling it Squaw Tit. State Route 51 in Phoenix has also been named for Spec. Piestewa.
I have a great relationship with the Indians. They all love me, the Indians, they're great. They're really terrific. They're great at the casino business, these Indians, almost as great as me. I'm the best at the casinos, the Indians know that, that's why they respect me. I taught them everything they know, that's why they're doing so well today. And they're really smart, these Indians, I mean, I'm one of the all time smartest people, so I should know. These Indians are so smart, they knew how great America is, that's why they got here before Americans even started showing up. That's really smart. That's terrific. No one loves the Indians like I do. They're really great.
Nicely done! Tuba City, which I live closer to than Phoenix (although I have actually lived in Phx) is on land belonging to the Navajo Nation, even though Spec. Piestewa self-identified as Hopi. Her father was Hopi and lived among the Navajo, which is not uncommon. And even though I have been in AZ since 1958 (with a few detours) I had never heard Piestewa Peak called "Squaw Tit" until today. I am sure there are other nuggets I don't know either.
I live in a city that's approximately 20% Indian-American..."Indian" simply doesn't work for a descendant of North America's indigenous peoples. I can go with American Indian.
To my NA brothers and sisters. Take off the war paint. Put away your tomahawks. No need to go crazy with Hillary like you've had too much firewater. No benefit to us to go after her scalp. Let's offer her a peace pipe so we can go about the real business of sending war parties out after the REAL enemy that is Trump.
In one of Tony Hillerman's fantastic Navajo Tribal Police Force novels, he cited an anecdote about a symposium by and about Native Americans that he attended. The question of how they felt about being called Indians came up. The Navajo representative on the panel replied that on the whole they were OK with the term. After all, anyone born in America is by definition a 'native American'. They were just glad Columbus wasn't looking for Turkey.
Slots, actually.
This is generational. There's a lot in the social justice movement about awareness of unconscious racism in standard phrases. People of Hillary's (and my) generation have to be unusually vigilant to avoid these phrases. I would put "off the reservation" squarely in this one, and would say it's probably something she should be aware is a racist construction and shouldn't be used. Evidence of actual racism? Nope.
Ok, enough earnest exploration, back to the snark.
you were brave to post that
Catalog, wives, slovenian
I'm guess the expedition that named those mountains was all male and they hadn't been within a thousand miles of a woman in six months by the time they got there.
There are some Native Americans who prefer to be called Indians, or American Indians. I wouldn't have thought so myself given what I had read, but then I actually lived with one (not to be all "I have a friend" blech), and got to spend time with others through him. Some of them preferred Indian, others preferred Native American, others preferred Indigenous People. Shockingly there isn't a lot of airtime/space given to Native Americans. So things like how they would actually prefer us to call them, is given short shrift. (again, shocker!)
http://indiancountrytodayme...
My feeling is that I stick with Native American and if the person I'm talking to has another preference, I go with that.
All apologies. Been generating a whole new set about Robyn. We'll compare notes sometime.
"IS DONALD J. TRUMP A SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORING PC THUG NOW?" Not to worry, his supporters know he's just a pandering asshat that says what he has to gain the support of fools. They also know that the things he says which appeal to them are the things he is totally serious and genuine about and he is totally going to do when he is preznit. *cough*
May I add to your lecture, Prof? Many non-Arizonans might not know that the Peak (referred to as Squaw Tit, even earlier than it was more politely called Squaw Peak), was renamed during the administration of former Governor Janet Napolitano. Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe, was the first Native American woman in U.S. history to die in combat and the first woman in the U.S. armed forces killed in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A rocket-propelled grenade hit her Humvee. She survived that and was taken prisoner. She died in an Iraqi hospital of head injuries.
Lori was raised in a trailer park in Tuba City, AZ, which is on Hopi land. HerHopi name was Qötsa-Hon-Mana, which means White Bear Girl and her last name translates to "people who live by the water." The Pima Tribe named the mountain Vainom Do'ag, which translates to Iron Mountain, what it was called for generations before white people started calling it Squaw Tit. State Route 51 in Phoenix has also been named for Spec. Piestewa.
Can we build a reservation for Trump supporters? Surrounded by a very tall wall? Please?
I have a great relationship with the Indians. They all love me, the Indians, they're great. They're really terrific. They're great at the casino business, these Indians, almost as great as me. I'm the best at the casinos, the Indians know that, that's why they respect me. I taught them everything they know, that's why they're doing so well today. And they're really smart, these Indians, I mean, I'm one of the all time smartest people, so I should know. These Indians are so smart, they knew how great America is, that's why they got here before Americans even started showing up. That's really smart. That's terrific. No one loves the Indians like I do. They're really great.
Nicely done! Tuba City, which I live closer to than Phoenix (although I have actually lived in Phx) is on land belonging to the Navajo Nation, even though Spec. Piestewa self-identified as Hopi. Her father was Hopi and lived among the Navajo, which is not uncommon. And even though I have been in AZ since 1958 (with a few detours) I had never heard Piestewa Peak called "Squaw Tit" until today. I am sure there are other nuggets I don't know either.
I live in a city that's approximately 20% Indian-American..."Indian" simply doesn't work for a descendant of North America's indigenous peoples. I can go with American Indian.
To my NA brothers and sisters. Take off the war paint. Put away your tomahawks. No need to go crazy with Hillary like you've had too much firewater. No benefit to us to go after her scalp. Let's offer her a peace pipe so we can go about the real business of sending war parties out after the REAL enemy that is Trump.
Slightly OT, The Art of the Deal, eh?https://www.buzzfeed.com/ar...
In one of Tony Hillerman's fantastic Navajo Tribal Police Force novels, he cited an anecdote about a symposium by and about Native Americans that he attended. The question of how they felt about being called Indians came up. The Navajo representative on the panel replied that on the whole they were OK with the term. After all, anyone born in America is by definition a 'native American'. They were just glad Columbus wasn't looking for Turkey.