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What's in A Name - Indian, Native, Aboriginal or Indigenous
What's in A Name - Indian, Native, Aboriginal or Indigenous
CBC
The AMC, which passed a resolution not to deal with organizations that use
the name "aboriginal" a couple years back, might want to inform the
assume the word aboriginal means "the first inhabitants" or "from the
beginning."
But the root meaning of the word"ab" is a Latin prefix that means "away
identity. In a spiritual and cultural sense, names like aboriginal deprive the
people of their own identity and force them to adopt a new one.
identity has been on what name should be used to refer to the people as a
Originally, they were called Indians, but this has run out of favour, mostly
The term remains in use because there are still many people who who
have been called, and have called themselves, Indians all their lives. Who
is going to argue with an elder or a veteran who served their people and
got lost when he was looking for India and mistakenly called the inhabitants
now known as Puerto Rico that he proclaimed they must have been made
from the body of God, or "du corpus in Deo." From in Deo comes the name
Indian.
But the word Indian was never spoken prior to colonization. It is a name
Especially in the United States. Not only is the name Indian commonly
Americans that has gained prominence has come from the National Indian
Gaming Association.
Perhaps this is because the politically correct people came up with the
name "native American," ignoring the fact that "America" is named for
The bottom line is that once a name find its way into common usage, it is
Despite its powerful critics, we still see the word "aboriginal" used widely by
In their "About Us" section on the AMC website, it reads "to promote,
preserve and protect aboriginal and treaty rights for First Nation people in
readily recognizable).
Think of all the letterheads and signs and such that would have to be
changed, like the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (formerly the
Canadian Council for Native Business) or the Department of Aboriginal
many people agree it means "the people," but the name Haudenosaunee
also means "the people" to the Mohawks, and who can forget how Old
Lodgeskins/Dan George told "little big man" how the name of his particular
connection with the land, but it is, after all, another word that stems from a
foreign language.
The term "First Nations" has been used to describe the Ojibway, Dene,
Dakota, Metis and Ininew (Cree) people in Manitoba and has found
long-term acceptability.
which might include everyone. Note that the AMC uses First Nation to refer
Perhaps the biggest problem with all of this is that we fight over it and
people's feelings get hurt. I have always maintained that we should call
people what they want to be called, and if I make a mistake when I refer to
understanding" like the elders do. I never meant to offend anyone and I
hope we can teach each other about these things in a good way.
Don Marks is a Winnipeg writer and the editor of Grassroots News. His
latest book, Playing the White Man's Games,is being released this month.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/whats-name-indian-native-aboriginal-101500776.html