Is it proper to call us Native American -

[Nashitheki]

when everyone born in America is in fact a Native American ? I agree with others who want to be identified by their nation or tribe. These are people who called themselves something else long before the word America/n came into play.
A name held in common by a good many of us is American Indian and I tend to go along with Oglala Lakota activist and one of the founders of A.I.M.,(American Indian Movement) Russell Means -
"I Am An American Indian, Not a Native American!", Russell Means, a Lakota activist and a founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), stated unequivocally, "I abhor the term 'Native American.' It is a generic government term used to describe all the indigenous prisoners of the United States. These are the American Samoans, the Micronesians, the Aleuts, the original Hawaiians, and the erroneously termed Eskimos, who are actually Upiks and Inupiaqs. And, of course, the American Indian.
I prefer the term American Indian because I know its origins. ... As an added distinction the American Indian is the only ethnic group in the United States with the American before our ethnicity.
At an international conference of Indians from the Americas held in Geneva, Switzerland, at the United Nations in 1977 we unanimously decided we would go under the term American Indian. "We were enslaved as American Indians, we were colonized as American Indians, and we will gain our freedom as American Indians and then we can call ourselves anything we damn please."

Russell Means

[youtube]-LA-S64QY3o[/youtube]
Russell Means: Welcome To The Reservation - YouTube

 

[Revoltingest]

Names have strange & capricious origins, & different meanings to different people.
We all argue about what something should be called (eg, black vs African American),
& after much gnashing of teeth, an uneasy compromised is reached.....& then changed.
I don't understand it all. I'll just watch for consensus, & try to avoid being overly offensive.
I prefer the term "Aboriginal American". What think you of this one?

Edit: Let me know if I've gone too far prefacing my question in a DIR not my own, eh?

 

[England my lionheart]

Unfortunately i cannot take part in this DIR thread as i would others so the best i can do is quote Sitting Bull

"I am a red man. If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for Eagles to be Crows. We are poor..but we are free. No white man controls our footsteps. If we must die...we die defending our rights."
​

 

[Nashitheki]

Names have strange & capricious origins, & different meanings to different people.
We all argue about what something should be called (eg, black vs African American),
& after much gnashing of teeth, an uneasy compromised is reached.....& then changed.
I don't understand it all. I'll just watch for consensus, & try to avoid being overly offensive.

Btw, I prefer the term "Aboriginal American". What think you of this one?

I have to go along with Russell Means.

 

[Revoltingest]

I have to go along with Russell Means.

It works for me too.....thanx!

 

[Broken Smoke]

Unfortunately i cannot take part in this DIR thread as i would others so the best i can do is quote Sitting Bull

"I am a red man. If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for Eagles to be Crows. We are poor..but we are free. No white man controls our footsteps. If we must die...we die defending our rights."
​

Your silence uses many words.:sarcastic

 

[Broken Smoke]

when everyone born in America is in fact a Native American ? I agree with others who want to be identified by their nation or tribe. These are people who called themselves something else long before the word America/n came into play.
A name held in common by a good many of us is American Indian and I tend to go along with Oglala Lakota activist and one of the founders of A.I.M.,(American Indian Movement) Russell Means -
"I Am An American Indian, Not a Native American!", Russell Means, a Lakota activist and a founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), stated unequivocally, "I abhor the term 'Native American.' It is a generic government term used to describe all the indigenous prisoners of the United States. These are the American Samoans, the Micronesians, the Aleuts, the original Hawaiians, and the erroneously termed Eskimos, who are actually Upiks and Inupiaqs. And, of course, the American Indian.
I prefer the term American Indian because I know its origins. ... As an added distinction the American Indian is the only ethnic group in the United States with the American before our ethnicity.
At an international conference of Indians from the Americas held in Geneva, Switzerland, at the United Nations in 1977 we unanimously decided we would go under the term American Indian. "We were enslaved as American Indians, we were colonized as American Indians, and we will gain our freedom as American Indians and then we can call ourselves anything we damn please."

Russell Means

[youtube]-LA-S64QY3o[/youtube]
Russell Means: Welcome To The Reservation - YouTube

You are exactly what this place needed. Someone who is genuine. Someone who can prove that not all people of color have lower thoughts, ideas and standards than the colorless ones. Not tryin' to knock anyone else here, but it is IMHO.:sorry1:

 

[Nashitheki]

Unfortunately i cannot take part in this DIR thread as i would others so the best i can do is quote Sitting Bull

"I am a red man. If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for Eagles to be Crows. We are poor..but we are free. No white man controls our footsteps. If we must die...we die defending our rights."
​

Tatanka Iyotanka, a wise man and a good medicine man. Killed by his own people.

Like Means, there are new leaders we are listening to now -

Drunken Indians -

[youtube]JSIGGpQHcH4[/youtube]
JOHN TRUDELL 1 Where Spirits Get Eaten Drunken Indians - YouTube

 

[England my lionheart]

Tatanka Iyotanka, a wise man and a good medicine man. Killed by his own people.

Like Means, there are new leaders we are listening to now -

Drunken Indians -

[youtube]JSIGGpQHcH4[/youtube]
JOHN TRUDELL 1 Where Spirits Get Eaten Drunken Indians - YouTube

The best i can do is agee or ask polite questions as per the rules but its an interesting thread nonetheless

 

[Nashitheki]

The best i can do is agee or ask polite questions as per the rules but its an interesting thread nonetheless

I appreciate your polite questions and manner. To learn about a people's spirituality, it is good to know those people.

 

[England my lionheart]

Your silence uses many words.:sarcastic

I was quiet and used someone elses voice

 

[4consideration]

Na****heki,

Thank you for posting the video of Russell Means. I found it very interesting.

 

[painted wolf]

I let everyone decide for themselves what term they prefer.

I know some who are fine with just plain old "Indian" others insist on "Native American" while others choose "American Indian" and even "Indigenous American".
I have yet to meet anyone who uses "Aboriginal American" mostly because I think like just plain old "Indian" it can be confusing... after all, Aborigine is the term for the indigenous people of Australia.

I personally prefer "First Nations" which is probably due to my proximity to Canada, where that is the most used term...

How we define ourselves is a product of our environment and personal preference.

wa:do

 

[painted wolf]

Russel speaks from a very particular place... His preference for "American Indian" may also have to do with his relationship with AIM.

It would be awkward for him to not support the term "American Indian" given his history.
Not, to in any way detract from his words or their coming with honesty from his heart.

wa:do

 

[Quintessence]

Here's another way to look at it from the standpoint of biology (specifically ecology and conservation):

The standard for determining a native versus a non-native species in the continental United States is usually pre-colonialism. In this case, we can apply it to races/cultures instead. Therefore, the humans that were here prior to the colonial era are "native" or "indigenous" while all the whites, blacks, asians, and some hispanics are "non-native" or "exotic." That's putting it gently, though. I think the term "invasive" is a much better fit given what the non-native races/cultures did to this land.

 

[Nashitheki]

Russel speaks from a very particular place... His preference for "American Indian" may also have to do with his relationship with AIM.

It would be awkward for him to not support the term "American Indian" given his history.
Not, to in any way detract from his words or their coming with honesty from his heart.

wa:do

An American Indian starting an American Indian movement, who would of ever thought of that ? LOL!

 

[painted wolf]

An American Indian starting an American Indian movement, who would of ever thought of that ? LOL!

He didn't start it... but, he quickly became an instrumental figure in it after he joined.

wa:do

 

[painted wolf]

Here's another way to look at it from the standpoint of biology (specifically ecology and conservation):

The standard for determining a native versus a non-native species in the continental United States is usually pre-colonialism. In this case, we can apply it to races/cultures instead. Therefore, the humans that were here prior to the colonial era are "native" or "indigenous" while all the whites, blacks, asians, and some hispanics are "non-native" or "exotic." That's putting it gently, though. I think the term "invasive" is a much better fit given what the non-native races/cultures did to this land.

Ok.. I totally hadn't thought of calling colonists "Invasive Americans"... but it certainly has a nice ring to it. I may have to use that at some point in the future. :beach:

wa:do

 

[Nashitheki]

He didn't start it... but, he quickly became an instrumental figure in it after he joined.

wa:do

He got it started for me. True AIM existed before people like Means and Banks, but they more or less got it jumping. We exchanged letters once, long before the internet.

It really don't matter if one calls his or herself Native American or not, but often the term bespeaks of what we and our cultures are called by non-Indians.

And then there's the New Age gurus applying that term in their dealings.

I'm good with American Indian.

 

[Nashitheki]

AIM made the spirit of Indian People grow stronger and even more so following 1973

[youtube]5yFr5groCJg[/youtube]
Wounded Knee Incident 1973 The Native American Genocide 5of5 - YouTube