Whats your take on "redskin"?

[Me Myself]

All your thoughts surrounding the term, its origin, its usage, etc.

 

[Walking Eagle Warrior]

You mean red Indian(red skin) , I use the word redskin only in passing as in my red skinned Indian woman ( She Who Stands With Her Brave) is the perfect amount of woman. I have been asked not to say red skin by a half Cherokee woman on the yahoo net in the hope that no one would use the term since lack of understanding creates all sorts of ignorant issues however that was balanced out by a blood quoting to me directly by mouth I don't trust any skin that is not angry, another issue came to my attention is when I quoted Techumesh '' The Red Man has always been at odds with the whiter man'' all at once the interest of the rapper who calls himself red man became a matter of interest for all kinds of people who know very little of the way of the plains warrior religion, No I don't listen to rap and any quote I make either comes from the mouth of the Chiefs, Braves Warriors or Women never about music, then there is the matter of the football team called the Redskins, now I use a Redskins patch on my to emphasize the following of the Red Indian warrior religion not for the football team , I also wear a hat with a Tipi symbol on it, so effectively using the term Red Skin is a matter of what you stand for here is this part of the world symbolisms often culturally identifies what many believe (eg why dose someone wear a raiders base ball cap?) for me however red skins means Indigenous Indian Americans the Red Indians of the warrior religion , if your not Indian and do not already know first nation red Indian warrior religion then know the red skinned Indian of America are the people of America from the beginning of time, red Indian also includes indigenous Mexican Indian the Pueblo, needed to emphasize that point , so one should be careful not to offend and speak on context.... Question what tribe are you from or follow? careful though the issue of genocide of the indigenous American red Indian tribes often raise issues many white people of America wish not to mention so the term warrants prudent approach

 

[Me Myself]

I do not form par of any tribe. In this DIR (to my understanding) if yu are not a member of the DIRs religion/s you can make honest questions, so that's all I was doing .

 

[Willamena]

All your thoughts surrounding the term, its origin, its usage, etc.

It's more than time past that a term can dictate how we feel or should feel.

 

[Walking Eagle Warrior]

To Myself from Walking Eagle Warrior, the question of whether or not you came from a tribe was simply to get some barings, you see though there are over a hundred plains warrior tribes left and their practise of religion differ from the one rite to the next, for years the tribes made war against one another unitl the cycle was broken by the settlers, colonialist and pilgrims which gave them a once common enemy, so the question is not meant to be an offensive one but to find out how mane more people since some thirty years ago are practising a first nation warrior religion or have taken it on as a by path for non organised religious faith as there are some small percentage of all colors to follow the red indian way

 

[psychoslice]

Redskin, whiteskin, blackskin, its just all skin to me.

 

[Knight of Albion]

I think the world needs to move away from this issue of 'colour'.

It's not the colour of the skin, but the heart and soul underneath that matters...

 

[Boyd]

My perspective on this is somewhat different. I was not raised in a tribe, but later was "adopted" or became an honorary member of a tribe. So while I do feel a deep attachment, I am still "white" (I put that in quotations as I do not like the labeling of individuals based on a supposed race or skin color, but it is a distinction people see). I have never been called a "redskin" or any other racial slur aimed at Native Americans, so I do not have that direct experience (even though I have seen such slurs directed at friends).

Personally then, I base my view on only what I can see and study. I do find the term "redskin" to be derogatory. I do find it a racial slur, and when it is used for a sports team, I find it very irresponsible. I don't think such use should be normalized, or even acceptable.

Looking at the earliest uses (at least by Europeans), the term was a racial slur, in much the same manner that the n-word was used towards Africans. It was a term to differentiate, and subjugate. Today, it is still often used in the same manner, as it qualifies a person by the color of their skin. And I don't think it is any surprise, but racism against Native Americans is still quite prevalent in the states.

I think terminology such as this, as well as naming teams with the use of a racial slur, only help cement this racism. It makes it normative, and justifies the use. It becomes a much larger problem when attached with a sports team, as it isn't just the name that become offensive, but the use of it. Such phrases such as "Kill the Redskins" or "Scalp the Redskins" are used regularly, which is not acceptable. The artwork that accompanies it (such as Native Americans being hung, or "cartoonish" pictures of Native Americans, which are often just stereotypical, racial depictions are often attached) makes the problem much more relevant.

So, I do not see the use of "redskin" to be acceptable. It was devised as a racial slur, and today, is often used to depict Native Americans (especially in the context of sports) in negative manners. And because of the continued use, I think it has largely become normative, which is a shame.

 

[Brookee]

Redskin, whiteskin, blackskin, its just all skin to me.

Yes skin is skin,,, but derogatory terms are something else