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SMART TALK: Native Americans |
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by Jim Evans
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Friday, 06 June 2008 |
 SMART TALK
by Dr. Parley
Speake
NATIVE AMERICANS: Some
years ago, R. Carlos Nakai, and inspiring musician and speaker, delivered the
annual Samuel Bacon Lecture on American Language at the Institute for the
Linguistically Impaired.
He asked, "How many of you
are Native Americans?"
A few hands went up.
"How many were born in this
country?"
Most of the audience raised
their hands.
"Aren't you natives,
too? Please! Thinking you're not a native makes you feel as if you're not
responsible for this land.
"And you know what we call
each other at home? Indians!"
What a concise and cogent
revelation of the folly of political correctness run amok. Native refers to birth, as do neonatal,
nativity, and nature. Everyone born
here is, by definition, a native American and must accept responsibility along
with the privilege.
If you fear the wrath of
simple minded PC language police, you can still avoid the racist meaning of
Native American. Just pay attention to
the tribe or nation of the people in the discussion, or ask, and use that, such
as the Zuñi Nation, or Navajos, or Algonquins, and so on,
if it really matters.
Like African American, the term Native
American misleads and demonstrates ignorance.
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