Native American Heritage Month #TheLanguageYouUseMatters
November is Native American Heritage Month.
Consider educating yourself further or supporting Native American rights by exploring the NARF foundation. https://narf.org/
For 30 days we prioritize acknowledging the contributions, culture, history, languages, religion, and beauty of tribes past and present in the United States, Canada and all of the Americas.
Everyday we must:
Be conscious of the atrocities that were and continue to be committed against these communities.
Recognize the misappropriation and misrepresentation of native culture in today’s society.
Advocate for the improvement of conditions on reservations
Remember the lives of those lost to colonization and genocide committed at Indigenous boarding schools.
Something we talk about with our students in class is that WORDS MATTER in all settings and with all people. We also take every opportunity we can to discuss how we can use language for GOOD and to uplift and honor populations of people and cultures.
Here are some questions we have gotten from students, and here is our best effort* at addressing them:
*Please keep in mind that as teachers that do not personally identify as Native Americans we have much to learn as well, so we are doing our best to actively educate ourselves too. 1.“Can I call someone ‘Indian’?” This one seems to vary a bit depending on who you ask. We always suggest that you as a person directly their preference and use that terminology.
“American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native are acceptable and often used interchangeably in the United States; however, Native Peoples often have individual preferences on how they would like to be addressed. To find out which term is best, ask the person or group which term they prefer.”
SOURCE: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/impact-words-tips#:~:text=American%20Indian%2C%20Indian%2C%20Native%20American,group%20which%20term%20they%20prefer. 2. “The teacher at my kid’s school talks about them sitting ‘Indian Style’ on the floor. Is that okay to say?” This is a commonly used expression that perpetuates stereotypes. There are other alternatives that are such a simple substitute that there is no need to use this phrase. The teacher can instead say that the kids need to sit, "criss-cross applesauce" which sounds fun and silly and has no negative connotation at all!
SOURCE:https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/commonly-terms-racist-origins/story?id=71840410 3. “I previously learned the expression, ‘Indian Giver’. Can I say that?” Short answer: No. This is a commonly used expression that has definite offensive roots. We will not teach this expression in our classes and we urge you to not include it into your acquired English vocabulary.
SOURCE: https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indian-giver-can-we-give-it-back The teachers at Speak More want to learn more so we can pass on the most respectful and inclusive language to our students. If someone reading this has suggestions for us we welcome them so we can continue to learn and improve.
In the last 5 years or so there has been a push to rectify the mislabeling of Native America's by eliminating the use of terms like "Indians or Redskins." In 2020 the former Washington Redskins (NFL) team acknowledged this movement and officially changed their name to “The Commanders”. Many people questioned the need for this change. However, language, especially when used as a label, needs to be accurate and sensitive. It is time that everyone addresses the violent and discriminatory connotation of certain words and we make moves to use more appropriate labels.
