[Aztlan] Matter of convenience

[bunny5 at mindspring.com]

I thought all of this had been satisfactorily resolved in the United
States, at least, when Indians took the lead in creating the Museum of the
American Indian on the mall in Washington, D.C.  Our nearest neighors for
more than the last half century, and the people with whom our children grew
up in southern Arizona, have been Indians.  Papago Indians, specifically,
or, as in recent years, Tohono O'odham (Desert People).  And in all my many
travels throughout Indian country in Arizona and New Mexico, I have never
met anyone other than non-Indians who has objected to the term "Indian" as
a label for all descendants of people whose ancestors were here in 1492. 
As others have pointed out, individual Indians generally self identify with
their particular tribal entity (Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, Tewa, Yavapai, Mohave,
Pima, etc. etc.), but put them in a room all together (as at a conference),
and they become "Indians."  The principal over-arching organization in the
United States is, after all, the National Congress of American Indians. 
    Bunny Fontana

> [Original Message]
> From: mario malo <troycabo at yahoo.com>
> To: <Aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
> Date: 9/20/2006 4:26:29 AM
> Subject: [Aztlan] Matter of convenience
>
> China changed Peking to Beijing, India, Bombay/Mumbai, Iran/ Persia, 
Myanmar/ Burma and on and on. I dont see any thing confusing using the
proper names of the people authors write about, on the contrary it would
expand knowledge and educate. Canada uses the term First Nations and in
Mexico the term Indio forget it! (Lived in both countries) Here's some good
ones- Why not just keep calling THEM indians and be done with it? or change
attitudes and don't think of indian as lazy, stupid or inferior. After
reading the response's Ive come to the conclusion its just a matter of
convenience and to hell what the native people think and feel. That's all I
have to say on this subject, Mario Malo
>  		
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