LET'S TALK SOME SENSE
by The Oukah
"INDIAN" BALONEY
NATIVE AMERICANS, LET'S TALK SOME SENSE
For more than twenty years, since I first realized the silly and destructive use of the misnomer "Indian" to refer to a native of America, I have spent considerable time telling interested people why this wrong term should NOT be used -- usually going over their heads, obviously, considering their replies.
The fact remains, however, that Columbus did NOT discover "India", and now, many centuries later, we should be able to understand that.
There was, at the time of Columbus, no word to describe the natives of America, in general. We natives knew that there were other people living on the earth, but we had no concept that we were on an isolated continent, or even that there was such a thing as a "continent".
To my own people, the Cherokee, or "Ani-Tsalagi", as it were, we were THE people and the rest of the people, such as the Creeks and Choctaws, our neighbors, were so many outsiders. There was just us and them.
To the other nations, tribes, and peoples it was the same. Then, after the white man arrived (ambitious and uninvited, I might add) they started referring to the natives as "Indians". Since there was, at that time, no generic term for the peoples of America, the natives went along, for lack of a better word. Now, this practice has proved to be very destructive. It has helped to bring all natives to ruin and near extinction, and should be eliminated from our vocabulary (unless referring actually to a native of the country of India, which is at the southern end of the Asian continent, half a world away).
In Europe, especially Britain, we are referred to as "red Indians". A big more explicitly, perhaps, but not much better. I'll pass.
In no way can that word be legitimately used to refer to a native of America. We have our own names -- Cherokee, Apache, Navajo, Sioux, etc. -- and we don't need anything else tacked on to our names that would indicate that we are from another continent.
But, you say, what is wrong with it? We have been using it for several centuries, and everybody knows to whom we refer. This is not true, and let me tell you why the world cannot be used IF WE SPEAK ANY SENSE.
What is the "Indian" word for bread? I am sometimes asked. The truth is, there is none! There is a Cherokee word for bread, a Choctaw word, an Apache word, a Sioux word, etc. THERE IS NO COMMON WORD for ANYTHING among the natives, tribes, and peoples of America! We have always had our separate cultures, our own languages, our own styles of dress, our own religious beliefs, etc. We have NOTHING in common except that we happen to live on the same continent!
Today, we still have all those separate ways etc...and the only thing we have in COMMON today is the fact that we are ALL in danger of extinction, along with our separate ways and cultures, and we have all been the victim of foreigners' ambitions which have stripped us of our pride and our identity! With one word, yet!
The worst part of it all is that through our own ignorance, WE HAVE HELPED THEM DO IT!
The "wars" have been over for nearly a century. The last of the land (we hope) has been taken from us, for the government of the United States of America expanded deliberately and cruelly from coast to coast --from sea to shining sea! It has left a bunch of "native Americans" who do not know who they are or what they should be called!
Most of us were taught to say that we were "Cherokee Indian", Paiute Indian", etc., but we would have been better taught to say, with truthful, simple pride, that "I am a Cherokee!" "I am a Seneca!" "I am proud to be an Apache!" To add the stupid word "Indian" places our ancestors on a continent from which they ARE NOT, NEVER WERE, AND NEVER WILL BE! It also places us there. It also makes us a liar! We cannot tell the truth while mouthing a lie!
There is no such thing as a "Creek Indian". There is only a "Creek". There is only a "Cherokee", an "Arapaho". No other description is necessary, and no other is needed. To tack on that silly and erroneous word is to help destroy our history and our present identity. My Lord, if an ignorant Columbus did not know where he went, nor where he had been when he got home, why should we be stuck with this inane stupidity today in the late 20th century? Can't we get smart? Let "them" continue to try to do us in -- why should we natives of America help them do it?
WE DO IT BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN FORCEFULLY EXPLAINED TO US WHAT WE ARE DOING TO OURSELVES!
I find in some museums ancient artifacts, pottery, and jewelry, which is mislabeled "Apache Indian jug", "Sioux Indian War Bonnet", and other such ridiculous terminology. These items should be correctly labeled (and WOULD BE if the museum officials could be educated) to read more accurately "Apache jug", "Sioux War Bonnet". That is all that is needed, and at least it would be correct!
The United States of American government, of course, perpetuates the problem (in fact, may have started it) with their "Bureau of Indian Affairs". If they called it the "Bureau of Indigene Affairs" (look up the word INDIGENE) it might make more sense, and at least would not be offensive.
Even attempts to praise some of us are wrong. Some people refer to the "Five Civilized Tribes" of which Cherokees are a part. Sorry, I'm not pleased with this left-handed compliment. "Civilized" we most certainly were, but all five had the status of "nations", not "tribes", and still do, today. I can do without such "compliments", thank you. Are they trying to imply that the Sioux and the Navajo, for instance, are not civilized? Sorry, but I won't go along with that, either!
Native Americans, let's stop being a phony fool, and start being ourselves! I am proud to be a "Cherokee". Period. EXCLAMATION POINT! Get the message?
To get this message across isn't easy, and one must be militant and sometimes harsh. These days, when someone starts talking to me about this "Indian" jazz, I explain the facts to them. If they continue, I excuse myself and walk away. If they follow and try to continue their stupidity, I try to explain it to them again. If they persist (as some do, and will) I tell them to their face that I do not waste my time talking to stupid people (and I do it whether they are just an ignorant native or a ruling chief!). Oh, yes, the "chiefs" are just as ignorant as anybody, in most instance.
In fact, this word "chief" is another trap that we were led into. All native peoples had their own words for their rulers. The Cherokee word was "Oukah", which was always translated as "king". He was a religious ruler, as well as a secular ruler. The Choctaw, Creek, Alabamu-Coushatta word for their king was "Micco". The only native American nations (and they were always spoken of, in the early days, as "Nations") were in the Old South area, east of the Mississippi. These were the nations with the most advanced civilizations, and no other native American people had "kings" or royalty. (So much for these "Indian Princesses" that one sometimes encounters.. without royalty there cannot be a "princess").
The Oukah's and Micco's were chosen from the sons of certain high-ranking women, and trained from their youth to lead the people.
In my own case the terminology is a double whammy. I am NOT an "Indian King". An Indian King is a maharaja, and I ain't a Maharaja, nor do I care to be one! I am a Cherokee King if you please, and I am a Cherokee King if you don't please! Stop trying to tell me WHO I AM in stupid language -- I am not listening to nonsense any more!
Among most races, peoples, and blood-lines there are derogatory words associated with them, some of which are used by themselves. Some Native American individuals have been referred to as "redskins". This usually provokes laughter among most of us, for in the summer time, particularly, some white people get much redder than any native. I have sometimes used the word myself, deliberately, like "I can't get through to these ignorant redskins". But I say it with love and affection, out of frustration, mostly -- even though most people would not. I always consider the intent. At any rate, it amuses me more than offends me -- but there is one thing about the use of the word "redskin": the derogatory word would not be confused with any other people on any other continent. Interesting, isn't it, that the ordinary words most people use are misleading, but the offensive word could not be misunderstood. Yes, very interesting!
We Native Americans will never solve our problems or retain our identity by identifying ourselves by a phony name, on the wrong continent, with wrong terminology. We need to clean up our own act, and talk some sense.
End of Chapter 1, Let's Talk Some Sense. Copyright, 1994.