Show I I LETTERS TO THE 1 EDITOR 1 1 Term American Indian Is Offensive to Some To the Editor Last Friday November 3rd I was shocked to notice that on the top of this months month's calendar were the words Celebrates American Indian Month The term Indian is very offensive to many Native Americans My grandmother was a Chippewa from Northern Minnesota and in her later life very proud of that fact She instilled in her whole family that same sense of pride for their heritage One of her favorite sayings was Why should I be called an Indian just because Columbus didn't know where he was i 4 iSo So I asked myself why would th the College put something so offensive to me and many others on their calendar calendar calendar cal cal- If the intention was to promote promote promote pro pro- mote the people mentioned why did it have the opposite effect on me Ive I've concluded that this problem like most problems is one of a lack of understanding Someone Im I'm sure was given the impression that because groups like the American Indian Movement exist that this is the term all Native Americans prefer Native Americans are a diverse group who foremost identify with their tribal group Most Native Americans when referring to themselves themselves themselves them them- selves use their tribal names like Ute Navaho Ojibwa To many the term American Indian has the underlying connotation connotation connotation tion of possession and therefore represents represents represents the oppression Native Americans have suffered After all we have American cars and American know- know how and also according to our calendar calendar calendar calen calen- dar American Indians We presume too much by assuming assuming assuming assum assum- ing that I or any other person living in this country would wish their identifying racial name to be subordinate subordinate subordinate to the term American After all we use the terms term's White Americans Hispanic Americans etc so why cant can't we put the people before the nation in this case as well After all the people we are talking about have suffered hundreds of years of genocide oppression and religious persecution by the very country that such a term subordinates them to If your intention on this months's calendar is to celebrate a lost Genoese sailor or the five hundred years of displacement and genocide he brought with him then you should keep the American Indian Month However if your intention is to honor a diverse group of people whose this continent history on goes back tens of thousands of years then 5 you may wish to consider using the term Native American Month Troy Sherrick Major Unknown |