• atticus88th@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I’m still confused because it seemed like a few years ago they wanted to be called Indians but for years everyone was being corrected to call them Native Americans. Can I just call them by their tribe name or is this an insult now too?

    • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It’s not too confusing. Call a person by what they want to be called. I think it’s more respectful to call them native Americans.

      I’d also say in this case the brand name Indians, Chiefs, and any other should be handed over to the tribes, and then licensed out however they see fit.

      I also think they should have 2 senators, a US rep and an electoral college vote.

      • dhork@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Ah, but generic names like “Indians” and “Chiefs” dont really belong to one tribe, do they? We do have teams that are named after tribes specifically, like the Blackhawks. (Although Wikipedia says the team was named after an army regiment, which was named after the tribe.) And if you get into college sports, you have a lot more.

        People may find those less objectionable because there is a tribe or a group of people who the team can say they represent, and get some culturally appropriate context to the team name. But calling a team “Indians” seems analogous to calling a team the “Asians” or the “Europeans”.

        The systemic oppression of the native population also has something to do with it. Nobody complains about the Padres and their Friar logo, or the handsomely Nordic logo for the Vikings. But that could be because they didn’t get treated the same way.

        • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          While I agree that there are details that would need to be worked out, it’s not as impossible as you’re making it sound.

          I’m sure the existing tribes have some form of leadership. Put them in a room together and have them work it out.

          I disagree that others groups need to be addressed at the same time. Let’s focus on fixing one issue on its own instead of trying to fix every issue at once. That’s scope creep, and it’s never a good thing.

          Lastly, your example of teams being named “Asians” or “Europeans” is not the same, else we would have those names.

    • A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      My understanding is Native is generally fine, many have reclaimed “Indian” for themselves but results may vary. If you do know a person’s affiliation then that’s obviously fine too.