View Message

Many of the names that groups of Indigenous people go by or went by in the past were given to them by neighbours, friends or even enemies. My ex-husband and daughter are Mohawk, for example. “Mohawk” is not the name their people called themselves, nor is it accurate or flattering. But they consider it no less a part of their history and culture, and it’s still an important word. If there is a name, or many names, regardless of origin, it’s proof that they were there and that they were acknowledged. In a culture where many things have been stripped away, names and words are important, even if they’re defunct or were bestowed by someone else.

---

I just know it’s an entire area I personally avoid, and I like to point it out because sometimes people don’t consider things from that perspective. You can come to your own conclusions. I’m of the mind that with so many names out there, there’s no reason to pick one adapted from A long-marginalized culture.