What's in a name: Indian, native, aboriginal or indigenous?

CBC

Updated October 2, 2014

Learn about your indigenous neighbours

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) ha​s​been joined by Anishinabek

of Ontario, representing 42 First Nations, in rejecting the name "aboriginal."

The AMC, which passed a resolution not to deal with organizations that use

the name "aboriginal" a couple years back, might want to inform the

Anishinabek that the term aboriginal hasn't been easy to shed.

assume the word aboriginal means "the first inhabitants" or "from the

beginning."

But the root meaning of the word​​"ab" is a Latin prefix that means "away

from" or "not." And so aboriginal can mean "not original."

The issue here is not so much about a word as it is about reclaiming

identity. In a spiritual and cultural sense, names like aboriginal deprive the

people of their own identity and force them to adopt a new one.

Identity is defined by language and words. The focus on efforts to reclaim

identity has been on what name should be used to refer to the people as a

group. But the answer to this remains perplexing.

Originally, they were called Indians, but this has run out of favo​u​r, mostly

because of negative connotations which became attached to that name

over the years.

The term remains in use because there are still many people who who

have been called, and have called themselves, Indians all their lives. Who

is going to argue with an elder or a veteran who served their people and

this country as an Indian and still wants to be known as that?

got lost when he was looking for India and mistakenly called the inhabitants

he met here Indians.

A more romanticized theory is that Columbus was so impressed by the

physical spirit and nature of the Taino people he encountered in what is

now known as Puerto Rico that he proclaimed they must have been made

from the body of God, or "du corpus in Deo." From in Deo comes the name

Indian.

'Indian' a foreign word

But the word Indian was never spoken prior to colonization. It is a name

that originated from foreigners.

In Canada, it is quite frowned upon to use the name Indian in casual

conversation​,​but we still have organizations with names like the Manitoba

Indian Education Association.

Next door, we have the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority and

S​askatchewan​I​ndian​Cultural Centre and S​askatchewan ​I​ndian​Equity

Foundation. The name just won't go away.

Especially in the United States. Not only is the name Indian commonly

used in everyday conversation without flinching or grimacing, the two most

prominent organizations representing the original inhabitants of North

American Indian Movement (AIM). The most recent image of native

Americans that has gained prominence has come from the National Indian

Gaming Association.

'Native' so broad as to be meaningless

Perhaps this is because the politically correct people came up with the

name "native American," ignoring the fact that "America" is named for

Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci and "native" can be tied to anybody

anywhere, like "I am native to the North End."

The bottom line is that once a name find its way into common usage, it is

almost impossible to shake it.

Despite its powerful critics, we still see the word "aboriginal" used widely by

government, business and media.

In their "About Us" section on the AMC website, it reads "to promote,

preserve and protect aboriginal and treaty rights for First Nation people in

Manitoba" (perhaps using the word aboriginal in a more global sense or to

match federal government terminology or maybe even because it is so

readily recognizable).

Think of all the letterheads and signs and such that would have to be

changed, like the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (formerly the
Canadian Council for Native Business) or the Department of Aboriginal

Affairs and Northern Development (formerly the Department of Indian

Affairs and Northern Development).

Variations of the name "anicinabe" are accurate around here because

many people agree it means "the people​,​" but the name Haudenosaunee

also means "the people" to the Mohawks​, and who can forget how Old

Lodgeskins/Dan George told "little big man" how the name of his particular

tribe meant the "human beings?"

"Indigenous" is being used lately because some see it providing a

connection with the land, but it is, after all, another word that stems from a

foreign language.

First Nations describes many people

The term "First Nations" has been used to describe the Ojibway, Dene,

Dakota, Metis and Ininew (Cree) people in Manitoba and has found

long-term acceptability.

With so many different groups ranging from MicMac to Haida having so

many things in common, people had to come up with a non-specific name

which might include everyone. Note that the AMC uses First Nation to refer

to themselves in their "About Us."

striving to become independent and self-sufficient. This is a good way to go

about things for now.

Perhaps the biggest problem with all of this is that we fight over it and

people's feelings get hurt. I have always maintained that we should call

people what they want to be called, and if I make a mistake when I refer to

someone's name, I ask that they please "guide me gently to a higher

understanding" like the elders do. I never meant to offend anyone and I

hope we can teach each other about these things in a good way.

Don Marks is a Winnipeg writer and the editor of Grassroots News. His

latest book, Playing the White Man's Games​,​is being released this month.

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