I thought I knew it all

[Pjdriver]

13 hours ago, Tortuga said:

Hey cousin, can I borrow some money? 

Sure cuz, the checks in the mail. 

[Pjdriver]

13 hours ago, Luezette said:

... When we finished and observed our work, we exclaimed "mom, you look like an Indian squall (spelling). 

 

Boy oh boy, did she object! I mean, seriously! She said "don't call me that!!" It was then she revealed her lineage to us. We didn't know that "squall" means a prostitute to a Native American. 

 

Luezette, thought you might find this interesting. It (below) was written by a Native American woman who speaks the language. It seems the word Squaw has gotten lost in translation and twisted from a good word to a bad word to many English speakers. Personally I've always understood it to mean just an Indian woman.

Squaw means the totality of being female

Squaw is NOT an English word. It IS a phoenetic rendering of an Algonkian word that does NOT translate to "a woman's private parts." The word "squaw" - as "esqua," "squa," "skwa," "skwe" and other variants - traditionally means the totality of being female, not just the female anatomy. The word has been interpreted by modern activists as a slanderous assault against Native American women. But traditional Algonkian speakers, in both Indian and English, still say words like "nidobaskwa" = a female friend, "manigebeskwa" = woman of the woods, or "Squaw Sachem" = female chief. When Abenaki people sing the Birth Song, they address "nuncksquassis" = "little woman baby." 

During the contact period, northeastern American Indian people taught the colonists the word "squaw," and whites incorporated it into their speech. English observers described women's medicinal plants such as "squaw vine" and "squaw root," among many others. There are rumors about the word's usage as an insult by French fur traders among western tribes who were not Algonkian speakers. But the insult was in the usage, not in the original word. 

Any word can hurt when used as a weapon. Banning the word will not erase the past, and will only give the oppressors power to define our language. What words will be next? Pappoose? Sachem? Pow Wow? If we accept the slander, and internalize the insult, we discredit our female ancestors who felt no shame at hearing the word spoken. To ban indigenous words discriminates against Native people and their languages. Are we to be condemned to speaking only the "King's English?" What about all the words from other Native American languages? 

Let me tell you a story. A good friend, a revered New England Algonkian elder, gave her granddaughter a traditional name that ended in "-skwa" meaning "powerful little woman." That poor girl came home from school in tears one day, asking, "Why did you name me such a horrible name? All my teachers told me it's a dirty word." When our languages are perceived as dirty words, we and our grandchildren are in grave danger of losing our self-respect. That school is now being taught that squaw is NOT a dirty word, but an indigenous term that has been misused and misunderstood, and that it is an appropriate, traditional, and honorable part of this girl's name. 

Some American Indian activists have written to me saying, "well, YOU can use the word if you want, but WE consider it obscene." This labeling of my indigenous language as obscene is a racist statement. It makes no sense for Native people to cling to and accept a wrong translation. We must stop now and educate, rather than tolerate the loss of our language due to ignorance.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Pjdriver

[kejedo]

11 hours ago, pnutts said:

I haven't check in quite awhile. Used to be only one brochure in Dakota ( slightly different than Lakota ).

The quote means "one language is never enough." I was covering some classes whose teachers were showing them "Dances with Wolves." I did paperwork and did not watch the movie b/c the rating was pg-13. I did pick up the name "dances with wolves" = phonetically "Shumonah tu tahnka oh wattshi" is what is sounded like to me.

[Luezette]

Pj, thanks. I didnt know that. Even my maternal cousin's wife mentioned the belief of the word squall as derogatory. So up until my mother's objection, I've and we always believed it meant an Indian maiden or woman.

[Pjdriver]

1 hour ago, Luezette said:

Pj, thanks. I didnt know that. Even my maternal cousin's wife mentioned the belief of the word squall as derogatory. So up until my mother's objection, I've and we always believed it meant an Indian maiden or woman.

The problem with language though, is that word meaning can evolve.

For various reasons Words change meaning and based on perception of those speaking and hearing it can offend or confuse people. 

 

Like the word "terrific!", used to mean something terrible. Now people understand it to mean something  great or excellent.

 

So we have to consider how our audience understands it.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Pjdriver

[Tortuga]

I just read an article about DNA testing ancient Egyptian mummies and it made me wonder about royal blood lines. 

I wonder if one day someone will discover they are a descendant of a ancient ruler and try to legally claim their rights as a royal descendant.

 

Is anyone here related to Pharaoh, King Richard or Caesar?

[leoperales]

On 2017-1-7 at 2:14 PM, Pjdriver said:

The problem with language though, is that word meaning can evolve.

For various reasons Words change meaning and based on perception of those speaking and hearing it can offend or confuse people. 

 

Like the word "terrific!", used to mean something terrible. Now people understand it to mean something  great or excellent.

 

So we have to consider how our audience understands it.

 

Another example of how language evolves: awful originally meant full of awe. 

[M&M]

On 12/30/2016 at 5:13 PM, Cherie said:

In the year 2000 I worked at the U.S. Census entering people's info into a computer. So many claimed Native American ancestry on their form along with whatever other ancestry that I said aloud 'I don't feel special anymore!' And the blonde next to me said "me either!"

 

On 1/3/2017 at 9:28 AM, Dustparticle said:

 

I'm doing this now, but in 2020, will put down that I Native American too.

 

On 1/6/2017 at 7:59 AM, Witness1970 said:

 

I ordered DNA tests for myself and my wife.  Mailed them in on12/13/16.  My wife's was received 12/15/16 and mine was received 12/22/16.  I am awaiting results.  Should take 6-8 weeks they say.

 

One of my cousins had my grandmother declared 100% Native American by some Cherokee councils.  One was a national group and one was an Alabama group.  I have traced my ancestry back far enough to know that there is NO WAY that my grandmother was 100% Native American.

 

I used to be part Cherokee. I've always had a special place in my heart for Native Americans when they were my relatives. I actually still do although I am no longer one, sigh.

My Grand Mother always said someone close to here was Cherokee, her Grand Mother? A couple of years ago my cousin or my aunt did one of those DNA test or something. I don't remember the exact results but there is at least a 93% chance that we are not Native American. lol

 

My 3 adoptive sons (my wife's biological sons) are a good percentage Choctaw. They have role cards with benefits like free medical, if you drive to certain places in Oklahoma. They also can get some free classes to learn a trade. I don't get anything, sigh.

[kejedo]

23 hours ago, Tortuga said:

I just read an article about DNA testing ancient Egyptian mummies and it made me wonder about royal blood lines. 

I wonder if one day someone will discover they are a descendant of a ancient ruler and try to legally claim their rights as a royal descendant.

 

Is anyone here related to Pharaoh, King Richard or Caesar?

Pharoah means "Great House." In earlier dynasties, it was impolite to refer to the KIng of Egypt directly, so people talked about his residence. By the time of Thutmose (I think) the word took on the connotation of the King. Our literature correctly refers to Necho as KIng Necho.  Like Burt, I hail from the Boston area, where we are interested in words, but move the letters around, especially that elusive letter "r."   

 

Leave it off of words that end in 'r'  lobstah

Put it between other words -rawreggs

 

I haven't lived in Boston for over 30 years and have to take a refresher course when I go home, or nobody understands me. 

[ChrisC]

"Ancestry.com denies exploiting users' DNA"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40045942

[Pjdriver]

On 6/1/2017 at 11:05 AM, kejedo said:

Pharoah means "Great House." In earlier dynasties, it was impolite to refer to the KIng of Egypt directly, so people talked about his residence. By the time of Thutmose (I think) the word took on the connotation of the King. Our literature correctly refers to Necho as KIng Necho.  Like Burt, I hail from the Boston area, where we are interested in words, but move the letters around, especially that elusive letter "r."   

 

Leave it off of words that end in 'r'  lobstah

Put it between other words -rawreggs

 

I haven't lived in Boston for over 30 years and have to take a refresher course when I go home, or nobody understands me. 

People from Boston are "wicked smaht".

[kejedo]

1 hour ago, Pjdriver said:

People from Boston are "wicked smaht".

We eat Hoodsies, sprinkle on jimmies, drink whatah from a bubbla, buy booze at the packie, and  make sandwiches on a boolkey. Thanks  for reminding me about  Dunkies. I'll drink to that.

[bagwell1987]

6 hours ago, kejedo said:

We eat Hoodsies, sprinkle on jimmies, drink whatah from a bubbla, buy booze at the packie, and  make sandwiches on a boolkey. Thanks  for reminding me about  Dunkies. I'll drink to that.

Oh my.....

[kejedo]

Speaking of Dunkies, tomorrow is national donut day. I have missed out on my free donut every year so far.  This year will probably be the same. I really limit the sugar. I hope Cheryl has some Emoji faces for that.

[Tortuga]

4 minutes ago, kejedo said:

Speaking of Dunkies, tomorrow is national donut day. I have missed out on my free donut every year so far.  This year will probably be the same. I really limit the sugar. I hope Cheryl has some Emoji faces for that.

That was today...

There's always next year...