- By Jim Evans
- Entertainment
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Smart TalkSMART TALK by Dr. Parley Speake
NATIVE AMERICANS: Some years ago, R. Carlos Nakai, and inspiring musician and speaker, delivered the annual Samuel Bacon Lecture on American Language at the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired.
He asked, "How many of you are Native Americans?"
A few hands went up.
"How many were born in this country?"
Most of the audience raised their hands.
"Aren't you natives, too? Please! Thinking you're not a native makes you feel as if you're not responsible for this land.
"And you know what we call each other at home? Indians!"
What a concise and cogent revelation of the folly of political correctness run amok. Native refers to birth, as do neonatal, nativity, and nature. Everyone born here is, by definition, a native American and must accept responsibility along with the privilege.
If you fear the wrath of simple minded PC language police, you can still avoid the racist meaning of Native American. Just pay attention to the tribe or nation of the people in the discussion, or ask, and use that, such as the Zuñi Nation, or Navajos, or Algonquins, and so on, if it really matters.
Like African American, the term Native American misleads and demonstrates ignorance.
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