One small point, I don't think it was the British who named the whole
place India, it was the Portuguese Spanish or Italians, (I'm a bit hazy
on that, I could look it up I suppose), some early explorer wanted to
know what the land was called and some local gave the name for local
area that sounded to the foreigner something like "India", which most
Europeans picked up for the entire sub continent. Much like China was
named after the much disliked Chin dynasty of the time of early modern
contacts with Europe, (the Chinese would rather that the international
name had come from the HAN dynasty). India was the name in common use
long before the British had an Empire for "India" to be part of, as the
Native Americans, were named Indians mistakenly after the inhabitants of
a land half a world away, by the Spanish. Lots of things like that
happened, the Americas were after all named after a map maker who may or
may not have actually visited the place rather than after either of the
two explorers who risked it all to find it. Just think it could have
all been named Leifland, or well the lands of the Western Hemisphere are
often unofficially called Colombia, but what about North and South
Aqudnick, from a smallish Island off the coast of New England?
On 7/5/2015 4:45 AM, Bipin Gupta wrote:
I am truly sorry for forgetting to explain the back ground for
releasing this bit of news to the Photographic community.
There were no other intentions than to mention the following:-
a) In Canada I had no objections to photographing the Native Indians
either in their Reserves or in Cities were some
of them held shows and exhibition / sale of native products. The totem
poles were a great draw as well as posing for
a photo with them.
No one ever wanted any money, and I could feel it would have been an
"insult" if I offered them some.
Of course I had one advantage, my wheatish - light brown skin, and for
the fact that I too was an "Indian" from a far
away land called Bharat, re-named by the British as India, for God knows why.
They enjoyed our cultural similarities and our tryst with nature.
They loved a Hindu Prayer for Peace, where we command the Tress, all
the Vegetation, the Wind, the Animal kingdom
etc, even our Desires to Be at Peace - Shanti Reva Shanti.
b) In the US, the reactions were rather mixed. Example in San
Francisco we were forbidden to take photos of Indian
Monolithic Art on a huge tree trunk. Else where on reservations it was
50-50 chance that one would not object to
photographing them or their art objects.
The Native Folks though gentle and kind looked kind of "poor and unkempt".
What was surprising is that no one ever complained about their fate or
being ill treated.
Much as wanted to I just could not buy any trinkets from them as they
were far too expensive.
Thanks God they were not Made in China, as I see in Curio Shops in US Cities.
Regards.
Bipin.
PS: We were in Cuba during the embargo, and I asked the Catholic
Priest if the natives looked like American Indians.
I was shocked when he told me there are none. The Spaniards
either killed them, or they died of diseases brought
from Spain. He then took me to a life size statue in the Church
Yard to show us what a native looked like - 4949.
Photo 4828 toy camera is a fun working model. Enjoy the photos.
The Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/86j37pf1btu3f3t/AAC2bJaOJRHDnHEc0GyFGFaAa?dl=0
--
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve
immortality through not dying.
-- Woody Allen
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