[PEN-L:12628] Re: ethnic terminology

[Ellen Dannin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>]

On Sat, 27 Sep 1997, James Devine wrote:

> Doug reports poll results: > half of "American Indians" called themselves
> that, 37% "Native American";<
> 
> My wife has worked a lot with the "Native community." She finds that most of
> them call themselves "American Indians," thinking that "Native American" is
> too academic. On the other hand, a lot would rather have whites call them
> "Native American" until they get to know & trust you. Native American is
> more encompassing, she says, since it includes the Inuits (Eskimos) whereas
> American Indian traditionally does not.

One of my colleagues who has worked on rights of indigenous peoples told 
me that the preferred term was Indians and not Native Americans in the 
eastern US as well as elsewhere for decades. He explained to me that the 
predominant feeling was that the latter term was regarded as almost 
insulting because it implied that they had the same status as all other 
hyphenated Americans when, in fact, they were here first.

Ellen

Ellen J. Dannin
California Western School of Law
225 Cedar Street
San Diego, CA  92101
Phone:  619-525-1449
Fax:    619-696-9999