Gif 1: Wide shots of the campus of the abandoned “reform school” outside in the afternoon, season 2 episode 13. The text reads “This used to be an Indian boarding school. My grandmother told me some pretty rough stories.“.
Gif 2: Inside a small house on the reservation, season 2 episode 10. A young Harrison stands in his Marine Corps dress uniform looking at Max and Isobel (off screen). He is smiling in a knowing way. The text reads “His name’s Harrison…He met my dad’s great-uncle Tripp Manes fighting in World War II. Harry was a code talker.“.
Gif 3: A wide shot outdoors on the reservation, season 2 episode 10. The figures of Greg, Isobel, Michael, and Max walk along the landscape. The text reads “Do you remember when Mom used to drive us to the res, and, and you would sit at the loom with Grandad? Weaving stories.“.
Gif 1: Inside Caulfield prison, season 1 episode 12. Flint stands in a hallway looking at Alex (off screen). He pauses for a moment and then tilts his head and gives a small smile.
Gif 2: Inside the Wild Pony, season 2 episode 13. Greg sits alone at a table looking at Alex, who is performing off screen. He is smiling fondly.
Gif 3: Inside a small house on the reservation, season 2 episode 10. A young Harrison stands in his Marine Corps dress uniform looking at Max and Isobel (off screen). He is smiling in a knowing way.
Gif 4: In the cab of Maria’s truck, season 2 episode 6. Alex is leaning against the passenger side door looking at Maria (off screen). He tilts his head and gives her a “well, you know…” smile with a little bump of eyebrows.
Gif 5: In Rosa’s room, season 2 episode 5. Rosa sits on her bed smiling at Liz (off screen). She is holding a thin paintbrush to the wall where she is painting a stylized skull, and she turns to look at her work.
Amado Garcia of the Acoma Pueblo, pictured here on May 17 1919, enlisted in the US Army on June 3, 1918 in Lamar, Colorado. In the First World War, Garcia was cited for bravery with the following:
“Advanced with two men three hundred yards in front of the lines through wire entanglements in order to attack an enemy machine gun.
In spite of strong resistance he succeeded in capturing the guns and returning to our lines.”
Garcia was rewarded with the Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star for his bravery.
it’s indigenous peoples’ day in the usa! to celebrate i am here to help non-indigenous folks in north america to think about the terminology they use because i know not all of y'all know how the nuances of the many things we’re called. in general, when talking about an indigenous person or character and referring to their indigeneity, referring to their specific culture is the best option. i am indigenous, but more specifically i am cree. that said, let’s talk about terminology while recognizing that the following list is super simplified to give you a brief overview.
indigenous is an umbrella term that refers to the original inhabitants of a land. it is used to talk about indigenous people worldwide. we use it as a collective term because we share many interests, but we are all different peoples and nations. people who are māori or sámi or ainu are all indigenous, but they’re all from very different places and cultures. indigenous as a term unites us, but shouldn’t be used to erase our differences.
aboriginal is, like indigenous, an umbrella term that refers to the original inhabitants of a land. aboriginal was a favoured term in canada for many years and is still used by some multi-nation organizations. canada’s indigenous peoples’ day (june 21) is also sometimes called aboriginal peoples’ day.
native american is a term that refers specifically to indigenous people living in what is currently the contiguous united states of america. people living in alaska or hawaii may prefer the term native hawaiian or native alaskan. if you call someone in canada native american they’ll know what you mean, but it’s not the preferred term. like indigenous, it is an umbrella term and covers many different tribes/nations. it is a term assigned to indigenous people and adopted by us, but not one we came up with ourselves.
native alaskan is an umbrella term that refers to indigenous people living in what is currently alaska. they are culturally distinct peoples from native american cultures. you may be used to calling native alaskans “esk*mos” and if you are you should stop that right fucking now because esk*mo is a derrogatory term that comes from cree slang. some native alaskan people are inuit (see below), but not all are.
native hawaiian is a term for indigenous hawaiians. this is another umbrella term. native hawaiians were not included in federal programs for native americans until the 70s and some programs still exclude them, as do many discussions about native american issues even though they are also an indigenous group colonized by the usa.
native is an umbrella term used by indigenous people to refer to themselves. in north america, it may be socially acceptable to refer to indigenous people as being native, but ymmv and elsewhere in the world, it carries more racist, colonial baggage than it does here, where it is generally understood as a shortened form of native american.
american indian is a dated term that is still used in some official spaces in the united states. older indigenous people may use this (or the term indian) because they’re used to saying it. if you’re not indigenous, you should probably say native american or indigenous. amerindian is a portmanteau of this term and similarly isn’t really favoured anymore.
indian is a dated term for indigenous people in canada and the united states. it stems from the time of christopher columbus when columbus decided to call us “indian”. if you are non-indigenous, do not refer to indigenous people as indian. in canada, it is also a legal designation tied to the indian act that means some indigenous people hold “indian status,” which grants them certain rights. some indigenous people in north america have reclaimed the term indian to refer to themselves.
ndn is a slang term we use to refer to ourselves online. if you’re non-indigenous then bro. do not. it just stands for indian, you can’t!
first nations is a term analogous to native american. it is used in canada to refer to the many indigenous nations south of the arctic circle. as someone who is cree, i’m first nations. it is an umbrella term, but not every indigenous person in canada is first nations. unlike “indian”, it is not a legal term.
inuit is the term for indigenous peoples that live in what is currently canada’s north. some indigenous people in alaska (and elsewhere) may also identify as inuit because the american/canadian border is a new addition in the grand scope of their histories. inuit are culturally distinct from first nations/native americans. also inuit means “the people” and y'all my inuk friend is so fucking amused every time someone says “the inuit people” because y'all are out here saying “the the people people.” not all indigenous people in the north are inuit.
métis is a term for people who are descended from specific communities where indigenous people and non-indigenous settlers intermarried and created their own culture. they are specific, cultural communities within canada with their own culture and language. not everyone with mixed indigenous and settler ancestry is métis. for example, my dad is white and my mom is cree. i am not métis because i don’t have any connection to a historic métis community. again, this is not a legal term the way indian is.
esk*mois another slur. it’s an anglicized version of askipiw, a cree word which is more or less saying that inuit eat raw meat (i.e. that is implying they’re more akin to animals than people). again, even when you’re referring to sports teams that use the term in their name, don’t say it. it doesn’t matter what some white dude on QI told you, it’s not a “more acceptable” umbrella term for northern indigenous peoples. some people might use it to refer to themselves still, but, as with other terminology on this list, if you’re not indigenous, don’t say it!
