#terminology
indigenous terminology in north america
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.
redsk*n is a derogatory term for native american/first nations people. the term originates from the genocide of our peoples, tied with the practice of collecting bounties for the scalps (the “red skins” in question) or other body parts of indigenous people in the west. do not use the term. even if you’re talking about the football team that recently changed its name, say “the washington team” or something similar. it’s a slur. (source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-brief-history-of-the-word-redskin-and-how-it-became-a-source-of-controversy/2016/05/19/062cd618-187f-11e6-9e16-2e5a123aac62_story.html)
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!
Legitimate question: is there a clever/cute equivalent to boyfriend/girlfriend that is gender-neutral?
Partner feels like it’s more serious than boyfriend/girlfriend, like when you live together or own property together perhaps.
Boyfriend and girlfriend sounds like a fresh new relationship and cuter than partner but what’s an alternative for non-binary people?
You ever just… Read/hear an ordinary everyday word/term, something you’ve read/heard a million times your whole life… but then, for whatever reason, that time you actually really pay attention to it and notice… Idk notice what it is? Maybe how silly it is, how cute it is, how weirdly straightforward or descriptive it is, or just the opposite?
Anyway so I just realized that fire hydrant is literally just… A thing that “hydrates” fire.
Because of course that’s the problem, the fire is thirsty is all!!
Why isn’t a tap called a human hydrant?
for people writing for eddie munson who dont know about dnd, here are some tips!
a campaign is an ongoing story that’s completed over MANY sessions. campaigns can take months to complete. at dnd club Eddie has sessions, not campaigns unless hes making one shots every time (which he most likely is not)
so eddie finishing a campaign vs finishing a session are very different. a campaign is the closing of a story that hes built for months, a session means progression.
the dice! when it comes to rolling for damage it depends on the weapon but you never use a D20 to roll for damage. Small weapons use a D4, large weapons use a D6 or D8, the biggest weapons can use a D10 or D12, but most of the time youre using a D4.
D20s are used to see if you can do the thing, with the fighting example you roll a D20 to see if you can hit the enemy, then roll damage die (usually a D4) to see how much damage you hit the thing for!
dnd campaigns require a lot of planning and creativity, so eddie would most likely have a notebook or even a binder filled with information on characters if hes doing a homebrew.
homebrew describes when the DM(dungeon master) creates their own campaign instead of using one provided in the books.
congrats you got to the end of the post! as a reward im going to give you the mental image of eddie munsons hairy thigh.
Consent is Not a Vocabulary Exam
This post contains a graphic description of a sexual assault. If you would like to skip that section and go on to a discussion of consent, skip until you are past the picture of the cat. The rest of this post is less graphic but does discuss consent, sexual violence, and consensual sexual contact. If none of this appeals to you, then skip past the cherry blossoms picture to learn about Woodhull,…
