Posted by John Nichols on August 22, 2003 at 19:22:35 from 165.91.199.202 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: Words posted by Jon on August 22, 2003 at 16:28:28:
On this point I would have to disagree. Titty uses the word a lot to mean the people who lived there before the explorers arrived.
She does not use the word in any degrogatory sense except that they are different and speak a different language.
We all try and identify with one or other groups ie the Swallows or Amazons or D's pity AR never gave the D's a better name. The term native describes a group. The concept that a word such as this is not acceptable does not get around the fact that we have to have a word to describe the differences in a group.
I am Austalian, I come from English Scottish Norwegian heritage, my daughters have all of the above Plus Irish and Italian thrown in.
My daughter, whose Grandmother speaks Italian is really struggling to learn the language and in now way identifies as anything except an English speaking Australian girl. Her mother was given the usual Italian epitaphs in an Australian school, but a girl named ELiza Nichols is pure Ozzie English.
We should care less about the words and more about the concept. Titty did not have a negative concept of Native except that it was different and local. I have a negative concept of a rapper, but that does not mean I do not accept the word.
We need to have some patience to not judge the past on the present.
Remember the word Lady actually means Bread kneader. If I walked up to a Lady and said Hello Bread Kneader I would get hit, but 1000 years ago it was the most important thing in a woman's life.
John