Is referring to Canadian aboriginal people as Indians PC or not?

[Cliffy]

George Carlin on Indians

"...Now the Indians. I call them Indians because that's what they are. They're Indians. There's nothing wrong with the word Indian."

"First of all, it's important to know that the word Indian does not derive from Columbus mistakenly believing he had reached India. India was not even called by that name in 1492, it was known as Hindustan."

"More likely, the word Indian comes from Columbus's description of the people he found here. He was an Italian, and did not speak or write very good Spanish, so in his written accounts he called the Indians, 'Una gente in Dios.' A people in God. In God. In Dios. Indians. It's a perfectly noble and respectable word."

"As far as calling them 'Americans' is concerned, do I even have to point out what an insult this is? -----

We steal their hemisphere, kill twenty or so million of them, destroy five hundred separate cultures, herd the survivors onto the worst land we can find, and now we want to name them after ourselves?

It's appalling. Haven't we done enough damage? Do we have to further degrade them by tagging them with this repulsive name?...."

"You know, you'd think it would be a fairly simple thing to come over to this continent, commit genocide, eliminate the forests, dam up the rivers, build our malls and massage parlors, sell our blenders and whoopee cushions, poison ourselves with chemicals, and let it go at that.

But no. We have to compound the insult."

 

[B00Mer]

Wagon Burners, Savages, Red Skins!! WTF is with all the PC BS these days..

Last thing I am is PC.

Crap I called myself a cracker, and Walter got pissed at me and gave me a Red.. :lol:

 

[BaalsTears]

There have been about four separate migrations of peoples from Asia to North America over the course of thousands of years. After the first migration all subsequent migrations can legitimately be characterized as invasions.

 

[CDNBear]

I've always been partial to Wagon Burner, but FBI works well too.

They have only the power we give them.

 

[gerryh]

I like BFI

 

[WLDB]

Does it matter? A lot of people would call me PC, but personally I could care less about what is PC and what isnt. Honestly those who complain about PC going 'too far' annoy me more than the PC police.

Crap I called myself a cracker, and Walter got pissed at me and gave me a Red.. :lol:

ha! Walter in the PC club? Who would have thought.

 

[B00Mer]

I've always been partial to Wagon Burner, but FBI works well too.

They have only the power we give them.

I drove through Little Big Horn in Montana this week, and took route 212 to South Dakota. I was amazed at how poor the Indians were and the trailer homes with no windows.. it was amazing sad to see.

But what I don't understand why some tribes do so poorly, while others flourish and gain millions..

I always stop at Route 66 Casino in New Mexico (just west of Albuquerque) when I get a chance, own by Indians..

Best dam steak, 1 inch thick, with baked potato sour cream and chives, garlic bread..

 

[Twila]

I live in Surrey. Indians are from India.

 

[WLDB]

But what I don't understand why some tribes do so poorly, while others flourish and gain millions..

I always stop at Route 66 Casino in New Mexico when I get a chance, own by Indians..

Thats always confused me too. Ive seen reserves in Canada which range from looking like a third world slum to an upscale suburban neighborhood.

 

[B00Mer]

I live in Surrey. Indians are from India.

Say you know what that river is called that separates India from China Twila??

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The Fraser River.. (drum roll) :lol:

Richmond / Surrey

 

[petros]

Or highway 91.

 

[Praxius]

I just say Native.... there's Indigenous, Aboriginal, etc. etc.... and here in Australia, some people say you can't call the natives of Australia "Aboriginals" anymore because it's offensive and dated and should be called "Indigenous" and others contradict that and say it should be the other way around.

I just say Native (ie: Native People of the Land you are Standing on) and be done with it.... if people get offended, I tell them to get bent because I ain't tip toeing around. They know what I mean and know I am not someone who tries to offend based on race..... if they do get offended, then I in turn get offended at their offendedness and tell em to fk off.

 

[bill barilko]

Is George Carlin still dead?

 

[Cliffy]

Personally, I think First Nations is an insult. First because it has no legal standing in international law and second, they are not the first to have been here. What I find interesting is that nobody has discussed what George said, I have East Indian friends who are insulted when I refer to native Indians. They say they have soul right to that designation but, as George points out, India didn't exist at the time of Columbus.

Is George Carlin still dead?

George lives on in the hearts and minds of millions.

 

[Blackleaf]

Karl Pilkington on leprechauns! - YouTube

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

George Carlin on Indians

"...Now the Indians. I call them Indians because that's what they are. They're Indians. There's nothing wrong with the word Indian."

"First of all, it's important to know that the word Indian does not derive from Columbus mistakenly believing he had reached India. India was not even called by that name in 1492, it was known as Hindustan."

"More likely, the word Indian comes from Columbus's description of the people he found here. He was an Italian, and did not speak or write very good Spanish, so in his written accounts he called the Indians, 'Una gente in Dios.' A people in God. In God. In Dios. Indians. It's a perfectly noble and respectable word."

"As far as calling them 'Americans' is concerned, do I even have to point out what an insult this is? -----

We steal their hemisphere, kill twenty or so million of them, destroy five hundred separate cultures, herd the survivors onto the worst land we can find, and now we want to name them after ourselves?

It's appalling. Haven't we done enough damage? Do we have to further degrade them by tagging them with this repulsive name?...."

"You know, you'd think it would be a fairly simple thing to come over to this continent, commit genocide, eliminate the forests, dam up the rivers, build our malls and massage parlors, sell our blenders and whoopee cushions, poison ourselves with chemicals, and let it go at that.

But no. We have to compound the insult."

Carlin was funny. He was also sometimes an acute social critic. But he wasn't terribly accurate.

First, Columbus was not seeking India, he was seeking the East Indies. So scrub the whole "India" part.

Second, the phrase "una gente in Dios" appears nowhere in Columbus's writings. It's an urban myth.

Third, it doesn't matter what the word meant in 1492. This is a simplistic and stupid argument. Language changes and develops over time, and the same word can change in meaning. In English, "counterfeiter" once meant "impersonator," in the sense of imitating animal calls. Thomas Jefferson called the plans for the new Capitol "awful." He was complimenting them. "Awful" in the early 1800s meant the same thing as "awesome" means today. "Colored," referring to black people, was the polite term not long ago. I recommend you don't try it these days.

Finally, the argument is assbackward. A selected term doesn't "show respect." Develop some respect, then use whatever term seems appropriate. Most of the time you'll be understood. Or, if you choose to be a contemptuous, racist asswit, no term you use will change that. When I was in service, I learned that any sergeant can make the word "sir" the worst insult in the English language.

 

[Twila]

Say you know what that river is called that separates India from China Twila??

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The Fraser River.. (drum roll) :lol:

Richmond / Surrey

Not too many places in the world where you can eat in Little India and then go to the chinese night market. Surrey/Delta have street signs in sanskrit and Richmond has them in Cantonese.

The lower mainland is like travelling the world. Its amazing, if you like different cultures, foods, odd stores.

 

[JLM]

George Carlin on Indians

"...Now the Indians. I call them Indians because that's what they are. They're Indians. There's nothing wrong with the word Indian."

"First of all, it's important to know that the word Indian does not derive from Columbus mistakenly believing he had reached India. India was not even called by that name in 1492, it was known as Hindustan."

"More likely, the word Indian comes from Columbus's description of the people he found here. He was an Italian, and did not speak or write very good Spanish, so in his written accounts he called the Indians, 'Una gente in Dios.' A people in God. In God. In Dios. Indians. It's a perfectly noble and respectable word."

"As far as calling them 'Americans' is concerned, do I even have to point out what an insult this is? -----

We steal their hemisphere, kill twenty or so million of them, destroy five hundred separate cultures, herd the survivors onto the worst land we can find, and now we want to name them after ourselves?

It's appalling. Haven't we done enough damage? Do we have to further degrade them by tagging them with this repulsive name?...."

"You know, you'd think it would be a fairly simple thing to come over to this continent, commit genocide, eliminate the forests, dam up the rivers, build our malls and massage parlors, sell our blenders and whoopee cushions, poison ourselves with chemicals, and let it go at that.

But no. We have to compound the insult."

You got that right, Cliffy, it was P.C. (hate that f**king term) for 500 years, what's changed?

 

[DaSleeper]

It's not the name that is insulting, It would be the tone of voice and accompanying adjectives

 

[taxslave]

You got that right, Cliffy, it was P.C. (hate that f**king term) for 500 years, what's changed?

White dogooders.