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Why did the Boston tea-party members dress like Native Americans?

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posted on Dec, 21 2009 @ 07:31 PM
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reply to post by TheWalkingFox
 

Thanks for that. I was just about to start a new thread on the issue of labels, and how politically correct labels are sometimes viewed as less imposed than former ones. Arguably they are often imposed from academic ivory towers, in the hope that they somehow stick to remedy past injustices. We have similar labelling conundrums in South Africa. We have the racial slur for black people: "kaffir" (ironically an Arabic word for "infidel") and that is so insulting nowadays that one would refer to it as the "k" word. Other disputed terms that can be insults or affirmations are "Afrikaner", "Boer", "Afrikaanses" (for whites) or coloureds and Bushmen (for the "brown" people). The Hottentots and Bushmen amongst the "brown people" are now called Khoisan. Khoi (herders) and San (hunter-gatheres) are especially popular amongst academics, although the terms were coined by white anthropologists (see www.sanculture.org.za...). Moderen hunter-gathering tribes do not identify with "San" at all, and prefer the term "Bushman". Not only do they claim to love the bush (and the term "soanqua" was once a Khoi term for cattle thief), but they realize the romantic appeal this has to global support when their lands and rights are threatened - as is currently the case in Botswana. The !Khomani clans of the southern Kalahari used their tribal loin-cloths to great effect in their public campaigns for land rights. Similarly Native American dress and historic "Indianism" has had great impact in protest movements. It appears that stereotypes can work for advantage or disadvantage. Sometimes it seems a feather or hairstyle can act as metonymy or synechdoche for an entire identity.
I'm interested however in how the term "Native American" applies to Latin America. From what I've read the dominant genes amongst Latinos are "Indian", although the term for mixed or "Meztiso" also applies. The term "Native American" does not seem to translate well to Latin America, and hardly at all to Amazonia. One does note "indigenous" at times, but there seems to be some regionalism around these definitions. At least for a complete outsider this seems confusing.





[edit on 21-12-2009 by halfoldman]



posted on Dec, 22 2009 @ 11:19 AM
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All the real American Indians I've ever met have referred to themselves as "Indian". Only white Indian-wannabes (especially academics) refer to themselves as "Native American".

indianz.com...



posted on Dec, 23 2009 @ 10:08 AM
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Just as some African-Americans are ok with referring to their race as Niggas. Same applies here - some that claim blood are ok with Indian.

You wont be ok with the slurs when and if you get off the reservation or out of the projects. And some African-Americans ARE NOT ok with it and DO NOT DO IT. Which ones DO NOT say nigga to their friend? The ONES WITH EDUCATIONS!

I bet you Obama dont call his boys 'Nigga'. Nor does Oprahs ex Stedman.

Ok ive made my point there.

This issue seems to have more to do with education and economics.

The lower income brackets tend to throw these slurs around. Whereas, successful people DO NOT refer to others as Niggas or Indians.

Perhaps this will enlighten this issue a bit because its light is very dim.



posted on Dec, 23 2009 @ 01:38 PM
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reply to post by Little One
 

Could it perhaps also depend on regionalism in the US, with some areas that are still more racist than others? I'm sure that if someone who was Native American came from an area where "Indian" (or the infamous "Injun") is used with expletives and racist intent and attitudes that person may well object to it. "Nigga" on the other is pretty much insulting in intent across the board, especially when used by whites. One doesn't find the "n" word in acronyms for societies to advance black rights, as one finds, for example, in AIM (the American Indian Movement).
That is all quite interesting in itself because the meanings and symbology of Nativism seem to change across regions and eras.




 
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