My “halfbreed”dad grew up on Oklahoma’s Chickasaw reservation as an Indian (his word). As a child, then, and throughout much of my life, I’ve had close personal relationships with tribe-affiliated friends and acquaintances. And in all this time, I’ve only heard the term Native American used self-referentially once, by a small group (about 6), at a school board meeting, protesting certain mascot names (e.g, the Mohicans). Other than that, it's always been either American Indian or simply Indian. Always, with no exceptions.
I recall one such friend, a Zuni, relating to me that he saw “Native American” as a white liberal term, and thus gladly stuck with American Indian.
Also, though I’m definitely on the political left, the thing about my fellow lefties that bothers me most is their penchant for insisting on PC pronouns and other specific terms for societal phenomena (which, by the way, you nailed). For example, while I was checking in to present at a math conference, the registration volunteer (a fellow math person) inquired about my limp (lower spine nerve issue). But when I offered up the reason for my “gimpy leg,” her dirty look told me she took issue with my chosen descriptor.
Somewhat stunned by her decidedly negative reaction, I stammered, “Crippled?” Her quick, and very condescending retort was, “Disabled!” My response to that was a simple, “Hm,” as I reckoned the well-deserved “Fuck you!” I wanted to heave her way may have sparked more trouble than the incident called for.
So, with all that’s so glaringly wrong with the right, I tend to often agree (not always) with their indifference concerning noun or pronoun choice.
Incidentally, in the brief exchange between you and me regarding my upcoming article on the role of language in shaping perception, while yours centers on the political left, mine incudes them along with the whole political spectrum, and how we can count on such language use in general to further stupefy us.
Other than that, thanks for yet another excellent article, Jeffrey. and I look forward to your next one. In the meantime, stay well.
