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Things NEVER to Say to American Indian Coworkers
By Daryl C. Hannah
November 17, 2008
If you asked Rick Waters, director
of corporations with the American Indian College Fund, how he classifies
himself, he'd say, "I am Cherokee-American Indian." If you asked the same
question of John Norwood, president of Nanticoke-Lenape Tribal Enterprises, he'd
say he's "Nanticoke-Lenape-American Indian." So what's the proper way to address
American Indian coworkers? It depends on whom you ask, but one thing they all
would agree on: to be the most accurate, identify the tribe first.
"We are more closely identified with
our tribal origins," says Norwood. "It's like asking someone from
Europe what they are. They would answer
'French' or 'German.' It's the same idea here. When someone asks me what I am, I
give them my tribal reference."
Societal concerns over the proper
way to address American Indians are not new. You may hesitate over calling
someone an American Indian rather than a Native American, though our sources
prefer American Indian (after their tribal identification). But what else might
you say that would be offensive? Take a look at these 9 things you should NEVER
say to an American Indian colleague.
"Hey, Chief"
Unless the person you are addressing
is actually chief of a tribe or nation, and you are aware of that fact, calling
an American Indian "chief" can be insulting. "When you reference someone who is
Indian and use the term 'chief,' out of context, it's like saying the same thing
as referring to a Black person as 'Hey, Sambo,'" says Waters.
"Squaw"
While there are different opinions
as to the exact meaning and origin of the word "squaw," that doesn't give you
free license to use it with American Indians, male or female. The word is
believed to have come from the Algonquian Indian term for "woman," but it began
taking on derogatory meanings as early as the 19th century, and many now see it
as a reference to a woman's sexual organs. "Squaw, with most Indian males and
females, is offensive," says Waters.
"How Indian are
you?"
Just as you wouldn't ask a Black
person how "Black" he or she is, it's insensitive to ask how Indian someone is.
"This is something you don't ask people in general, but for some reason, people
feel they have the license to ask Indians, 'How Indian are you?'" says Waters.
"Hold down the
fort"
In a general context, "hold down the
fort" simply refers to leaving someone in charge. But when said in reference to
American Indians, it may be interpreted to mean "watch out for the Indians."
"Historically, forts in
America were built to hold back the
Indians," says Waters. "This implies that Indians are always on the 'war path.'"
"Do you live in a
teepee?"
There is a misconception that all
American Indian tribes once lived in teepees. But different tribes lived in many
different types of structures. Tribes such as the Pueblo Indians of the
Southwest lived in a complex multi-residential structure made of adobe. In fact,
Indians still inhabit the Taos Pueblo, estimated to be about 1,000 years old. As
for teepees, the tribes that did live in them haven't done so for generations,
for the most part. And while it would seem outrageous that someone would
consider asking the question "Do you live in a teepee?" even in jest, apparently
this does happen.
Click here to hear Norwood's recent
experience. 
"Pow-wow"
Waters describes a pow-wow as a
social gathering for ceremonial purposes, and many tribes still hold them on a
regular basis. Using this out of context to refer to a meeting or a quick
get-together with an American Indian coworker trivializes this tradition and
could be taken as offensive.
Click here to find out more
about what a pow-wow entails.
"Climbing the totem pole" or "Low
man on the totem pole"
In corporate America, the phrase "climbing the
totem pole" may be used to refer to someone who is advancing in his or her
career. But it's a myth that there was a specific hierarchy in importance to
images carved in totem poles, which were vertical sculptures mainly associated
with tribes along the Pacific Northwest. "When
saying that someone is on the top or bottom of the totem pole, this can be
perceived as insensitive because there is no 'bottom' in the same sense," says
Waters. "This comment isn't necessarily offensive; it is however, insensitive."
"Indian-giver"
"Indian-giver" is a derogatory term
for someone who gives something away and then asks for it back. It was coined
during the struggle for land when settlers came to the new world. Many tried to
"buy" land with trinkets from various tribes of American Indians, who at the
time "had no concept of land ownership," according to Waters. "[American
Indians], in their conversations with settlers, did not understand that they
were signing over the land."
Click here to listen to Waters
explain the historical context of the term Indian-giver.
"That's a nice costume"
Traditional
American Indian regalia is very expensive and also bears heavy religious
significance. "A costume is something you wear when you are portraying something
that you are not," says Norwood. "But when you wear traditional dress,
you are making an expression, you are expressing who you actually are and who
your ancestors were. So first, to call it a 'costume' is to misrepresent what it
is. Secondly, it lessens its significance to the point that anybody feels like
they can put it on."
More Things Not to Say >>
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