GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2004-10 > 1097866067


From: Janell J <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Tracing Amerindian mtDNA
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 11:47:47 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <9a.16c70a00.2ea16930@aol.com>


I didn't "assert" that because of your statement with regard to Native Americans (or the "War Between the States") that you are a "racist", or "anti-Native American", I said that they should be called whatever they wish. Despite the more general definitions available, "Native American" remains a term of art used most often to describe Amerindians. And properly so, as that is what they wish to be called.


- Jan



wrote:

In a message dated 10/15/2004 12:30:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

I disagree. Call them whatever they wish to be called. You can never turn
Custer into the good guy, so no use re-writing history now.

- Jan

wrote:

In a message dated 10/15/2004 9:26:19 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

This is dumb saying that living on a reservation is the only way you can be
American Indian


Bull, you are an American Indian if you have descended from American Indian
ancestors, regardless of where you live or what some "tribe" says.





No one, myself included, is attempting to "re-write history". All I am
suggesting is that we arrive at some logical, scientific, accurate manner in
which to designate the people who were present in the Americans before the
Europeans arrived. They were NOT Indians but the word native indicates that they
were born here.

The fact is that the word "native" fits anyone, of whatever heritage, who is
born in a locale, regardless of their ancestry or parentage. If, for
instance, a Mexican citizen comes across the border between the U.S. and Mexico to
El Paso to have her baby because of what she considers better medical
facilities, then that child is a native Texan.

The word aboriginal fits the description of the populace in discussion much
better than the word native because, to me at least, it indicates that the
people were the ORIGINAL inhabitants of the area. This is all I am suggesting.
Please do not try to assert that because of this I am a "racist", or
"anti-Native American", or such. I am not.

By the way I see no way in which to turn George Armstrong Custer into a
"good guy". He had been exceedingly lucky when he fought my ancestors during the
War Between the States, and he was a genuine idiot in his confrontation at
Little Big Horn. Idiots cannot be "good guys" in my book.

Gordon Hale
Grand Prairie, Texas


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