indigenous, cont.

[Donald M. Lance]

Frank Abate wrote:

> 5. Would that we could know the majority preference of these peoples, and make that a
> general preference.

On the few times I've had occasion to have a personal discussion of the use of "Native
American" with actual American Indians (massive sample of maybe 2, maybe 3), they used the
word "Indian" in conversation but, being members of the larger society as well as the
members of their own groups, showed some degree of anxiety that one probably should use
the term "Native American" because that's what is currently recommended as the most
"acceptable."  When a representative of AIM spoke at the conference of the Council of
Geographic Names Authorities in Cody in 1998, he used the politically effective (not just
a matter of PCness) term as well as "Indian."  Wouldn't "majority preference" also be
context-dependent -- i.e. vary from one context to another?  Words are tools for doing
things, not just for referring to things.
DMLance
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