Sywash Derogatory?

[Lisa M Peppan]

I agree with Marcia.

Though I do not have an "official" tribal affiliation, I needn't go back
very far to full blooded ancestors.  I only had one bad experience
related to my Native ancestry, but my father and his brother and sister
had to fight their way through school -- during the 30s and 40s --
because of this Native ancestry.

"Back Siwash" was one of two phrases hurled at them at the public
elementary school they attended -- the other was "dirty little Indian".

I first learned of this when I brought home a book on the CJ from my high
school library and in passing mentioned "siwash"; it brought Daddy to his
feet, fists balled, demanding to know where I'd heard it.

Don't misunderstand me; my father was not a violent man, but if his
children were threatened, he would (and did, re: my one bad experience)
jump in regardless of the odds.

My spin on it is that if this word had such an impact upon him *years*
after being bludgeoned daily with it, it is a hurtful word, and fits into
the same category as "dego", "squarehead", 'herring choker", and the
delightful words included in that lady's letter in the January issue of
"The Lantzville Log: Lantzville's Community Monthly".

Lisa Peppan
Edmonds, WA, USA                                              ICQ
#4894690

On Tue, 9 Jan 2001 critterkids <critterkids at BENDNET.COM> writes:
> Hi gang!

> [...] I believe, as do others in my extended family, that
> the word "siwash" or any of its different spellings is,
> indeed, a derogatory label.
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