Issues
Battling Racism
Etiquette for Non-Indians
Don't ask if we get money from the casino....
Don't bother telling the story about the arrowhead....
Don't pick up a rattle and shake it without at least asking....
Avoid the 'who looks more Indian' stuff....
Don't touch or pick up our personal belongings without asking....
Use the word 'Nation' instead of 'tribe'....
Refer to Indian traditional clothing as regalia, not a 'costume'....
Avoid the 'how much Indian are you' questions....
Don't ask if we are 'full-blood' or 'pure-Indian'....
Don't ask "Are you a real Indian"....
Don't ask 'can I touch you?'....
Avoid interupting, especially
with elders....
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All in all, be as respectful
and courteous as you would
with any other ethnic group
and you'll avoid being
unknowingly disrespectful to
Indigenous people.
(A good test is to apply the
above scenarios to another
ethnic group to get an understanding
of just how
offensive they can be)
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(All of the above scenarios are
based on actual experiences from me, relatives and friends.)