Anti-Racism, K-12

Why We Should Use the Term “Indigenous”

For this week’s anti-racist post, I want to share a Tweet from @HollyClarkEdu. It contains a TikTok video from @forwardlight, and explains not only the reasons that she prefers the term “Indigenous” to “Indian” or “Native American,” but also why she rejects the “Navajo” name for her tribe. I did a bit of research on the web regarding the meaning of “Navajo,” and there seems to be some disagreement. This site defines it as an adaptation of a Pueblo word that means, “farm fields in the valley” while other sites declare that the term referred to “knife” or “thief.” Regardless, I think that it is important to use the language that people prefer, so this short video is a valuable lesson.

I will be linking to this in my Wakelet that includes all of my weekly anti-racist posts. Please share so we can educate others!

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