Would it have been so hard for this journalist to bother to find out the terms that First Nations people have decided are appropriate? 'American Indians' is totally inappropriate.
Re: the Toronto initiative - I can understand the arguments on both sides of this, but to me, creating a separate school is a band-aid solution. I would rather see a real, concerted effort to make all schools more inclusive of social difference (whether it be ethnicity or otherwise), and different histories, so that everyone feels comfortable and included (and so that there is cultural meaning for everyone). Of course, no one is ever going to feel comfortable and included at all times (that's life, and it's part of how we learn to work with and listen to each other), but to me it seems like a mistake to separate people - it promotes misunderstanding, ethnocentricity, and lack of communication as a whole. And it prevents us from developing shared cultural meaning for the future.
no subject
Would it have been so hard for this journalist to bother to find out the terms that First Nations people have decided are appropriate? 'American Indians' is totally inappropriate.
Re: the Toronto initiative - I can understand the arguments on both sides of this, but to me, creating a separate school is a band-aid solution. I would rather see a real, concerted effort to make all schools more inclusive of social difference (whether it be ethnicity or otherwise), and different histories, so that everyone feels comfortable and included (and so that there is cultural meaning for everyone). Of course, no one is ever going to feel comfortable and included at all times (that's life, and it's part of how we learn to work with and listen to each other), but to me it seems like a mistake to separate people - it promotes misunderstanding, ethnocentricity, and lack of communication as a whole. And it prevents us from developing shared cultural meaning for the future.