I think it's interesting that what we call most Native American groups is not necessarily what they call themselves. For example, in my research of the Apache for my presentaion, I found out that the Apache don't call themselves Apache. Apache is actually a word that means enemy, and it was used by another tribe to describe the Apache to the Spanish.
The Spanish never cared to correct the mistake or to ask the Apache what they called themselves, and for that matter, neither did anybody else. I think this problem with naming is reflective of the whole complex of problems that plague relationships between American Indians and the West. The West has failed to listen, and even when we have listened, we usually get it wrong.
3/15/09
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Just as "Cherokee" (correctly spelled Tsalagi) is actually the Creek name for "People with another language." The Cherokee originally called themselves Aniyunwiya - don't know the meaning of that. Maybe someone out there does.
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