Quote:
Originally posted by redravin40
And lets not forget Native-Americans, which is every bit as annoying to the folks whose ancestors were here before most of ours.
By in large Indians will tell you that they want to be called the name of their tribe, Crow, Ute, Athabaskan, Inuit.
I usually ask and if I'm not sure just avoid in race descriptions.
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The situation is, of course, similar in regard to the Australian Aborigines. Since the 1960s, a popular term of identity in New South Wales and Victoria has been <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/ANDC/Austwords/koori">'Koori'</a> which is 'person' in a number of the different languages of that region. Being that there were, however, 250-300 indigenous languages at the time of European settlement, Koori has not gained Australia wide acceptance. Other terms of identity in different areas include Murri, Nunga, Nyungar, Pulawa and Yolngu.
Aside from this, there are over 600 tribal groups (or nations) throughout Australia.
http://www.ausanthrop.net/resources/ausanthrop_db/
I was able to find historical <a href="http://www.artmonthly.org.au/scroll/white/default.asp">indigenous words for european settlers</a>; among those were alherntere (pink nose), balanda (skins like white clay) and more startlingly kuinyo (a dead person), migulu (spirit), nanadji (ghost) and grinkari (skinless corpse).
Identity is a complicated issue and history is deeper than we can imagine. In the end though, I think you get your identity from wherever feels right for you and be proud regardless of the hate of some others.