Heres another question about the language we use to describe others (following the earlier discussion of the term Indian). How should we name the people who built Chaco and so many of the other glorious ruins on the Colorado Plateau and nearby? I know the term Anasazi is the most common name, but that word comes from the Navajo language meaning something like ancient enemy and is hardly PC. Some people prefer Ancestral Puebloans, but of course the word pueblo comes from the Spanish language. I noticed that Leslie Silko in her recent memoir referred to her ancestors as ancient tribal peoples. Ive wondered, in the little writing Ive done on this subject, if it would be better or more accurate to be more specific and refer to people by the language they speak: ancient Keresan-speaking people, ancient Tanoan-speaking people, and so on. Id be really interested in hearing what other people think. The photo here is of Zuni, 1873.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 17:25:30 +0000
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