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submitted 6 days ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] fossilesque@mander.xyz 51 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The Iroquois are the Haudenosaunee. The latter is the more respectful and culturally appropriate term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois

Haudenosaunee ("People of the Longhouse") is the autonym by which the Six Nations refer to themselves.[23] While its exact etymology is debated, the term Iroquois is of colonial origin. Some scholars of Native American history consider "Iroquois" a derogatory name adopted from the traditional enemies of the Haudenosaunee.[24] A less common, older autonym for the confederation is Ongweh’onweh, meaning "original people".[25][26][27]

[-] bryophile@lemmy.zip -3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Don't culturally appropriate please

Edit: come on, it's just a word joke from a none native speaker. Culturally appropriate and cultural appropriation is pretty close no? I never realized until now and thought it was funny.

[-] fossilesque@mander.xyz 25 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Having worked directly with these communities and their material culture, this is what I was taught, but I am happy to be corrected if there is another better perspective.

EDIT: I checked, since I am old and sometimes out of date. The Smithsonian and Library of Congress have switched terms since about 2022 to Haudenosaunee. https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/haudenosauneeguide.pdf

Edit, Edit: I get the joke now, but you’re all trapped in here with me now, so here’s an info-dump: I used "Iroquois" interchangeably until about 2022, which is right around when the American Anthropological Association and the Smithsonian made the formal switch. While "Iroquoian" is still used as a technical linguistic category, "Iroquois" is being phased out as a name for the people because of its colonial origins and its potential interpretation as a slur. I remember hmming and hawing about it back then, but ultimately, as I’ve learned more about Indigenous sovereignty, "Iroquois" just feels increasingly dated now in any context.