NYC natural history museum closes Native American exhibits!

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

1 hour ago, Marc in Calif said:

I hope you say "Indians" if you speak with any of them or even with a museum employee. Let us know how that goes!

Will do!

The last time I visited Montreal, I visited the Montreal Museum of Archeology.  Beneath the foundations of several old buildings and next to Canada's first sewerage tunnel, they found a cemetery that was shared by the French and Indian populations of Montreal, but the cemetery was split in half.  The Canadian Indians were buried on one side of a fence and their graves were orientated in one direction.  And the French Settlers (excuse me, French undocumented immigrants) were buried on the other side of the fence and their graves were orientated 90 degrees different from the Indians.  The Museum said it had something to do with the religious observances of each group.  Fascinating

Back to the topic of New York City museums, I have not visited their Natural History Museum yet.  I will now make an effort to do so this coming spring when I travel there, but the Met is still my favorite!

 

[CuriousByNature]

On 2/14/2024 at 1:01 PM, Vegas_Millennial said:

Will do!

The last time I visited Montreal, I visited the Montreal Museum of Archeology.  Beneath the foundations of several old buildings and next to Canada's first sewerage tunnel, they found a cemetery that was shared by the French and Indian populations of Montreal, but the cemetery was split in half.  The Canadian Indians were buried on one side of a fence and their graves were orientated in one direction.  And the French Settlers (excuse me, French undocumented immigrants) were buried on the other side of the fence and their graves were orientated 90 degrees different from the Indians.  The Museum said it had something to do with the religious observances of each group.  Fascinating

Back to the topic of New York City museums, I have not visited their Natural History Museum yet.  I will now make an effort to do so this coming spring when I travel there, but the Met is still my favorite!

 

As a hopefully helpful hint, the term "Canadian Indian" isn't used up here.   "Native Canadian" is sometimes heard, but it is more appropriate to use the term "Indigenous" or "Aboriginal" when speaking of Canadian Native populations generally.   This can be broken down further and more distinctly into the following three groups who are identified in the Canadian Constitution as being Aboriginal:  First Nations (analogous to "American Indians"); Metis (a population of mixed European/First Nations ancestry that arose primarily in the Red River Valley in the 1600s and developed its own unique language and culture - and while all Metis have mixed ancestry, not everyone with mixed ancestry would be considered Metis); and Inuit (analogous to "American Eskimo").

Unlike American Indians, First Nations people are generally divided into 'Bands' or 'Nations' rather than 'Tribes', and they live on "Reserves" rather than "Reservations".  

It's taken a while for me to come to a proper understanding of all this, since it was not really taught in school when I was younger.  But the Indigenous people I have encountered have generally been patient and willing to teach those who may not have the proper understanding.  

[Marc in Calif]

3 hours ago, CuriousByNature said:

As a hopefully helpful hint, the term "Canadian Indian" isn't used up here.   "Native Canadian" is sometimes heard, but it is more appropriate to use the term "Indigenous" or "Aboriginal" when speaking of Canadian Native populations generally. 

Your helpful hint will be self-righteously ignored by certain people who don't like changing their old habits.

They'll persist in using outdated terms -- because it will please them and they'll think they've won a battle. 🙄 

Edited February 16 by Marc in Calif

[SirBillybob]

On 1/29/2024 at 3:49 PM, Vegas_Millennial said:

It would be great to learn about Canada's Indians when I visit Montreal and Toronto this summer.  Are there any good history museums in those cities you can recommend, or have their Native artificts been removed, too?

Some degree of indigenous peoples representation at Montreal Archeology and History Complex in Old Port, aka Pointe-à-Callière Museum. 

[Oops, I see you are already familiar]

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts for permanent art collections.
 

Edited February 17 by SirBillybob

[SirBillybob]

As an authorized First Nations & Inuit Health federally funded service provider I employed the term “Indian” adjectivally in my formal reports on multiple occasions as contextually institutionally endorsed by the community itself. It may spill over at times to common usage without disparaging intent. That said, one would not label a person in Canada Indian unless the nationality Indian.

As suggested by another post, language terms are subject to learning curvature that itself possesses a naturally evolving history, and questionable usage does not preclude course correction. However, a vexatious nag is hardly the ideal influencer. 

Edited February 17 by SirBillybob

[Guest]

It’s never the words, it’s the intent. A significant cause of today’s deep divisions? Self-righteous word-shamers of the PC movement.

[Brak]

On 2/14/2024 at 2:06 PM, Marc in Calif said:

I hope you say "Indians" if you speak with any of them or even with a museum employee. Let us know how that goes!

Many native populations still use the word Indian to describe themselves. 

[Brak]

On 2/17/2024 at 8:07 AM, Km411 said:

It’s never the words, it’s the intent. A significant cause of today’s deep divisions? Self-righteous word-shamers of the PC movement.

Sometimes the use of certain words belays the intent (or lack of intent) of the person using them.