Indigenous Learning Circle Guelph

What’s in a name?

Well, in this case, a lot.

“Indian is disrespectful. To Aboriginal people and to people of India. That name was given as the result of a big mistake and diminishes both the people of Turtle Island and of India, neither matters enough to have their own name, they are all just savages.

The Government of Canada still has the Indian Act. Legally, anyone who falls under the Indian Act is an Indian. However, the government does not use this term outside of the Indian Act.

“Native” is inaccurate. Anyone born in Canada is a Native Canadian.

“Aboriginal” is most used but still incorrect. The true meaning is “not original” from Latin Ab for “away from” or “anti” as in abnormal.

“First Nations” is confusing.

“Indigenous” is completely acceptable. We tend to think of Australia for this term though, but it is completely appropriate here.

The most correct terms in Southwestern Ontario are:

Anishnaabe or Nishnaabe. There are lots of different spellings and pronunciations but the same word. There are different interpretations too. Some say it means “the people who where here before the others came” or “the first or original people” and even “the good beings”. If it has a g or k at the end it is plural.

Haudenosaunee meaning "People of the Longhouse".

North America is known as Turtle Island.

We’re not all the same

Not all Aboriginal people think and believe alike. Like every group in society ie: religion, culture, heritage, students, lawyers, Canadians, there are fundamentals that bring those people together but each of them is an individual with their own politics and religious believes, parenting styles, fashion etc. So is true for Anishnaabe people. Some of the fundamentals are respect for all things, protecting the planet, only take as much as you can use but beyond that each is an individual.

Teachings differ. The things we do in our Circle may not be the way someone else would do them. Neither is wrong, just different.