As I continue to look into Indigenous identity and how social media can be (or not) a tool to maintain culture and identity for many Indigenous youths, I came across this UBC site that tries to unpack historical and current definitions of Indigenous identity. Much like my previous Module 3 post, this page accentuates how certain identities are externally given and act as a means to oppress Indigenous groups. For example, during the residential school era, Indigenous people were identified so that their children were removed from their homes and made to convert to the Western ways and practices, or when identities were stripped of Indigenous people due to their choice of inter-cultural marriage. This demonstrates that the blanket term “Indigenous” may not be a term that many identify with. Rather, Indigenous people may identify themselves by specific local terms based on family and community location and traditional names. This seems to be how I have determined the Indigenous identities of the Indigenous youths I have come across on social media. That is, through their self-identification.
If you’re ever questioning the use of your terminology, this is a good read.
Kesler, L. (2010, February 10). Aboriginal identity and terminology. University of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/aboriginal_identity__terminology/
Hi Rika,
Thank you so much for this important post on terminology.
As a language instructor, vocabulary is the base of communication. Audiolingual methods of repetition are useful not only for pronunciation fossilization, but also for idiomatic usage. It is vital for international students to acquire this terminal foundation as well as the sociocultural history that has accompanied the inception of these terms.