Merciless Savages
eBook - ePub

Merciless Savages

A How-to Guide to Help You Write and Talk Respectfully About American Indians

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Merciless Savages

A How-to Guide to Help You Write and Talk Respectfully About American Indians

About this book

This guide by Dr. Phil Bellfy provides an accessible, often humorous yet sharply critical reference for understanding how to speak and write respectfully about Indigenous Peoples of North America. The title reclaims and critiques the phrase "merciless savages" from the U.S. Declaration of Independence, exposing centuries of derogatory language and stereotypes.

The book offers a comprehensive glossary of commonly misused, outdated, or offensive terms-such as "Indian," "Eskimo," "Chief," "Squaw," and "Papoose"-explaining their origins, harmful implications, and preferred alternatives. It also addresses modern missteps like the use of acronyms like BIPOC, military equipment named after tribes, and idioms such as "off the reservation" or "circle the wagons."

Bellfy urges specificity: instead of general terms, use tribal names that Indigenous peoples use for themselves (e.g., Anishinaabeg, Ojibway). He emphasizes that language reflects and reinforces colonial power dynamics, and that respectful, informed usage is an essential step toward decolonization.

The appendix includes the classic anthropological satire "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema," encouraging reflection on cultural relativism and the absurdity of ethnocentric judgments.

Ultimately, Merciless Savages (Not) A How-to Guide to Help You Write and Talk Respectfully About American Indians is an educational and provocative guide designed to challenge readers to think critically, speak respectfully, and do the work of understanding Indigenous realities and perspectives.

From Ziibi Press

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Yes, you can access Merciless Savages by Phil Bellfy in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Native American Studies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Declaration of Independence In Congress, July 4, 1776
  6. Apple
  7. BIPOC –Black, Indigenous, People of Color.
  8. Blood Quantum
  9. Brave; Buck; Chief
  10. Eskimo
  11. Geronimo
  12. Half Breed
  13. Hold Down The Fort
  14. Indian
  15. Indian Giver
  16. Injuns,
  17. Kickapoo (“Joy Juice”)
  18. Military Terminology (USA)
  19. Moccasins (Walk A Mile In Their
  20. Niggers
  21. Off the Reservation
  22. Papoose
  23. Pocahontas/Squaw
  24. Posse
  25. Powwow
  26. Race
  27. Red Tape – White Tape
  28. Redskins
  29. Savage
  30. Savagism
  31. Scalping
  32. Smoke Signals
  33. Squaw
  34. Taming of the West
  35. Thanksgiving
  36. Tonto
  37. Too Many Chiefs – Not Enough Indians
  38. Totem Pole (Low Man On The)
  39. Tribe/Tribal
  40. Circle the Wagons
  41. Wagon-Burners
  42. Wahoo
  43. War Paint / Warpath
  44. Yahoo
  45. Appendix: “Body Ritual Among The Nacirema” By Horace Miner
  46. About the Author