Why isn't it okay to name your child Cree or Dakota or the names of other native american tribes?
Just got into an argument with my mother about whether or not it's okay to name your child Cree if you have either no or a minimal amount of native american blood in you, say 1/16th. I'm on the side that says it is highly appropriative and isn't okay, she says it's fine because you're shedding light on the culture....I just can't agree with her. It doesn't feel right.
Can someone say why it isn't okay in plain English? She's making the argument that it would be like woman of norwegian descent naming her daughter Nora, and I think that analogy isn't valid at all...
♥ Ninja Robot ♥2013-05-20T07:09:17Z
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I think it's perfectly fine. It's just like naming one's child India, London, Asia, etc. when they're not from any of those places. I may not agree with the names themselves, but I do not agree with your reasoning of them being inappropriate. I think political correctness has gone too far.
Please see this website about this issue: http://www.native-languages.org/baby.htm
"...there has been a recent trend towards giving white children the names of Indian tribes as first names (Dakota, Cheyenne, Chippewa, etc.) I'd recommend against this, though, for two reasons: first, many Native Americans find the practice culturally and religiously inappropriate...Tribal names have special meaning in Indian culture, and using them as first names isn't considered respectful to the people
...Second, more practically speaking, the names of Indian tribes tend to have meanings that would strike most Americans as odd. Dakota, for example, is a plural noun--it's akin to naming your son "Frenchmen." Chippewa literally means "puckered up." Your child may not thank you for a name like this when he or she grows up any more than the people you're trying to honor will."
Frankly, if you are a Tribal member, you already know this is offensive. If you're not a Tribal member...now you know.
I have never heard of the name Cree, but I have known several Dakota's and both boys and girls. And none have Native American, that I know of. But, you cannot always tell by their appearance.
- I don't care for it. It doesn't seem appropriate. It's the name of a tribe, not a person. I've got a tiny bit of Native American blood in me, and I would neither use the names of a tribe nor an Indian name. I'm not "Indian enough" -