{"id":25592,"date":"2016-09-09T09:38:17","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T14:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/?p=25592"},"modified":"2017-09-17T21:38:13","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T02:38:13","slug":"guest-post-the-potawatomis-didnt-have-a-word-for-global-business-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2016\/09\/09\/guest-post-the-potawatomis-didnt-have-a-word-for-global-business-center\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Potawatomis Didn’t Have a Word for Global Business Center”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Flashback Friday.<\/em>\"\"<\/p>\n

I was waiting for my connecting flight at Chicago O’Hare, and spotted this advertisement on the opposite side of our gate.\u00a0It reads:<\/p>\n

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“Chicago is the Potawatomi word for onion field. Apparently, the Potawatomis didn’t have a word for global business center.”
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is an example of the use of Indigenous language and imagery that many people wouldn’t think twice about, or find any inherent issues with. But let’s look at this a little deeper:<\/p>\n

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  • The use of past tense. It’s not “The Potawatomis don’t <\/em>have a word for…” it’s “The Potawatomis didn’t…” <\/em>Implying that the Potawatomi no longer exist or are using their language.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • The implication that “Indians” and “Global Business Center” aren’t in congruence. Which is assuming that Natives are static, unchanging, and unable to be modern and contemporary. “Potawatomi” and “Onion Field” are fine together, because American society associates Indians with the natural world, plants, animals, etc. But there is definitely not an association between “Potawatomi” and “Global Business”.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      But, in reality, of course Potawotomis still exist today, are still speaking their language, and do <\/em>have a word for Global Business Center (or multiple words…).<\/p>\n

      Language is constantly evolving, adapting to new technology (remember when google wasn’t a verb?) and community changes.\u00a0 I remember reading a long time ago in one of my Native studies classes about the Navajo Nation convening a committee to discuss how one would say things like “computer” or “ipod” in Navajo language, in an effort to preserve language and culture and promote the use of Navajo language among the younger generation.<\/p>\n

      In fact, here’s an awesome video of a guy describing his ipod in Navajo, complete with concepts like “downloading” (there are subtitles\/translations):<\/p>\n