Hard not to laugh

[Miah]

Hehe, I tell ya I got almost the same thing tonight at the movie theater. I cut a guy off just as I turned around to look him eye to eye. was great my wife just chuckled as we walked past.

[GMan]

Something about that eyeball to eyeball contact that makes people stop and think. Haven't had it in awhile, people are are use to it by now.

[RockyR]

What I find amusing is how they want to laugh -- get cut off like that, then we have a field day of laughter as we move on.

[Mike n NC]

bubba, I'm no giant either, though I'm over 6' I only weigh in at about 180-190. I think it's the broken, beat up knuckles and the "thousand yard stare".

On a brighter note, I spent the afternoon at the Salt Water Pow Wow, a gathering of the southeastern tribes. I did have one older lady call my kilt a skirt and was kinda surpirsed when one of the indians jumped her saying "ma'am, it rude to insult a man's choice of dress. This gentleman is showing his pride in a heritage as old as ours." :o Turns out he has MacTavish in his background and that the MacQueens and MacTavish are distantly related. I did get a lot of compliments from the indians (no, they don't call themselves native americans) on my kilt. This from people in full outfit, even had one ask me to pose for a pic.

Mike

[RockyR]

----- I did get a lot of compliments from the indians (no, they don't call themselves native americans) on my kilt. This from people in full outfit, even had one ask me to pose for a pic.

Mike

That happened to me in the Mountains in NC up on the Parkway last Sept. My wife and I were walking along this overlook when a SUV pulled up and a girl inside asked if she could take a picture of me in my Kilt. That was a nice surprise..

[Rob Wright]

I did get a lot of compliments from the indians (no, they don't call themselves native americans) on my kilt.

The Indians understand wanting to connect with ones past and heritage. I've never had any problems from the Mescalero's in my area(In fact last night I was one of four white folks at a birthday party on the reservation, we all had fun. 8) )

Rob Wright

[Hamish]

Slightly Off Topic this but I am interested to see that several of you chaps across the pond use the word "Indians". I have understood for some years that such a name is almost an insult and that they should be referred to as "Native Americans".

Have I got this wrong somewhere along the line?

[Mike n NC]

Hello Ham, When in the company of Romans, do as the Romans do. I can't speak for the rest of the states but here in the coastal plains area of North Carolina, they prefer to be called Indians or better yet, by the name of their tribe.

Part of this may stem from people like me that check native american on applications and forms. I am an american and I was born here, ergo, native american. About the only people I have run across that demand to be called native americans are race baiting.

The heritage and ancestory of the american indian is a long and proud one but only in the last few years have they begun to celibrate it. Perhaps with the return of their pride and some of the old ways came the change.
Oh course, the above is only speculation and an expression of MOHO.

Mike

[GMan]

I agree with your speculation Mike, if you do know the tribe that is great. But trying to figure out the difference of Southern Ute or Mountain Ute can be a problem, so usually Ute would work. Sometimes I have been chastised for saying Indian, but as many have said to me they were born in America so they are Native Americans, and because I was born here I too am a Native American. But these same people call themselves Indians, but then again if they do not feel that you are using Indian in a negative tone they seem to be OK with it.

[Magnus Sporrano]

Slightly Off Topic this but I am interested to see that several of you chaps across the pond use the word "Indians". I have understood for some years that such a name is almost an insult and that they should be referred to as "Native Americans".

This is mostly a creation of the overly Political Correct in American society. Many people feel slighted to be called "Indian" or "Black" or whatever and insist on being hyphenated Americans. i.e. "African-Americans" or "Native-Americans". But it is silly and it usually ends up offending other people. For example, "Native-American" technically describes anyone born in north or south America, regardless of skin color. "African American" usually implies "black" but you should see the debacles that can be started when a person with alibaster skin checks off that box on a form, when they are a white person from South Africa.

Most Americans aren't that uptight. We end up having to use those names to avoid litigation from the people who are that uptight.

My wife is half Scot, half Blackfoot Indian (Siksika). I don't even call her "Indian"; I call her "Skraeling" which is the old Viking word used to describe Indians and Eskimoes. "Indian" isn't really right because you could be talking about red Indians or brown Indians which are totally different cultures. Native American is such a mouthful and doesn't work well either. If you know the tribe that the person is from, it's very polite to describe a person as "Cherokee" or "Navajo" specifically rather than the catch-all "Indian". I only use "Skraeling" inside of the family because it is not a word in common use these days and can be considered to be rude if used in the wrong context.