Change Name of this sub forum?

I suppose it's staying as it is then.

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by Olorin

I suppose it's staying as it is then.

My political note:

It seems almost as a hostility towards Native Americans, now that we don't have our own Sub Forum.

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

Perhaps it was changed a little too quickly...I agree it has caused ambiguety and in some caese confusion...Maybe it should be an additional sub forum then..not instead of...

With the greatest of respect, or the closest approximation to it... Please make your minds up.. SF is as much for you as it could possibly be... If you think Native American ,excludes Aborigine and Maori amongst many others.. Fine.

If you think Native American deserves the same exclusivity as Islam, Buddhism, Christianity.. Then that's fine too, but please, please Don't dictate confusion as that will engender a confused forum . I thought. based upon the initial postings in this thread that I was doing the right thing...

If that is not the case. I'll undo what has been done and Native American will become the title of this sub forum once more.

Originally Posted by Thunderbow

It seems almost as a hostility towards Native Americans, now that we don't have our own Sub Forum.

Please....Really ? We at SF are as likely to demonstrate hostility as we are likely to endorse it...

[Gem]

May I suggest that the loss of the Native American section is probably not the best approach as has been expressed a sense of that loss, and rather than a compromise which involves loss, we examine this in terms of retaining what is already provided while complimenting it in the way the OP suggested. This would result in a win-win situation rather than a situation entailing loss. I think that could be accomplished naming it, Native American and Indigenous Nations' Spirituality.

[Gem]

There's also a consideration of the fallacy that there is a homogenous 'Native America', because indigenous Americans are of many nations, languages and peoples'. In understanding that the homgenisation of Indigenous Peoples was, and is, just something the imperial invading culture imposed upon the native folk, and not the self expression of Indigenous Peoples' themselves, we come to the human rights issue that decrees that Indigenous Peoples have the the right to self determined identity.

The name should consider the following:

The diversity of Nations and peoples'.
Their right to self determined identity.
Recognition of heartfelt loss in a historical context.
And with that in mind, Importance of inclusion rather than exclusion.

When a First World person expresses loss, it's not from a privileged position, and as people from the dominant euro-centric culture, we are blind to ourselves and our own attitudes, because we just see things as normal. We tend to think we can just 'name things', as we always have, and write the identities of minority groups, as we always have, but now we see see how the naming in itself, while attempting to be inclusive, has also been exclusionary, and left people with the feeling that they have 'no place', which is certainly a terrible thing in light of the colonial history of Indigenous Peoples.

When considering this, I thought the name 'Native American' alone is inappropriate, as it homogenises a diversity of peoples. So I want to make another suggestion: The Faiths of First Nations and Native American Peoples. (or something like that)

Originally Posted by Neville

I thought. based upon the initial postings in this thread that I was doing the right thing...

I don't think any "Native Americans" are complaining about the change of title. It needed changing. It's just that the new title seems to be inclusive of people indigenous to the whole world, rather than to North America alone. If that is the case then fine but could you please clarify?
If it is meant only for the indigenous peoples of North America (as used to be the case) then how about just sticking a "North" between "Native" and "American" in the original title so as to include those who originate in Canada, Mexico etc? It was, after all, for this reason that the OP was made.

[Thunder Bow]

Once again, we can get caught in the Politics rather than subject of the sub-forum. Native American are the original New World people of the Americas, North and South America and their associated island nations.

Changing the name to " Faiths of Indigenous Peoples" includes New and Old world peoples. Thus everyone is "Indigenous" to this planet. I still suggest opening a sub forum called "Faiths of Indigenous Peoples" and also Keep the other sub forum Native American Spirituality" to cover New World First Nations. If one is so objectionable to the word "Native American" then replace it with "New World First Nations".

We need or own forum, as we are not Old World Indigenous People, and should not be included with them under this generalized Forum title. We have our own distinct ways that are different than those found in the old world. Other wise I feel we are being ignored as an separate people as we once were, and I consider this new Title as an blind attempt to assimulate us into the dominate culture. This I used the word "hostile", and I consider this attempt as hostile to the ways of the New World 1st Nations, or "Native Americans".

[knightofalbion]

Maybe the wisest thing to do is to have a poll of options on what should happen and then all those with an interest in the matter can make their viewpoint known and then 'we' can go with the result, whichever way it pans out.