Ancient People Of North America
After quite a few requests from some of my fellow Steemians during one of my recent posts about my ancient ancestors, there was a bit of a fuss over my discontent with the word Anasazi. You can find my post here, and see the comments.
My statements seemed to get some folks in a tizzy (maybe because initially I used the "n" word) so I mentioned that I would think about writing a post and try to find "proof" regarding how my people, the Hopi and many other tribes feel about this derogatory word.
I'm touching on a few facts regarding the feelings about the people in this area because I'm doing quite a bit of writing lately on my month long excursion into the four corners of North America. The four corners consist of four continental states that meet; Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
This also includes the reprimand I received while using the word Anasazi in connection to my ancestors. It was done publicly and for a reason. If the person did not care about me he would not have done this, and I respect him for what he did. There are many reasons why this term is offensive and I will provide some proof of the reasons.
Long ago there were what some people call Puebloans or Pueblo Indians that lived in this area and in actuality disappeared into thin air, or some would have us believe. In reality, each tribe has a special name given to our ancients and the word I use for my ancients in connection with the Northern Native American Hopi tribe is Hisatsinom.
So, let us find out a few reasons as to how this word actually came about ...
The Word Anasazi
We begin with a few articles that start to voice out the displeasure about the word Anasazi, and I quote High Country News when they state here:
What is wrong with Anasazi? For starters, it is a Navajo word unrelated to any of the Pueblo peoples who are modern-day descendants of the Anasazi. But more than that, the word is a veiled insult.
We have only started into many of the articles I found in regards to this term. The website Archeology admits the Hopi had been voicing their displeasure since the 1990's, and in my opinion probably way before that with these words here:
Anasazi are disappearing from sites like Mesa Verde all over again, replaced by "Ancestral Puebloans" or "Ancestral Pueblo People" at the request of modern Native American tribes who claim the word Anasazi is an offensive Navajo term originally meaning "enemy ancestors."
Let me not forget to include that there is even an argument that Anasazi is not a Navajo word, and that many tribes have their own name so each tribe must come to an agreement as to what to name our ancestors. For now, the accepted language is ancient puebloans.
The Seattle Times also questions the term Anasazi with their article entitled Is `Anasazi' Now Politically Incorrect? -- Hopi People, Others Are Bothered By Term, a Hopi tribal member states the following:
It's what the Navajos called the Hopi and other Pueblo people, the `enemy of old,' and we feel that sort of interpretation is very derogatory, since the Hopi religion doesn't call anyone an enemy," says Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, director of the Hopi Tribe Cultural Preservation Office
From the same article, a wise man in my opinion stated:
American Indians have historically been excluded from the scientific examination of their past, says state archaeologist Kevin Jones of the Utah Division of History. A sense of `us and them' has dominated studies of the American Indian. Now they are trying to have some influence on how their history is interpreted.
Do we start to see a pattern here my dear Steemians, and especially to those who stated they "never heard this before" or "where is written?”
Eagle Spirit is here to share some facts.
When someone from a tribe and proven bloodline shares new information, it is okay to question. In my opinion, no question is a bad question. The rest is up to you to also research and find out for yourself.
There were those who stated they "looked everywhere," and could not find the information. No worries ... here are some more articles for your leisure.
During quite a bit of my research and intuition I came upon a fabulous book entitled The Strange Continent that stated very clearly :
To this day, the builders of Mesa Verde are often called “the Anasazi,” as if that was the name of their tribe or nation — and not a derogatory term in an unrelated language, conceived by people who arrived in the region after Mesa Verde’s demise.
The Hopis, Zunis and other Puebloan people would have to wait several more centuries before anthropologists recognized them for who they truly are: cultural and linguistic (and possibly genetic) descendants of the people who built the Southwest’s mighty ancient citadels.
Of course, Puebloan peoples never needed academic confirmation of their ancient pedigree. In towns and villages throughout the Southwest, they still sing the old songs and recite the old stories of their civilization’s golden age — the time before Navajos or Shoshones or European invaders, when their land belonged to them alone.
I have to admit, this author won a place in my heart and never once disrespected the ancients of any tribe throughout the three chapters I read for this blog-post.
Take a look at this article from Science website over the term Anasazi and how this raised quite a fuss in the archeological community as well as the local four corners area here:
Tessy Shirakawa, a park spokesperson and tribal liaison, explains that some Pueblo Indians consider the word “Anasazi” derogatory. The Navajo term can mean “Enemy Ancestors” or “Non-Navajo Ancestors,” depending on the tribe, according to archaeologist Linda Cordell of the University of Colorado, Boulder, Museum. Many Indians therefore prefer the term “Ancient Puebloans.” Shirakawa says the park is switching terms in its own publications and asks authors and publishers to do the same.
Many of these articles were written in the 1990s to the present, and even though I made the mistake of using the term in front of my people, the accurate information has been out in the world for quite some time. Historically, the term was used for approximately 100 years, but this does not make the term Anasazi accurate and a change has been made.
It’s time for everyone to be aware of not only this small term change, but many more facts related to stolen stories, broken treatise, ripped off artifacts, attempts to take away language, damaged lands by badly constructed oil rigging, and the list goes on.
There is so much about my ancestry I would love to share and it appears that much of it will have to do with "proving" the fact that what I share is truth.
I'd like to recommend that even when someone hears something for the first time, to be open about the information and then do research.
Most countries are not yet banned from the internet or overly censored to the point where the information I gathered was difficult and I didn't use any of the websites with the word Wiki in it! (My personal pet peeve.)
Overall, I've used quite a bit of legitimate sourcing to prove my point and that of my ancestors. As far as the term Anasazi meaning the "n" word, that has come out in a few newspapers and magazines but nothing has been released by a tribal member.
When it does I will be sure to make a post just for those who doubted Eagle Spirit. In the interim, thank you for being curious and as always I look forward to hearing your words of inquiry.
You may have noticed the photos I shared depicting the ancients of the four corners area. What they may have looked like, how they lived, and what they celebrated.
Within the photos are those of snakes, there is an old North Native American story of The Spider Woman and how she gave birth to the Snake Clan.
The snake was a major symbol to my ancestors and I may go into that in a future blog, but for now I would like to share this traditional story with you today ...
In the walls of the kiva were hanging many costumes made of snake skins. Soon the chief said to the people: "Let us dress up now," and turning to the young man bid him to turn away so that he would not see what was going on. He did so, and when he looked back again the men had all dressed up in the snake costumes and had turned into snakes, large and small, bull snakes, racers, and rattlesnakes, that were moving about on the floor hissing, rattling, etc.
While he had turned away and the Snake People had been dressing themselves, Spider Woman had whispered to him that they were now going to try him very hard, but that he should not be afraid to touch the snakes; and she gave him many instructions...
Spider Woman whispered to the young man that the one that acted so very angrily was the pretty maiden and that he should try to take that one. He tried, but the snake was very wild and fierce. "Be not afraid," Spider Woman whispered.... He at once grabbed it, held and stroked it four times upward, each time spurting a little medicine on it, and thus freeing it from its anger.
The snake then changes back into a beautiful maiden; the two later marry, and their children become the ancestors of the Snake Clan.
There are many variations to this tale and some are quite long while this one was on the short side. Hopefully, you found this post informative and I'd like to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment below.
A'OO,
Eagle Spirit
Greetings,
Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. I’m a First Nation member of the Hopi & Apache Native American tribes, Medicine woman in-training, first time blogger since November 2017, (right here on Steemit), paralegal, researcher, and writer based in the Mountains of Colorado, USA. I work closely with fellow planktons and minnows in a few groups by helping them adjust to Steemit and curate quality content. I’m especially interested in finding others who love natural medicine originating from ancient practices, gold and silver, energy work, and the spirit world. Additionally, I'm the creator of #MedicineCardMonday, so if you are interested in receiving a Native American blessing stop by my blog every Monday, or just say hello!
See you soon, @eaglespirit