What is it about?
In the last few years, First Nations in Québec and French-speaking Canada are asking that we replace the general denominations "Indiens" and "Amérindiens" with "Premières Nations" and "Autochtones". "Indiens" and "Amérindiens" are rejected because they were given by people who are exterior to the group, the colonizers. The change of denominations is an empowerment process on the part of the Indegenous peoples of Canada.
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Why is it important?
This renaming phenomenon is taking place in many regions of the world, though the mecanisms are not always the same - some South American peoples are reclaiming "Indian". It is important to understand the various means by which these changes occur around the world. In Canada, this renaming is embraced at all levels - including in the governement, as part of the Reconciliation with First Nations of Canada. This study allows to understand why the change is taking place, and why there sometimes is resistance to it.
Perspectives
This is the first article I wrote in English on the subject - the others being written in French. Though it is important to write research papers in other languages, I think it is also important to share sociolinguistic phenomenons taking place everywhere so that everyone can read them. Since the renaming of Indigenous peoples is happening in many languages, I thought it was important that the phenomenon as it happened in French be made available for speakers of other languages.
Mireille Elchacar
Université Téluq
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: From Indien to Autochtone, Nota Bene, November 2024, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/nb.00005.elc.
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