February 19, 2009

The semantics of tribe. A founder of AIM (the American Indian Movement) believes that the divisions of tribe SHOULDN'T be dissolved. So when President Obama said the opposite, did he really place himself with the other presidents and the 'buffalo soldiers' who fought the tribes? Or was it just an unfortunate selection of words?

I don't wish to draw or endorse any political analogies here, but would like to only raise the SEMANTICAL question. Could it be...that the word *tribe* means something especially different to these guys? And are these differences irreconcilable?

posted by Dan Folkus 15 years ago
  • Ah, thanks to Bush, our children isn't learning. It was a biblical/metaphorical reference to the tribes of men, meaning the common descent from the twelve tribes of Israel. Just another way of saying we're all alike. American Indians don't need to get their loincloths in a wad.