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Lessons in English and Social Studies: What's Wrong With the "R" Word Ann N. Dapice, Ph.D. (Tulsa World Guest Editorial 2003) In dealing with emotional issues, it is often helpful to examine the facts. Here are facts from the English language: Across dictionaries, the word "redskin" is consistently defined as "offensive and derogatory"—the same definition given to the "N" word. It is also the same definition given to numerous other disparaging terms for ethnic and racial groups. The "R" word does not mean "respect" in any dictionary. Facts from social studies that provide background to the word and its history: From the 1600's to the late 1800's cash bounties were posted by both the British and US governments for the delivery of "redskins," scalps and body parts. Indians were often killed for sport, which included the taking of testicles and vaginas for souvenirs. Nineteenth century written policies called for the complete extermination of Indians. Here in Oklahoma, murders of Osage people for oil rights continued into the 20th century. Authorities estimate that the North American Indian population decreased from 12-18 million before European arrival to only 300-400,000 by 1900. Whole tribes became extinct. While a majority of American Indian deaths were the direct result of diseases to which they had no immunity, the deaths weren't as innocent as has been portrayed. People knew that removing food and shelter predisposed humans to disease and death. General Amherst wrote, "You will do well to inoculate the Indians by means of (Smallpox) blankets, as well as to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race." Oklahoma expert Russell Thornton documents repeated burning of Indian crops and villages in what he calls the scorched-earth policy. General Sheridan ordered the extermination of 60 million buffalo for the stated purpose of denying subsistence to the Plains Indians. Tribes were continuously forced on long "removals" with resulting illness and death. Hitler studied and praised the model of genocide used on the Indians here in the US. After the original physical genocide came the public policy known as cultural genocide, from the phrase, "Kill the Indian, save the man." Indian children were taken from their homes, forced to attend boarding schools, prevented from speaking their native languages, and forced to learn the ways of the dominant culture. A phrase that continued to be heard by Indians growing up in this century summarizes the U.S. policy in general, paraphrased from General Sheridan, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." Indian children to this day experience harassment, shame and embarrassment in school experiences. This is demonstrated in the result that although statistically Indians' scores on achievement tests are in the higher numbers, Indians have the highest school dropout rate of any group. So why have Indians often gone along with the offensive names given them? Any beginning psychology course teaches that oppressed people often come to identify with the enemy. Why have Indians remained silent? Post-traumatic stress studies show that the effects of genocide continue into later generations. At the age of 100, Holocaust survivor Irma Menkel wrote in 1997 of the extermination camp to which she was sent, "There were no ovens at Bergen-Belsen; instead the Nazis killed us with starvation and disease. You did not have feelings anymore. You became paralyzed. In all the years since, I almost never talked about Bergen-Belsen. I couldn't. It was too much." It is nearly too much for Indians to talk about their own genocide now. What’s wrong with the “R” word? Everything. Ann N. Dapice, Ph.D., has served as administrator and faculty member at a number of campuses including the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State and Goddard College where she has taught social sciences and Native American Studies. She is Vice-President of T. K. Wolf, Inc. and a member of Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism (TICAR).       Thank you to Active iNet Services for hosting this website.    visitors since March 9, 2006