Wasi'chu
Wašíču is the Lakota and Dakota word for people of Western European descent.[1] It expresses the indigenous population's perception of the non-natives' relationship with the land and the indigenous population. Typically it refers to white people[2] but does not specifically mention skin color or race.[3]
Origins[]
A common folk etymology claims that wašíču originates from wašíŋ ičú "he takes fat"[2] and this is used by natives in puns to refer to non-Natives who collectively rob tribes of their resources.[1]
In Dakota, Wašicu also means the English language.[4]
See also[]
- Cracker
- Pākehā
References[]
- LaFontaine, Harlan and Neil McKay. 550 Dakota Verbs. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-87351-524-5.
- Simcikova, Karla. To live fully, here and now: the healing vision in the works of Alice Walker. Lexington Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7391-1160-4.
- Staub, Michael E. Voices of Persuasion: Politics of Representation in 1930s America. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Press, 1994. ISBN 0-521-45390-9.
External links[]
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Categories:
- Lakota culture
- Ethnic and religious slurs
- Native American slang
- Racism in Canada
- Xenophobia in North America
- Lakota words and phrases