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Help[Opinions] Re: Cheyenne
in reply to a message by DLB
Yep, I'm the one who is going to say it. Its cultural misappropriation. I cringe when I see people named Cheyenne or naming their child Cheyenne.
This message was edited 9/18/2015, 8:46 AM
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Does spelling it Shyanne, Shayanne etc make a difference?
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It has the same sound. I'm not native so I can't speak to variations in spelling. I just know I have heard from natives about Cheyenne being cultural misappropriation, and I respect that.
ETA: Here's a bit of information on the topic: http://www.native-languages.org/baby.htm
The important excerpt: "On a related topic, I should also note that there has been a recent trend towards giving white children the names of Indian tribes as first names (Dakota, Cheyenne, Chippewa, etc.) I'd recommend against this, though, for two reasons: first, many Native Americans find the practice culturally and religiously inappropriate. It's difficult to explain why to outsiders, but think about how acceptable Biblical names like Mary and Jacob are to most American Christians, yet how unacceptable baby names like Christ or God would be. Tribal names have special meaning in Indian culture, and using them as first names isn't considered respectful to the people any more than naming your baby God would be interpreted as honoring God. Second, more practically speaking, the names of Indian tribes tend to have meanings that would strike most Americans as odd. Dakota, for example, is a plural noun--it's akin to naming your son "Frenchmen." Chippewa literally means "puckered up." Your child may not thank you for a name like this when he or she grows up any more than the people you're trying to honor will. "
ETA: Here's a bit of information on the topic: http://www.native-languages.org/baby.htm
The important excerpt: "On a related topic, I should also note that there has been a recent trend towards giving white children the names of Indian tribes as first names (Dakota, Cheyenne, Chippewa, etc.) I'd recommend against this, though, for two reasons: first, many Native Americans find the practice culturally and religiously inappropriate. It's difficult to explain why to outsiders, but think about how acceptable Biblical names like Mary and Jacob are to most American Christians, yet how unacceptable baby names like Christ or God would be. Tribal names have special meaning in Indian culture, and using them as first names isn't considered respectful to the people any more than naming your baby God would be interpreted as honoring God. Second, more practically speaking, the names of Indian tribes tend to have meanings that would strike most Americans as odd. Dakota, for example, is a plural noun--it's akin to naming your son "Frenchmen." Chippewa literally means "puckered up." Your child may not thank you for a name like this when he or she grows up any more than the people you're trying to honor will. "
This message was edited 9/18/2015, 9:21 AM
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