Ann Marie,

The terms "indian" and "savage" both are euro-american terms and I think it
rather silly that a first-person native american would refer to themselves that
way - more than likely you would refer to your tribe or family as your
identifier and also to other specific tribes or families in reference.

This is similar to the way in which the English or Europeans would consider
us "Americans" in the 18th century but over here our own strongest
self-identifiers were by our states, such as "Virginian", "Pennsylvanian",  or by our
families such as "Randolphs", "Lees", "Adams", etc. Our identity as "Americans"
came as a result of the revolution but really did not overpower the previous and
more powerful sensibilities of state or familial identification (just look at
the Civil War).

In a similar fashion we make the same mistake with Europe - often including
England in that designation. This might be more true today with the EU but not
necessarily so in the past.

It is a cultural imposition to consider historical groups as a
pan-continental group such as "africans" or "indians". There were distinct tribes or nations
within the continents of North America and Africa, the closest that came to a
larger identity was the five nations -  a loose confederacy of eastern tribes
in the 18th century. Also religion plays a big cultural distinction - at
least in Africa with the Muslim religion having a significant following and
growing influence in societies there.

There is little in the way of primary source material from or about Native
Americans on the English side of things but there is a wealth of material
collected from colonial Canada and from the French - usually in tracts and journals
from the Jesuits. If you read any of historian Jim Axtell's work you will find
abundant sources referenced.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Artifacts
2930 South Birch Street
Denver, CO 80222
303-300-5257
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