This post contains words some readers might find offensive. The inclusion of these words are for educational purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
Working from home does have some benefits. I can shift my schedule so that I can work in the morning, hike in the afternoon, and work in the evening. This season I have seen the shift into autumn closer than I ever had before. From seeing the first changing leaf in early September to about 1/3 of the trees now bathed in gold.
While researching day hikes near me, I came across a short hike on the “Old Squaw Trail.” Curious, I looked up what ‘Squaw’ means.
“The English word squaw is an ethnic and sexual slur, historically used for Indigenous North American women. ”
Let’s compare that to another offensive term,
“cunt
1: a woman’s sexual organs
2a (US): Used as an offensive way to refer to a woman
Cunt is an extremely offensive word in all of its uses and should be avoided.”
Could you imagine if in Fox Chapel they made a sign that read “Old Cunt Trail?” How quickly would there be an uproar about misogyny? The sign that is currently up is both misogynistic and racist.
Too often in this nation’s history the collective white culture takes from and chooses not to listen to native voices. The three rivers that make Pittsburgh are named after people who were forced out of the area. This isn’t ancient history either. Back in the ‘60’s, Seneca were forced off their land to build a dam for Pittsburgh. There are local mascots named Indians. We in the ‘burgh need to live up to who we want to be.
Because of COVID-19, there is some limitation of what you can do to educate yourself on this. I am by no means an expert, but here are some resources that I have found helpful.
Keep informed and vote! Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland were the first native women elected to congress in 2018. Keep on the lookout for more voices (native and otherwise) that need to be included in the national conversation.
Learn a new language! Navajo on Duolingo and Cherokee on Mango can help give you an appreciation for native cultures.
Listen to A Tribe Called Red, a band located in Canada that makes modern music influenced by the music of their ancestors. I personally love their songs Stadium Pow Wow and Sisters.
This Land is a podcast covering the recent Supreme Court Decision that restored land to the Cherokee Nation.
If you are in the three rivers area, check out the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center. If COVID-19 clears they plan to have a public Pow-Wow in September 2021.
These voices have always been here. You just need to get out of the way and listen.
Edit on 11/12/2020: Fox Chapel Borough Council to vote on removing slur.