Professor Eric Cheyfitz came and gave a very insightful talk during this past Becker-Rose Cafe. He spoke of the genocide and the wrongdoings toward the Native American people. He spoke eloquently on not only how the genocides were taking place but also the extent at which these things are being ignored. For example, he has been trying to convince Cornell to make a small addendum to the convocation and graduation speeches that include a note that the land that we’re on was once part of the Cayuga tribe. This is something I knew nothing about since it’s never mentioned but he made a good point about how we should not deny our history but rather remember it and grow from it.

One other thing that was mentioned which struck me was that he mentioned saying American Indian was politically correct. This was very different from what I had been taught thinking Native American was the correct phrasing. It was a little weird almost hearing that because being Indian myself, the term is now almost confusing towards my identity. I realize not enough people understand this fact or utilize it enough to have the confusion present, but if it were the case, I wouldn’t be able to easily see the connection or references.
It’s just something to think about: how these naming conventions set to identify us.