Usage: Native Americans and Plurals

[Tricia]

All--

This is a question I've been dragging about in the back of my mind for quite awhile. Is there a style manual out there with a definitive method of how a writer should present NAs in plural?

For example, can say, "Cheyenne" be used as both a plural and singular noun? My preference has always been to not use an "s" to notate it.

I ran into a sentence today whilst reading a book that presented "Minneconjou, Sans Arcs, and Blackfeet" and thought it sloppy.

Regards,
Leyton McLean

[Diane Merkel]

Ah, there's that Blackfoot/Blackfeet controversy again!

I have an old copy of the AP Style Manual which only mentions two tribes -- Cherokee and Sioux -- in its nationalities and races section as examples of proper names that should be capitalized. In both instances, it fails to offer the plurals, implying that standard rules for forming plurals apply. For some other people it states the form is both singular and plural; e.g., "Chinese [both singular and plural]." The omission of a similar note tells me that the plural of Cherokee is Cherokees, and the plural of Sioux is Siouxes!

While checking online, I came across this interesting note in the AP section on Titles :

• Of ethnic groups:- The preferred usage for African Americans is “black.” The term is not capitalized.- Preferred usage for Caucasians is “white,” also not capitalized.- Preferred usage for Asian people is “Asian,” capitalized. Please note that in British usage the term applies only to people of the Indian Subcontinent.- “American Indian,” capitalized with no hyphen, is preferred over “Native American.”

So, Leyton, you are AI, not NA.

Source: tinyurl.com/n89y2

I also found an article which addresses Brazilian indigenous people, but I believe it makes an excellent point:

Those who defend that the plural form is unnecessary (which is generally required in Portuguese) justify their opinion by saying that adding an ‘s’ to a word of an Indigenous language results in a hybrid. In addition, there is the possibility that the words may already be plural or, perhaps, that the plural form does not exist in the Indigenous language (emphasis added).

You might want to post your question on the Indian board or PM Ephriam or Kingsley to see if they will chime in here. They may have the answer.

[crzhrs]

I think it all depends on if you are talking about individuals or as a group:

The Cheyenne nation as opposted to a group of Cheyennes

There is some misconception about Blackfeet/Blackfoot . . . there are the Blackfeet Sioux and the Blackfoot nation . . . two different tribes.

And then we have sheep, mice, moose . . . anybody got an aspirin?

[Diane Merkel]

[crzhrs]

Is that Bayer? . . . I don't do generic aspirin.

[Tricia]

crzhrs said:

I think it all depends on if you are talking about individuals or as a group:

The Cheyenne nation as opposted to a group of Cheyennes

There is some misconception about Blackfeet/Blackfoot . . . there are the Blackfeet Sioux and the Blackfoot nation . . . two different tribes.

And then we have sheep, mice, moose . . . anybody got an aspirin?

Sheeps, meeces, moussakas ... lions and tigers and bears. Oh, my ... !!

Then there's The Last of the Mohicans ... maybe Cooper was on to something, if you can get past his (ugh) style. Of course, relating this back to Custer, The Leatherstocking Tales were, supposedly, his favorite books. Natty Bumpo!

[markland]

Personal preferences, whether correct or not, I do not know (nor give a rat's behind):

Cheyenne singular and plural
Comanche same
Sioux don't be idiotic
Kiowa ditto
Cherokee ditto
Blackfoot Blackfoot whether talking about an individual or a tribe


Shoshones, Modocs and Crows are the only one ones I can think of off the top of my head with the "s". Pawnee are a maybe.

Just my effort in obfusticating the Queen's English!

Billy

[Diane Merkel]

[crzhrs]

Thank you . . . actually I prefer chewing on willow bark . . . the original "aspirin"

[crawdaddo]

Sioux, being a corruption of a french word is actually plural due to the fact it ends with an X. So where does it all end ? Aiyee!!

[Hostler]

You mean it isn't pronounced phonetically? I thought it was Lakota Sooks......didn't realize the x was silent........now I've got to go back and read all those dang books all over again.
Regards, Hostler

[harpskiddie]

Hostler:

You've confused the Sooks with the Lakota Socks, who used to play in the Inter-Mountain League, which perennially was led by Siouxie And The Banshees.

Gordie

[Tricia]

harpskiddie said:

Hostler:

You've confused the Sooks with the Lakota Socks, who used to play in the Inter-Mountain League, which perennially was led by Siouxie And The Banshees.

Gordie

Hey, "Hong Kong Garden" is one of my favorite, used-to-live-in-LA kind of songs. Siouxie Sioux!

As I recall, our state used to be home to a famous "Socks."

--LMC

[El Crab]

ricemclean said:

All--

This is a question I've been dragging about in the back of my mind for quite awhile. Is there a style manual out there with a definitive method of how a writer should present NAs in plural?

For example, can say, "Cheyenne" be used as both a plural and singular noun? My preference has always been to not use an "s" to notate it.

I ran into a sentence today whilst reading a book that presented "Minneconjou, Sans Arcs, and Blackfeet" and thought it sloppy.

Regards,
Leyton McLean

Did you think it sloppy because Sans Arcs is plural but Minneconjou is not? Sans Arcs is French for "without bows". Now, I am not 100% if its supposed to be Sans Arc or Sans Arcs, because I've seen both spellings. Either way, it means "without bow(s)". But even then, the origin of their anglicized name en francais is up for debate. Meaning, even if we knew whether its supposed to be a singular bow or plural bows, we don't know why they are called that in the first place. Connell offered several stories, neither of which can be substantiated as THE source for their name. Then again, Minneconjou is often pluralized with the X, so go figure.

[Tricia]

The only stupid question, Crab, is the one that never gets asked. That's all I did, man. And I think Diane's first post answers it best.