Wasi'chu
Wašíču (Lakȟótiyapi) or waṡicu (Dakhótiyapi) is the Siouan word for "white person",[1] "white man",[2] or "non-Indian."[3] It expresses the Indigenous population's perception of non-Natives' relationship with the land and the Indigenous peoples. While it commonly refers to white people[4] and the language they speak, the definition is based on behavior, and does not specifically mention skin color or race.[5]
Origins
In Lakȟótiyapi, wašin icu means "takes the fat".[3] This is believed by many to be the origin of the phrase being applied to non-Natives, notably white people, as they collectively robbed tribes of their resources.[3] Wasicu is currently used in the Lakota language for white people as well as for the English language.[1]
In Dakhótiyapi, Waṡicu iapi means the English language.[2] In current usage, waṡicu is used for "white man" and waṡicu ha sapa for "African-American".[2]
References
- Yellowhand (November 29, 2013). "Lakota Pronunciation Glossary". WoLakota Project. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- "English to Dakota Dictionary: As Spoken by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate". Dakota-English Dictionary. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- Setting the Record Straight About Native Languages: Wasicu. Native Languages of the Americas. (retrieved 23 January 2011)
- Simcikova, 88
- Staub 62
- LaFontaine, Harlan and Neil McKay. 550 Dakota Verbs. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-87351-524-5.
- Simcikova, Karla. To live fully, here and now: the healing vision in the works of Alice Walker. Lexington Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7391-1160-4.
- Staub, Michael E. Voices of Persuasion: Politics of Representation in 1930s America. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Press, 1994. ISBN 0-521-45390-9.
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