I just had an interesting conversation with a guy in Australia who called up asking for one of the lawyers here who apparently met him years ago when she was down there. She’s out of the office for an extended period, so I couldn’t have him talk to her, and I’m not sure she would actually want to talk to him even if she were in, but he kept talking to me so I kept talking to him. He described himself as “First Nation” (he didn’t like the term “Aboriginal”) and talked about his people and how they are similar to First Nations here and elsewhere. Also how Christopher Columbus was like Hitler, and Captain Cook was almost as bad.
January 30, 2008
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Hah! Anand got snootily corrected one time when he referred to something as Native American. “I’m sure you mean, First Nation.”
I LOVE a snooty correction, so I always do that now. Very occasionally I’ll get someone who’ll one-up me. “By First Nation, are you referring to (some confederation of NE American and Canadian Tribes that I don’t know much about)?” I confess that I am just being snooty as a not-funny convoluted joke about how PC I am, and drop the matter.
Good to hear that First Nation is getting a toe-hold.
Comment by Megan — January 30, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
I believe “First Nation” is now the standard term in Canada. I’ve actually never encountered anyone who insisted on “Native American,” let alone “First Nation” or anything more precise. I don’t run in very political circles.
Comment by teofilo — January 30, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Randomly interesting conversations with strangers were one of the things I liked about being a receptionist. Deaf law librarians…somebody in some tiny little one-horse law firm in deepest Mississippi…the wildly over-polite e-mails sent in the middle of the night from some Korean shipping clerk.
Luckily the creepy ones were few and far between.
Comment by Witt — January 30, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
Yeah, this is the weirdest one I’ve gotten, but we get a lot of interesting characters calling in.
Comment by teofilo — January 30, 2008 @ 7:31 pm
On a wildly unrelated note, Barack Obama will be speaking in Albuquerque and Santa Fe this Friday. I know you’re not terribly political, but he’s an awesome speaker and it’s definitely worth going if you can manage. Here’s the page with more info: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/zachedwards/CGBqq# .
Comment by the Other Paul — January 30, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
Yeah, one of the attorneys in my office is going to see him. I don’t think I’ll be able to go, though.
Comment by teofilo — January 31, 2008 @ 10:56 am
I’ve only heard “First Nation” in Canadian contexts.
You should go, teo. After all, Obama supporters skew young, educated, and female, so you might meet someone cute.
Comment by Cala — January 31, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
French Canadians call ‘em “Autochthons”.
Comment by Wrongshore — February 1, 2008 @ 12:53 am
5/7: Oh, Teo knows about Obama.
Comment by Wrongshore — February 1, 2008 @ 12:56 am
8: is that really true? I love the word “autochthon”. Actually I prefer “autochthonous”, but, you know.
Comment by ben wolfson — February 2, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
3: [Deaf law] librarians? or deaf [law librarians]?
Comment by Cecily — February 2, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
Deaf [law librarians]. It’s interesitng; I had several customers in that category.
Comment by Witt — February 3, 2008 @ 6:39 am
That is interesting; I didn’t know that was a thing. Come to think of it I don’t actually know any d/Deaf librarians at all. Way more lawyers, for whatever reason. Then again I live in DC so 90 percent of the population is lawyers.
Comment by Cecily — February 3, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
Isn’t Gallaudet in DC?
Comment by mealworm — February 4, 2008 @ 8:12 am
Yes.
Comment by teofilo — February 4, 2008 @ 10:13 am
Yeah so there are also lots of deaf people. And presumably lots of law librarians. I just don’t know any individuals who belong to both sets. Although I guess I don’t really know any hearing law librarians either so maybe that’s my problem. Why are all the law librarians are avoiding me!?
Comment by Cecily — February 4, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
I have a quarter-formed hypothesis that there is an actual reason for there to be deaf law librarians — like deaf printers back in the day. But I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it in the ten (!) years since I knew them, so it isn’t progressing.
(Btw, Cecily, I checked out your blog. Your brother is right about the hyper-politeness introduced by relay.)
Comment by Witt — February 4, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
Yeah video relay is much nicer. You can interrupt to your heart’s content!
Comment by Cecily — February 5, 2008 @ 11:24 am