Not funny anymore.

[spookyevilone]

I've gotten this comic emailed and hotlinked about ninety billion times in the last week, either from people who think I neeeeed to see it because ZOMG, I'm CHEROKEE! or because they don't know what the words mean and want me to translate. Is it can be stopz timez now?!

For the record, what she's saying is, "Hi, my name is Sarah." However, it translates to us injuns as, "Hi, I'm a neohippy white chick who learned three words in Tsalagi, let me show you themz!"

It took her less than twenty minutes to introduce herself to someone she's not related to. No way is she for real.

Comments

[zippyfish.livejournal.com]

For the record, what she's saying is, "Hi, my name is Sarah." However, it translates to us injuns as, "Hi, I'm a neohippy white chick who learned three words in Tsalagi, let me show you themz!"

It took her less than twenty minutes to introduce herself to someone she's not related to. No way is she for real.

I'm surprised at your hostility, considering that the main point of the comic was to discourage white Anglophone elitism. Isn't it overall a positive position to take? I'd say the specific use of Cherokee words is incidental to the larger issue.

[spookyevilone.livejournal.com]

That wasn't hostility. That was humour. It took her less than twenty minutes to introduce herself to someone she's not related to. No way is she for real.

For reference, a quick and dirty translation of how I'd likely introduce myself to a non-family member: "Hello. I am Peregrine Yellowhawk, granddaughter of Ethan Yellowhawk, who was married Jenai Ezbarron whose family lives on Pine Ridge reservation, and I am from Four Winds reservation in Minnesota." The response would be one of, "I am [name] of [name] and I a) knew your grandfather/grandmother; how are they doing?, b) did not know your grandfather/grandmother but know their other relative [name] and here is how [name] is doing, tell me how your grandparents are doing so I can pass it on to [name], c) did not know your grandfather/grandmother but know your other relative [name] and here is how [name] is doing, tell me how your grandparents are doing so I can pass it on to [name, c) do not know your family; are you perchance related to [name] from [place]? d) do not know your family, but I have [activity] at [place where Cherokee congregate], have you ever been there?" and it will go back and forth for at least 20 minutes until you've established that somewhere, somehow, you know someone in common - or someone who knows someone else in common, or that you might know someone in common, or that you've ever been in the same place at the same time.. or the same place at a different time. If you, for some reason, fail to establish that you are in some way connected to Person A.. the conversation will fall apart. Seriously.

I happen to agree with the main statement of the comic, though - the formal language of America is English. I should not have to speak Spanish to order an American meal at an American restaurant, as speaking and reading English is a citizenship requirement. There's nothing at all preventing me from speaking, reading, writing whatever language I want in addition to English and are many resources to help me do just that. There's a large faction in this country that want to make a second language mandatory due to the number of immigrants. I am very much opposed to a) that at all and, b) Spanish being said language. I have to laugh and call bullshit at people who claim that learning English in any way impairs their native language - I grew up speaking several languages, Tsalagi being one of them, and the only thing that ever impaired any of them was my CHOICE not to use them.

[fairiedust1975.livejournal.com]

*smile* I get this.

Of course, from my familial background, it's all said in what isn't said. But it's the same thing either way. Almost like linguistic acrobatics.