In her article “Reclaiming the word ‘s-word’ in the Name of the Ancestors,” Dr. Bruchac wrote the following excerpt about the meaning of s-word.
“The word has been interpreted by modern activists as a slanderous assault against Native American women. But traditional Algonkian speakers, in both Indian and English, still say words like ‘nidobaskwa’=a female friend, ‘manigebeskwa’=woman of the woods, or ‘S-word Sachem’=female chief. When Abenaki people sing the Birth Song, they address ‘nuncksquassis’=‘little woman baby’.”
“I understand the concern of Indian women who feel insulted by this word, but I respectfully suggest that we reclaim our language rather than let it be taken over,” wrote Bruchac.
Source (indiancountrytoday.com)
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In her article “Reclaiming the word ‘s-word’ in the Name of the Ancestors,” Dr. Bruchac wrote the following excerpt about the meaning of s-word.
>
“The word has been interpreted by modern activists as a slanderous assault against Native American women. But traditional Algonkian speakers, in both Indian and English, still say words like ‘nidobaskwa’=a female friend, ‘manigebeskwa’=woman of the woods, or ‘S-word Sachem’=female chief. When Abenaki people sing the Birth Song, they address ‘nuncksquassis’=‘little woman baby’.”
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“I understand the concern of Indian women who feel insulted by this word, but I respectfully suggest that we reclaim our language rather than let it be taken over,” wrote Bruchac.
[Source](https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-word-squaw-offensive-or-not)
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