| Do you have a middle name? |
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Asked 2 years ago
by WekinzRawesome  United States |
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About
a freckled, smart, funny, friendly, blue-eyed, ambitious, wise girl who is proud to be left-handed.
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| 5 Points |
I have three and love them all! My mother did not want to hurt the feelings of my two grandmothers and her only sister. My father did not have any siblings. Otherwise, who knows with how many names I would have to sign official papers incl. my first and my married name?
So far I did not meet anyone with three middle names, but I would like to find out. Hopefully this way!? In Germany one middle name is more common, but many don't have even one. I seem to be the only German with three middle names without any hyphen in between. :)
The only time I have ever seen that was in my Catholic friend, who had two middle names (two grandmothers) and a Confirmation name!
Thank you, dauguy, for your information. Now you know someone (me) with 3 middle names and one calling name as it's called at home.
Seeing your name another question came to my mind if you don't mind to answer, please. Are middle names common for American-Indians now? Which names are the favorites? What else can you please tell me about names of the American-Indians? I am always very curious and cannot know enough just like you are, I believe.
Can you refer a book(s) about Indians, their culture and ..., please?
I will never forget when I talked with a very friendly, elderly Indian after he showed us how to build a tippy (correct spelling?). I had many questions, but then other tourists came and were waiting for him. I was shocked to learn from him that most books about American Indians were written by Whites, even though they were not well / correct informed. I am convinced, many wrong information are provided. Do you agree, dauguy? I would really like to hear from you and thank you so much in advance. :)
My family quit registering children with the res with my mother's generation (too afraid their children would be taken, I'm sure) so we have American names--first, middle, last--like anyone else.
There are some great resources on the web:
on the smaller Carolina band:
http://www.cherokee-nc.com/index.php?page=56
and a collection of links to good stuff on the web re: Cherokee:
http://www.native-languages.org/cherokee_culture.htm
Note that some of these links are now broken, but the major ones seem to still be functional (probably a money thing for server fees). I lean towards this because my family is Cherokee, but that is only a small fraction of the information available on Native people on this continent.
On the fiction side, I recommend Mercedes Lackey's "Sacred Ground," a novel of a mixed tribe investigator who uses tribal magics to solve her case.
For just a basic overview, "The 500 Nations of North America" both book and PBS series is enough to give a feel of what tribes lived where, and what lifestyles they followed.
And I just finished "Cahokia" by Timothy R. Pauketat. Cahokia was the one 'true' city on the North American continent. It is part of the Penguin Library of American Indian History. I have not read all the others, but they cover a wide array of large areas in Native history. Some titles: "Iroquois Diplomacy on the Early Frontier," "The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears" (my great great grandmother was on the Trail of Tears), "The Oneida Indians in the Age of Allotment 1860-1920".
And talk to people. I just this year found that two different people I work with are members of East Coast tribes, and found some of their personal family histories fascinating.
I have emailed a friend in California to get some feedback from her as well, and will post her sources as soon as I receive them.
Certainly most pre 20th century information written by whites is incorrect, but not deliberately so, I think. It is hard to write honestly about a people you do not find worthy of study and believe to be not quite human. There were some exceptions, but those you will find only by digging.
These days, perhaps the most annoying perception fostered by whites is that all tribes were the same. My ancestors did not hunt buffalo, they were farmers. We didn't live anywhere the buffalo roamed, until the second time the govt. moved us off our lands. We didn't live in tipis (teepees--the spelling varies, as Native tongues do not transliterate into English orthography any more than the Polynesian tongues did). Nor did the Navajo, Kwakiutl, Pueblo, Hopi, Pomo (CA), Modoc (also CA0 and hundreds of others.
I know very little, really, just what I have found here and there, and what my family told me. But I am learning.
You must also use judgment. Does the writer back up their assertions? Do they have an axe to grind? You know how you would judge information about, say the actions of the CIA in Latin America; well use the same kinds of standards in this area, too. And remember that they apply to both white authors and Native authors.
You are reliable as always, dauguy. You have send many and most interesting information, and I have a lot to read and learn now. Great! I am very happy I finally ask you which I wanted to do since I read that you are American Indian. I thank you from the bottom of my heard. Frankly, dauguy, I cannot thank you enough. Is there ever anything I can help you with please let me know. I mean that!!!
When I read teepee I rememberd immdiately. That are times when I am mad with myself. How could I forget how to write that?
You said: "I know very little". You? You are a living libary and amaze me with your wide spread knowledge. Positive surprised I asked myself often "is there anything she does not know?"
I did not only get goose bumps about your "It is hard to write honestly about people you do not find worthy of study and believe to be not quite humans". See, here they are again. Brrr! I know, you are correct and immediately a lot popped into my mind. For several reasons I cannot imagine that will ever change. That's why I believe it is so very important to travel and to get educated. To my home-town-newspaper I suggested series on student-exchange and have students report about their expierences as well. At least that would be a start I thought. Result: Nothing at all happened.
"Tribes were the same"? It shocked me that anyone could believe that!
The books are already on my shopping list. I will read them with your suggestion in mind; I learned to be skeptical. In the meantime I have subscribed to the Cherokee-Nation mailing list and have read several article. It's true that "Behind every successful man is a supporting woman". We say that at home too with the only difference "... is a succesful woman". It's very wise what is said about women and did not hear that before in that form.
To talk to people: Oh, do I believe to learn from "the horse's mouth" and to see on my own. And now, please, dauguy, don't misunderstand me, but in my expierence somehow it seems to be tough to get in contact to an Indian, at least for me. I have the feeling they are shy, don't trust easily and might think I am "a white nut". (Ha, they might even be correct.) It's sad, but I understand, of course, but I could talk to few Indians.
I believe, Indians carry so much wisdom like medicine / nature etc.. Do pharmaceutical companies (example) work with Indians to learn from their skills / knowledge? I was told NO.
Their wealth of knowledge would die out. Isn't that stupid? I hoped, young Indians would respect their elders / anchestors better than they do in many others countries incl. Germany. I learned I was wrong.
As you know years ago our CA-Governeur suddenly wanted to tax the Indian casinos What? Almost 60 years ago we learned in school already that the government has no saying at all in Indian reservations. So I asked an Indian who said "they" are still talking (at that time). We have never heart about the decision. Please tell me, dauguy, what did "they" work out? We have some casinos close by San Diego who donate tens of millions dollars to the city each year. That is not only most generous, but helps better than tax money would.
Yes, in school we were taught about Indian's history and culture and noone slept. It was very interesting and sad to say the least. That was the start for my interest / curiosity.
We travelled to Indian monuments here and in Canada to see and get informed. I met Indians in other countries as well.
You don't know, dauguy, how lucky you are that you don't live close by. I am filled with questions not only about Indians, and you know everything! I am the one who knows so very little.
Oh, an idea. Can't you teach in your spartime about American-Indian culture, history and myths to wake awareness? You would be the right person for that. Did you ever consider that?
So, it's time now to say thank you so very much, dauguy, for all your information and tips and the time you took to answer me. I won't forget that. Please stay healthy. :)
P.S.: Please don't forget my offer that I am more than happy to help you if I can. :)
Oh, than you. But truly, I know very little about a lot of things, and very much about few things.
From my Californoa friend:
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/
http://500nations.com/
didn't know there was a website of the same name!
Here's another DVD I really enjoyed:
"American Indian Homelands" narrated by Sam Donaldson. Here is the blurb from the Nteflix site:
"Veteran ABC news anchor Sam Donaldson narrates this revealing documentary from producer-director Barry ZeVan that investigates corruption surrounding land tenure issues fundamental to the stability and security of Native Americans living on reservations throughout the United States. Filmmakers raise questions about almost 100 years of efforts to undermine American Indian self-government -- originating from the Dawes Act of 1887."
My mom has 4 (I know!) names. I only have 2 :)
Thank you for your interesting reply, Gismo. Your mother has 4 middle names additional to her first name? I have never heard of that either. Do you know from whom she got her 4 middle names? And do you know from whom you got your 2 middle names? How many middle names are usual in South Africa? I am really curious to find out. Thank you, Gismo. :)
Nope, sorry I meant that she has her first name, 3 middle names and then her surname. She also has a nickname that everyone calls her (not close to any of the four names). She was named after her aunt.
I have a first name, middle name and then surname. I have my gran's names.
People used to have a load of names as it was the norm to pass down the family names. You would be extremely unpopular if you did not give your child his/her grandparents' names.
Thankfully that has come to and end :-) People are moving away from family names and the norm nowadays is to have either just a first name or at most a first name, one middle name and then the surname.
I'm not quite sure but if I recall correctly, my dad said that people would call the first son after the fathers family and the second son after the mothers' family - something to that effect ;-)