--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], Doug Pensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > One of the things the National Park Service > > emphasized is that the term "Ancestral Puebloan" is preferred for > > this civilization over the term "Anasazi." The term "Anasazi" is > > linked to a Navajo word meaning "ancient enemy." Additionally, most > > historians now agree that the ancestors of the modern-day Puebloan > > people in Arizona and New Mexico are, in fact, the same people who > > constructed the ruins that had been termed "Anasazi" in origin. > > Although I am generally a "brontosaurus" person, preferring the use > > of popular terms, I can also definitely sympathize with the > > arguments in favor of not defining a culture as an "enemy." Thus, > > Diamond's choice of the term "Anasazi" instead of "Ancestral > > Puebloan" immediately perks my interest - hopefully it is explained > > later on. > > Could it be that the NPS is necessarily PC to the extreme?
To the best of my understanding, this is not simply an NPS thing, but really does represent the professional consensus of historians. Again, while I tend to be a "brontosaurus" person, there definitely is something to be said for not defining a culture as an "enemy", and I don't think it requires hyper-sensitivity to bein PC to understand that. JDG _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
