| In addition to the various newspaper articles and requests to sign copies of my
book, another reward has been the relationships I have established with several
descendents of the Abenaki Indians from Maine to as far away as California. Their reviews
of my book have been generous and I appreciate their enthusiastic support. From them I
learned that some of the terminology I used in writing Abenaki Warrior may be considered
either inaccurate or offensive to some Native Americans. A short glossary and brief
explanation of why these terms should not be used is included here:
 | Squaw - This may be a French corruption of an Indian vulgarism
to describe women. Used in movies and books for years, it has a derogatory connotation for
all women.
|
| Stone Age Indian - The Abenaki Indians who greeted the first
settlers had a well-developed culture. It included a governing body, a family structure
and a system of commerce and religion. It was the newcomers who regarded them as
savages.
|
| Savage - Same as Stone Age. They fought the invaders of their
homeland ferociously and with courage against overwhelming odds, but they fought for a
just cause.
|
| Colorful Costumes - A better term is regalia. The Indians were
not performers.
|
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