I wonder about combining "Sherpa" with "dog"?

With regret, I provide this citation as the context I use the word in, as I note there is more than one definition:

Injun

1812, spelling representing Amer.Eng. colloquial pronunciation of Indian (q.v.). Honest Injun as an asseveration of truthfuless first recorded 1876 (in "Tom Sawyer"), perhaps from the notion of assurance extracted from Indians of their lack of duplicity. The term honest Indian is attested from 1676.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

That's the problem with Christopher Columbus screwing up and getting his navigation all wrong. Native Americans aren't really Indians and perhaps the real Indians (the ones from India) do take offense at the term "injun". Still, people these days do take offense where none was meant. You can't be offended if you choose to not be offended.

I have taken the liberty to revise the topic of this thread to a more sensitive term.

BTW, watch what you say about Columbus or you will offend those of us of Italian descent. And also people from Ohio.

I'm Italian -- the guy got lost, hit the wrong continent and called it all good. All he had was lemons so he made lemonade.

TomApple
I am glad you are friends with indian peoples and yes the political correctness has gone to far. I am of Pamunkey heritage, and did not identify that because many people have no idea what that is or where they exsist (aka eastcoast). Powhatan is more of a popular term, at least in my circles.
As far as the Powhatan Confederation goes, they are still recognized at local pow wows. Another reason I use Powhatan, because most of the other Pamunkeys I have met are assholes.
My great grandfather walked off the Pamunkey reservation, and settled in the area where I live today, in Virginia. I hunt the same woods that my fore fathers did, and I will speak for whom I please. I am not 100% indian, but I will never be 100% white either. I am proud of my heritage and un-apologetic in that.
But the point I want to make is this was not a issue of political correctness. If someone wants to call an indian an injun, how is it different than calling a Black person the N word?
It IS derogatory, in my mind (Honest Injun, or not). I have no problem accepting Benjamin's apology if I think it is sincere, and he seems to be. No one ever accused me of NOT being a hothead. That will have to be my apology for that.
I would just be mindful of the use of that term, when you don't know how it will be recieved.

doesn't our navy have 'chief' petty officers? and aren't they called 'chief'? i don't see a slur there.




well, now you may offend the afro-american community.

sorry, couldn't resist! this is tongue in cheek and meant to illustrate how sometimes we just can't win for losing.. lol..

whenever i speak to the supervisors of the men who come to work for me it usually comes out "hey boss, when are the boys gonna be here?"

i've never heard from any of the boys that they don't like it - they just laugh. no insecurity there, folks. no offense on my part either.

If you were aboard a merchant vessel and referred to someone as "Chief" or "the Chief," you would be speaking about the Chief Engineer. It is not a derogatory term, in this nomenclature.

The hunters I assume.

The estimates I saw from the Texas Parks & Wildlife department went back a bit more than a century for areas west of the Mississippi, which seems credible to me.