Readings in Native Film
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I am surprised to learn that Native Americans are today less than one percent of the US population. My stepson is Ottawa Indian and I didn't realize he was so rare! For years he hasbeen ashamed of his different heritage and has only recently (now that he is in his early 20s) taken an interest in it.The distinction authors make between numerical and power minorities is important. The early European settlers had firearm and technological power even when outnumbered by tribes of Indians. This was true also in Asian countries, but perhaps there were too many Asians to decimate, and the Asians had their own military power (though it couldn't match Europe's, it was still formidable). Likewise today women are a numerical majority
but a power minority. This shows a few ways in which the term
minority is problematic. I like W&G's preferred terminology of
co-cultures.
The term "minority" sets up a power hierarchy
rhetorically that should be avoided I think----something I
hadn't really practiced before (I typically use the word
minority)...