Native Identity Constructions

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In the article, What’s In a Name? The Politics of Labelling and Native Identity Constructions, the author, Steffi Retzlaff’s methods in communicating the claims and goals stated in the previous section is done through various writing techniques. Retzlaff uses exposition, format, comparisons and, key-words to help readers follow along to what seems to be a dense article, but is fairly easy to read. Exposition is used in Retzlaff’s writing in an effort to reinforce information which is done through various secondary sources. This can be seen when writing about the initial claim that the colonial term, “Indian”, has a negative connotation. Retzlaff used a variety of examples, ranging from plays to academic journals. This method allows the author …show more content…
The format used in the article separates heavy topics into manageable sections. An example of this is the section titled, The ‘In-Group Indian’, which focuses on the idea that the shifting of labels represent wider changes and explores the use of colonial labels by Native populations themselves. Comparisons and contrasts eliminate biases and give the readers the opportunity to see the issue from multiple perspectives, allowing them more information to base their personal opinion off of. Retzlaff uses comparisons when writing about the use of the term “Indian” as a member of the Native population and the use while not being a member of the Native population. Retzlaff also uses keywords such as “self-identity”, “inclusiveness”, and, “unification” in her writing. These keywords suggest to the reader the bigger meaning of the article which is to promote the right to political identity and to bring together populations of Native people under a common name: First …show more content…
The Politics of Labelling and Native Identity Constructions, confronts negative perceptions of Native populations through the label, “Indian”, and encourages unity. The scholarly value of this article can be assessed based on its format and the information provided. Retzlaff’s article is formatted in the conventional method of scholarly publications which include: an abstract, introduction, results, conclusion, and, references. Information wise, a scholarly article is specifically focused on one narrow topic in lengthy, in-depth articles. This 20-page article focused on identity politics in Native populations satisfies that requirement. The audiences may benefit from this work may be those who are uneducated on the issue since Retzlaff does a wonderful job at comparing the use of negative labels between groups that are Native and groups that are not and analyzing the deeper issues behind colonial labels such as the conventions of written descriptions. This aids in developing a more emotional connection with the reader, rather than just saying “Do not say Indian”. The obvious answer of who this group of people uneducated of the issue may be Euro-Canadians, however, it is important to remember that arrogance on this issue exists in many groups due to the normalization of labels, such as “Indian”. Although Retzlaff analyses the issue of the Indian label on Native populations thoroughly, the issue as it relates to the 1.21 billion
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