How to read and write about peoples respectfully
Words shape how people are seen and treated. You will learn a short set of habits that make your reading sharper and your writing fair and accurate.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for classrooms, newsrooms and the curious.
For centuries, most writing about indigenous and tribal peoples was done by outsiders: soldiers, missionaries, officials and travellers. Much of it described people as curiosities or as problems to be solved. Those habits linger in schoolbooks, news reports and tourist brochures. Learning to spot them is the first step. Writing without them is the second.
Use the present tense for living peoples
A common mistake is to write as though a people belongs to the past: 'the Cherokee lived in houses of wood and clay'. The Cherokee live today, in houses like anyone else's, and number several hundred thousand citizens. Use the past tense for past events and the present tense for living societies. If a custom has changed, say so, and say when.
Words to drop
- 'Primitive', 'backward', 'savage', 'stone age': these rank people on a false ladder.
- 'Exotic', 'colourful', 'untouched', 'lost tribe': these turn people into scenery.
- 'Discovered': a place where people already live cannot be discovered, only reached.
- 'Costume' for everyday or ceremonial dress: say clothing, dress or regalia.
- 'Myth' for a living sacred account: say story, narrative or teaching unless the people use myth themselves.
Be specific
Avoid lumping. There is no single 'tribal culture' or 'Native American religion', any more than there is one 'European culture'. Name the people: say Santhal, Hopi or Yanomami. Name the place and the time. If you only know about one village in one decade, say that. Specific writing is both more respectful and more accurate.
Capital letters, plurals and names
Capitalise the names of peoples, as you would 'French' or 'Tamil'. Many style guides now also capitalise Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Nations when they refer to peoples. Write 'indigenous peoples' with an s when you mean many distinct groups: the plural signals that each is a people with collective rights. Avoid possessives such as 'India's tribals' or 'our Aboriginals', which suggest ownership.
Ask who is speaking
When you read, check the source. Is the writer a member of the community, or quoting members by name? Is the material recent? An account from 1900 may be valuable, but it tells you what one outsider saw in 1900. Look for books, films and websites made by the people themselves, and for the statements of their own councils and organisations.
- 'A primitive tribe untouched by time'
- 'The tribals worship nature'
- 'Columbus discovered America'
- 'A people who have chosen to avoid outside contact'
- 'Many Dongria Kondh hold the Niyamgiri hills sacred'
- 'Columbus reached the Caribbean in 1492'
Avoid both of the easy stories
Two stories are tempting and both mislead. One says that indigenous peoples are victims with no power to act. The other says that they are noble guardians living in perfect harmony with nature. Real communities include farmers and lawyers, disagreements and debates, good decisions and bad ones. Write about people as you would wish your own community to be written about.
Finally, respect limits. Some knowledge is not meant for everyone. Certain songs, images, names of the dead or sacred places may be restricted by a people's own law. Australian broadcasters, for instance, warn Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers when a programme contains images of people who have died. If a community asks that something stay private, that request deserves to be honoured.