• GBU_28
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    10 months ago

    Shouldn’t say off the rez any more.

    That phrase refers to the historical bad treatment native Americans would experience, if caught “off the reservation” by police. Often including beatings and killings

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Kind of.

      In this context saying someone is “off the reservation” means that all Natives were stupid/crazy or uneducated. So if someone did something stupid, it meant they were acting like a Native from a reservation. Like how someone might say “hood”, “ghetto”, or more recently “huddy”.

      In some context “you’re off the reservation” was a veiled threat to Natives meaning they have no protection and will likely be assaulted if they kept acting “uppity”.

      Just not how it was just used in the comment you replied to.

    • 4am
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      10 months ago

      I hate how every bit of American slang has some awful racist or misogynistic entomology. Makes me disrespect people who say “SPEAK AMERICAN” even more.

      (I mean, not that the English don’t have their fair share…)

      • GBU_28
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        10 months ago

        It’s not all. Just time to update some phrases.