Last Updated on February 10, 2022
It seems that references to a person sitting ‘Indian Style’ are no longer considered appropriate language in the classroom.
A while back, I had the chance to visit with some former classmates of mine that I’ve known far longer than any of us would probably like to see in print.
We were talking about the fact that their children at that time were about the same age we were when we met. (Which was almost as horrifying a thought as seeing the number of years we’ve known each other in print might be.)
I made mention of our elementary school days and referred to an old braided woven rug we’d have to sit on and wait for our classmates to finish their assignments before we could go out to recess.
I said something about the teachers having us sit there “Indian style” and remain completely silent. Keeping a group of six-year-olds congregated together without allowing them to make a sound is as futile an effort in the 1970s as it is today. (And we had longer attention spans back then!)
When I said, “Indian style,” meaning a way of sitting with your legs crossed under you, as illustrated, I was quickly corrected.
It seems that sitting Indian Style is no longer considered appropriate language.
“Criss-cross applesauce,” one of my classmates said.
I looked at her with puzzlement. “Say what?”
“It’s criss-cross applesauce.”
These days, “Indian style” is known as “criss-cross applesauce” and if “spoons in the bowl” is added, that means placing your hands in your lap. (I’m not sure where else one would assume a six-year-old would place his hands, but I guess that’s immaterial.)
Someone has decided that “Indian style” is — wait, you might want to sit down for this one! — offensive to Native Americans.
I laughed out loud — I literally “LOLed” — when I was told this nugget of information. “Indian style,” or anything else one chooses to call it, refers to what is also known as the “Lotus position.” The Lotus position, as far as anyone can tell, is of a different kind of “Indian style.” As in being from India, whose people are far more legitimately referred to as “Indians” than “Native Americans” are.
I have since learned that Native Americans have grown offended by the term, despite the fact that it refers to the “other” Indians, because they feel that when children hear the term Indian, they can only think of Native Americans, not people from the actual country of India. Therefore, the word Indian means “Native American,” “Indian style,” therefore, means “Native American style,” and Native Americans want no part of that.
I’m not sure why the style of sitting crosslegged, no matter with which race of people it is associated by name, should possibly be viewed as offensive. It’s just a way to sit. If it were attributed to the French or the Australian, would they object to being connected to sitting that way?
I don’t see anything particularly shameful about sitting in that manner, and don’t see why its attribution to any specific group of people, if that’s where it’s most known or the source of it entering our culture, should be a problem, either.
But it’s a lot more fun to complain, isn’t it?
This is OUR country I’m not going to move to India and get offended at their culture and Indians will have to just deal with the fact that it is Indian style and shut up. Just because we have social media isn’t an excuse to change tradition
Some people are offended by the things we say and do. As Christians it is our imperative to have respect for others feelings out of LOVE. If this seems too difficult I would encourage you to ask for the Lords help. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves and if our neighbor is offended by what we say or do then our moral imperative as followers of Christ should inspire us to change our behavior to something less offensive and more loving.
That’s quite an interesting assumption you’ve made here. As I’m sure you must know, there are those out there who’ve been hurt in some way by our fellow Christians — Christians who the Bible might describe as “hypocrites.” For some of them, any MENTION of God or Christ or church or faith is offensive because of their preconceived notions developed from those who hurt them in some way. What do you do with those people? Is that a valid reason to stop witnessing? Or do you try to look for the reason for the “offense” and look for ways to bridge… Read more »
Patrick, it is interesting your choice of what you deem offensive and worthy of censoring whilst discussing what you view is offensive to others that should not be censored. You are an interesting person.
Thanks, Aaron. I’m sure there are things you find offensive and things you don’t. I’d be willing to bet that some of the things that are offensive to others but not to you are things you feel shouldn’t be offensive, either.
In that respect, we’re all pretty interesting people, aren’t we?
To whom it may concern, In the United States, this country has been an Anglo Saxon dominate. Understand that everything, tv, music, advertisements, cloths , everything else I have missed are made for and by Anglo people. Referring to sitting in indian Style is dehumanizing a Native American, and if you truly referrer to an indian as someone from India than you dehumanize them. Dehumanizing people that are not Anglo, is racism, is white supremacy. Please understand, i am not accusing anyone. But helping to open your mind to the idea. Everyone needs to understand that as a Native American… Read more »
How is referring to someone from the country of India as “Indian” possibly “dehumanizing” them? What would you call someone from India?
I am a grandmother. I ask my grandchildren to sit down Indian style on the couch in order to keep their feet covered by a blanket on a winter day. They knew not what I spoke of. Then the 9 year old said that’s not what it’s called it’s called criss cross applesauce. I found it strange sitting in this position was attached to the word applesauce. This sounded as though maybe a preschool teacher to make it funny for preschoolers. I am half White half American Indian. I think it is quite awesome when things are attributed to different… Read more »
well your from the white culture that committed genocide on an indigenous race ,you could choose to continue to be racist and ignorant or you can humble yourself and notcontinue your peoples racist ignorant assult on American Indians. Have some shame and accountability for what your people have done and dont dare speak 1 word against them. If its offensive then cease from doing it.
Kat, consider this your warning: the rules of this site are that comments should be respectful. Yours wasn’t. I’ve deleted another of your comments for foul language.
Consider humbling yourself a bit if you want to continue commenting here.
Kat clearly didn’t listen to granny point out that she’s part native American, nice try at being pointlessly offensive though. I can’t believe you even typed that comment when it’s so clear you didn’t even read hers and are being ten times more offensive to her heritage, and Indian heritage, yourself, by your comment. Now good day lol
hey Patrick- great blog!
i have a suggestion: why don’t we all agree to call it “India Style”? “Sitting India Style” would be sitting as people do commonly in India, so not referring (or accidentally referring) to any person or group of people! and no one could be offended- problem solved!
thnx Patrick
Offensive and highly, highly ignorant, I should add
Meant to post in continuation to Kat