NDN Meaning
Share on Pinterest HOWL / Stocksy Using social media, or even browsing the internet, exposes you to any number of new terms and phrases. Even when you recognize what these terms mean, it’s not always easy to know when — or if — you should use them. “NDN” is one such term you may have come across. This endonym, or self-designated identifier, is a shortened form of the word “Indian,” as in “American Indian.”
Where the term comes from Content warning This section features a quote about Indigenous Americans that some may find upsetting. We’ve included it to provide historical context but invite readers to skip ahead to the next section as needed. There’s no clear consensus on who first used the term “NDN,” or when. Some online sources note that it appeared in various places across the internet, including chat rooms and other forums, in the early 2000s. Others note its prevalence on sites like Tumblr. In the book “Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit issues in Canada,” author Chelsea Vowel explains that NDN is a more recent self-identifier mostly used on social media or in other text communications. The Newark Public Library offers an alternate explanation and definition for the term: NDN might also stand for “Non-Dead Native,” a response to the abhorrent quote attributed to Civil War general Philip Sheridan: “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” The term “NDN” is mainly used in the United States, where “Indian” was once widely used to describe all Indigenous peoples. Learn more about what “Indigenous” means.
How it’s used Like other shorthand terms, NDN appears most commonly on social media, though you might see it in other contexts, too. You’ll often see it written as “NDN,” in all caps, but it also appears in lowercase, as “ndn.” By and large, NDN appears as a self-descriptor, used in place of “Indian.” So, you might see it used in phrases like “NDN rights” or “NDN country.” Some people consider NDN a reclamation of Indian, a term historically used to refer to Indigenous Americans. The U.S. Department of Interior Indian Affairs says that while the U.S. government still uses “Indian” in official language, many prefer other identifiers, such as Indigenous or Native American. In a 2017 article for Real Life magazine, Lou Cornum explains: “NDN is a subtraction made substantive, marking how terms made to describe Indigenous peoples are always lacking — indeed how we are made to lack and always feel lacking. But in the word’s notes of subversion and irreverence, as well as its widespread use in forming digital collectives and connections, NDN also signals the ways in which NDNs build worlds even as ours are invaded and denigrated.” CE SS 7/13/21: For IE- Hi Kelly, I see your point above and understand the constraint. But I’d still suggest removing this source and replacing it with one that aligns with our sourcing guidelines. This way, we can be 100% certain that we’re following editorial policy. Thank you so much. You’ll also find the term in the name of the Indigenous-led nonprofit NDN Collective. The organization works to promote Indigenous power and voices and create a more equitable and sustainable world through activism and community development.
Should you use it? Now that you know what NDN means, you might wonder when to use it. If you’re Indigenous, you may or may not choose to use NDN as shorthand on social media, the broader internet, and in other text-based communications. For example: NDN folks
NDN rights
#NDN Nothing says you have to use NDN, of course — it’s totally up to you. If you’re not Indigenous, you’ll want to avoid using this term in reference to Indigenous people. Again, it’s a form of self-identification, so using this term when you aren’t Indigenous isn’t appropriate. You may not think it matters all that much. After all, you might reason, it’s just shorthand for Indian, which many Indigenous people use themselves. Yes, plenty of Indigenous people do identify as Indian. But that doesn’t make it the best, or most respectful term, for non-Indigenous people to use. If you used NDN in the past before you realized you shouldn’t, there’s no need to worry — it happens! Life is a learning experience, and most people don’t get everything right the first time. What matters most is learning from the experience and carrying that knowledge forward.
“We Can’t Get Him In Because He Keeps On Breaking His Hand Off Peoples’ Heads!”
Dog.
The terms ‘dog’ is regularly used in rugby and is the definition of someone who is not afraid to get stuck in and play to the very edge – both in matches and in training!
He’s not afraid to rustle a few feathers and he’s the kind of guy that can raise the intensity of an entire team with one action. And that’s exactly what former Ireland and Leinster back-rower, Sean O’Brien was.
A very special British & Irish Lions House of Rugby show – fronted by Sean O’Brien and Alex Goode – is available now and will run for the duration of the tour. Follow and subscribe to it HERE
O’Brien has built up a reputation over the years as the ultimate ‘dog’ in training and in matches. And it turns out it’s not something that evolved with his game, it’s something that he had in him from the minute he set foot in the door at Leinster.
The 34-year-old has previously told us that not coming through the traditional system and coming in from the club game instead played a role in sparking that fire within him. Former teammate Shane Horgan knows Seanie all too well and chatted about his early days at the eastern province on this week’s episode of House of Rugby.
“He tells all the stories himself, he rats himself out,” Horgan joked when Alex Goode asked him to spill the beans on O’Brien who is a regular on the show. “Ah listen, Seanie was an absolute breath of fresh air when he first came into Leinster. He was always a bit of a ‘dog.’ “But I remember I got tapped up by the coach at the time, who was [Michael] Cheika, who was tough on him, super tough on him because he knew how good he was. And Alan Gaffney I think was our backs coach. “At the time we had this really weird training area where we would have some of the academy lads in and about. And Seanie was bouncing around, I didn’t really know who he was, and I got pulled aside from Alan Gaffney and he said ‘this guy is the real deal, he’s gonna be in this squad soon, keep an eye on him.’
“I said like, ‘is there any plans to bring him in?’ and he had his hand in a cast [at the time] and [Gaffney said] ‘we can’t get him in because he keeps on breaking his hand off peoples’ heads!’ “At underage level, he broke his hand off a fella’s head in an u-21 game, healed up, came back, broke his hand off someone else’s hand a couple of weeks later! ‘And then when he came into [senior] training he did not hold back! He was one of those guys that you knew he wasn’t going to take an ounce of a step back from anyone, even as a 20/21-year-old against older, well-established internationals. “He was straight into the mix, throwing haymakers. And he never stopped! He’s still doing it now just in a different way!”
Goode added that even at 34 and in the twilight years of his career, O’Brien is still as feisty as ever.
“One of my mates at London Irish said he’s still one of the number one guys to get in scraps at training!” Goode said. “He’s always there.
Horgan added that that ‘doggedness’ is vital for any team that wants to be successful.
Understanding diverse non-binary community in celebration of International Non-Binary People’s Day
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — July 14 is recognized around the world as International Non-Binary People’s Day.
Life for non-binary people is multi-layered and understanding this identity begins with listening.
The term “non-binary” describes someone who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman.
Sy Bernabei is the executive director at Gender Justice Nevada. She has identified as non-binary for years.
Although American culture may reinforce the notion that gender can only exist as female or male, Bernabei says there’s more to it.
“Non-binary is not as simplistic as saying you’re a boy or a girl. The actual definition of non-binary has gone back to the beginning of time. How I see non-binary is a rejection of the gender binary.,” Bernabei said.
Non-binary is an umbrella term that includes gender-fluid, genderqueer and more.
Many non-binary people can also identify as transgender too, like activist and entertainer DelRio Perkins.
“I realized I identified as non-binary when I was a teenager,” Perkins said.
Gender expression has been a hot-button topic in headlines as celebrities like Demi Lovato came out as non-binary recently.
Despite all the struggles it takes to live proudly outside the gender binary spectrum, Perkins says debunking stereotypes and stigmas is how we bridge the divide.
“Understanding that being non-binary is something that came naturally to that person, they didn’t go out looking for it and it should be respected as such,” Perkins said.
The non-binary community is growing in Nevada and Bernabei says the support is too.
“I would encourage those who want to know more to go online, get training, there’s a lot of resources in this community, including here at Gender Justice Nevada,” Bernabei said.
Perkins says you can celebrate International Non-Binary Day by respecting one another and what they choose to identify by.
“The best way to approach someone who may be non-binary is simply asking them their pronouns and then stating yours,” Perkins said.