TA-TA- BONE
In Undaunted Courage, a recent retelling of the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Stephen Ambrose writes of the preparations made for the first encounter with the Shoshones. Lewis asks Sacagawea, a young Shoshone who is traveling with them, to tell them the Shoshone word for “white man”. She replies ta-ba-bone. With ta-ba-bone on his tongue Lewis confidently approaches a small band of Shoshones. With a flag raised he advanced towards the group repeating ta-ba-bone. They all fled. Ambrose adds there is no Shoshone word for white man. What Lewis was saying was either a word meaning stranger or enemy. I think I have had the same results with some of the words I use to talk to people. I sincerely believe I am reaching out to them, but I am coming towards them yelling “Stranger”. I am not speaking their language.
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