UPDATE-National Aboriginal Day in Canada

Anishinabek outlaw term 'aboriginal'

WHITEFISH RIVER FIRST NATION, ON,June 25 /CNW/ - Chiefs of the 42 member communities of the Anishinabek Nation have launched a campaign to eliminate the inappropriate use of the term "aboriginal".

During the annual Grand Council Assembly in this Manitoulin Island community, Chiefs endorsed a resolution that characterized the word as "another means of assimilation through the displacement of our First Nation-specific inherent and treaty rights."

"It's actually offensive to hear that term used in reference to First Nations citizens," said Grand Council Chief John Beaucage.

The resolution notes that the reference to "aboriginal rights" referred to in Section 35 of the Constitution Act of Canada "was never meant to assimilate First Nations, Metis and Inuit into a homogeneous group."

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June 21 is National Aboriginal Day because of the cultural significance of the summer solstice.

The first day of summer and longest day of the year, is celebrated as the rebirth of Mother Earth. The many Aboriginal communities mark this day as a time to celebrate their heritage.

Marking this day for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples also recognizes their primary and founding place on this continent and their ongoing contributions as First Peoples.

The writing tip for today is that you can use the general term aboriginal, at least in Canada, to refer to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

Define corporate-speak

"corporate-speak" -- language that is bland, undifferentiated, hard to read with meaning obscured by jargon, waffle, hype, verbiage, legalese and conventionality.

adapted from "Writing as branding" by Matthew Stibbe of Articulate Marketing on BadLanguage http://www.badlanguage.net/ which is a very readable blog.

"Transparency" is murky

"Transparency" is one of the vogue words in government that I hate, along with "embed" and "empower". Not to mention "environmental scan".

Yesterday the word came up on a listserve and was explained as "It has to do with making processes clear -- how decisions get made, for example, or how money gets spent."

I could not find a dictionary offering anything about process, although I know the word is used that way now.

Wallstreet Words offers this:

transparency

The full, accurate, and timely disclosure of information.

This morning I had a look at someone's psychological assessment. Features of "transparency" were identified as:
+ keeps promises
+ brings up ethical concerns
+ acknowledges mistakes
+ acts on own values even at personal cost

I would say the meaning is not widely known, if not actually murky.

And an "L" for "listless"

The Word of the Day at Dictionary.Com is "listless":
Having no desire or inclination; indifferent; heedless; spiritless.

Reading the definition this Sunday morning, I saw this interpretation: without a list.

I had been traveling and working so much in the past 2 months that I could not keep up with my posting here and, as time went by, I felt even more listless about posting.

Then I got it into my head that I needed to make a list of possible topics before I could even make one post. But I made my list yesterday, and still... listless.

So what hit me this morning was the thought that our busy lives are managed by lists. But what happens when you have no more lists?

Who wants a retirement that is listless.