> They were the fault of the language barrier, for
> the natives who were questioned about the names of their towns and
> rivers and mountains simply didn't know what was going on.

Same story out here in BC, but with people instead of places.   Lots of
Indians today have last names (family names) of Joe or Charlie (Anita Joe,
Clarence Joe, Angus Charlie, Elisabeth Charlie) because the original census
takers in the 1870's could not get the natives to understand the concept of
first and last names.   The bureaucrats just put their own names in the spot
on the form for last name, just to get the job done and get back to
"civilization".   Of course the folks I work with here today have a 10,000
year history of family relationships and some will easily recite 10
generations of ancestors, and with their innate forbearance and sense of
humour, they simply continue to have two names they use for themselves,
their "real" name and their white man's name.

Of course this is not the same as when some pioneer bureaucrats put other
things in other places and thereby gave some native people the opportunity
to have the familiar
European family names they use today, thereby continuing to honour their
true
grandfathers.

cp in bc

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