Merciless Savages: A How-to Guide to Help You Write and Talk Respectfully About American Indians

This guide by Dr. Phil Bellfy provides an accessible, often humorous yet sharply critical reference for understanding how to speak and write respectfully about Indigenous Peoples of North America. The title reclaims and critiques the phrase "merciless savages" from the U.S. Declaration of Independence, exposing centuries of deroga-tory language and stereotypes.

The book offers a comprehensive glossary of commonly misused, outdated, or offensive terms-such as "Indian," "Eskimo," "Chief," "Squ...