Razib Khan

June 03, 2009

Reading Gavin McInnes’  most recent contribution to Taki’s Magazine, I assumed that “Ho-Chunk” was some obscenity which I wasn’t familiar with. But actually Ho-Chunk is another term for the Winnebago tribe. I had a politically correct philosophy professor who always strained to refer to the Haudenosaunee instead of what they are more commonly known as, the Iroquois (in fact, I see that my professor wasn’t pronouncing it correctly in any case!). Somehow I feel that Gavin’s intent in using the term “Ho-Chunk” over the more familiar Winnebago had little to do with cultural sensitivity. But perhaps I misjudge the gentleman and am being uncharitable.