[Foundation-l] Cherokee Wikipedia Name Suggestion

Thu Jul 13 20:01:18 UTC 2006

Birgitte SB wrote:

>
>You certainly may do your best to restrict "access" to
>the end product as you are planning.  This is what
>many libraries do regarding rare PD texts.  However if
>*one* person who is given access decides for any
>reason to make a copy public, the cat is out of the
>bag.  For example a library may have strong
>restrictions on access. They do not allow their
>material scanned or photocopied you are only allowed
>to read it within one room.  However I could type a
>transcription on a laptop over the course of several
>weeks and put it on Wikisource.  Assuming this
>material is in the public domain, the library can do
>nothing in such in event as they only own the
>particular book not the copyright.  
>
>This could one day happen to the Ute's works.  Once it
>is made public in part or whole, it can be treated in
>any way allowed under the GFDL.  The foundation has no
>control over it, however respectful they wish to be. 
>I am not trying to encourage action of this sort.  But
>everyone involved needs to be aware of the
>ramifications of using copyleft material.  This may
>seem an unlikely possibilty at the moment, but over
>time it more likely than not this material will become
>public.  Although it may be a hundred years till that
>happens.  I respect what you are trying to do and the
>Ute as well.  I would hate for something like this to
>happen and the Ute to feel blindsided by such a turn
>of events.  
>  
>

That's the Ute's issue to manage, not mine or the Foundations. I am here
to promote the pervasiveness of WP content and bring to the Native Peoples.
What thye do with it is their own affair. I expect it will become public 
at some
point, but that's not my call.

>I am not trying to miscontrue your comments, please
>correct me where I have.  I believe it is too easy to
>say "the Wikipedia way is alien to the culture of X
>and they will not be able to work under it's
>policies."  Because X can be filled with many things
>which *have* adapted to WP culture.  As I said above
>WP is very contrary to capitalist and academic
>cultures.  Although there are always individuals who
>cannot adapt, I do not like to see this generalized to
>an entire culture.   However, I always found it easy
>to work within the policies here, so it I may be
>completely wrong in this.
>
>  
>
Wikipedia has been around for 6 years, Native Cultures have been around 
for about 12,000 years.
I expect we will still be here 1,000 years from now. Hopefully so will 
WP, but I expect it will
evolve over time and little resemble what we have today in 1,000 years. 
Our people (and most tribes)
have a very long term view of things, and those views are not easily 
influenced by next years
internet fad. :-)

That being said, the fact that several Native Tribes is willing to 
support such a projects with WP content
is a huge endorsement of the project and the site. The Foundation should 
be very proud of itself.

Jeff