Little Bear Frank Exner

Creating Identity- North American Indian Names and Naming Little Bear Frank Exner

Name forms and naming traditions among North American Indians have not previously been studied, leading to references to Black Elk as Elk, Black (found by the author in a major bibliographic database). This book examines naming practices among North American Indians including: 1. What are the naming practices among North American Indians? 2. Are North American Indian names found in the publication environment? 3. Is it necessary to standardize North American Indian names? 4. What are the authority control rules for North American Indian names and can they be made adequate? 5. How are North American Indian names presented in national authority files? Results include documenting three name forms (European-form, Traditional, and Mixed form) and two name patterns that are not found among other Americans (name sets and name sequences). The book will interest library catalogers, librarians with significant American Indian colections, students of Native American Studies, and Onomasticians.