From: gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo)
Subject: Re: Comments on the 2nd RFD: soc.culture.native
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 18:22:39 GMT

In <idoy.727672633@crux1.cit.cornell.edu> idoy@crux1.cit.cornell.edu
	(Mike Wilson) writes:

> The important question of overlap, it seems to me, is an
> unavoidable one in virtually every newsgroup in USENET.

Thanks to Pat Crowe for reminding us that overlap is not only not
undesirable, but is a design feature of Usenet news - that it is quite
appropriate to cross-post articles where there is subject matter over-
lap.  Thus, we don't need to worry about the issue Brian Hughes raised
earlier concerning the fact of pre-existing newsgroups which have as
their subject matter some geographical region; it is acceptable to cross-
post articles between soc.culture.<region> and soc.culture.native when
they relate to the native people of a given area already covered by some
soc.culture.<region> newsgroup, but have to do principally with a people
indigenous to the region.

> For example, even if the focus of the proposed newsgroup were
> limited to native.american, it would overlap significantly
> with talk.environment.  No newsgroup is an island unto itself.
> As someone pointed out, we deal with this overlap by using
> the wonders of the cross post.

Right!

> At the same time, I can't see how it would hurt anything to add
> a sentence or two indicating that this newsgroup welcomes posts
> that might be of interest to other native peoples arou the world
> from such newsgroups as soc.culture.asia or soc.culture.africa.
> If someone wishes to try their hand at a well-tooled phrase that
> captures the essense of our concerns, I would be happy to vote for
> its addition.


I've made a few amendments to the charter, based on previous discussions,
and added another paragraph expressing what I feel is the sense of our
recent discussion on the issue of cross posting:


CHARTER: soc.culture.native is for the discussion of issues relating to
native populations throughout the world.  For the purposes of defining this
newsgroup, "native" is considered roughly synonymous with "aboriginal" or
"indigenous" -- all terms which underscore a population's having been the
first to inhabit a particular region.  This newsgroup is intended to be
inclusive, not exclusive, offering an important vehicle for exchange among
native peoples and between native and non-native peoples.  Besides providing
a forum for the discussion of such issues as sovereignty, religion,
education and philosophy, this newsgroup will also carry news stories and
bulletins which alert people to urgent situations which require immediate
responses, such as human rights cases and imminent encroachment upon native
populations.

We recognize that there already exist a number of Usenet newsgroups for the
purpose of exchanging information and ideas about the peoples and places of
various parts of the world, and about issues (e.g., environment) which are
relevant to the concerns of the members of indigenous societies.  Articles
whose content clearly makes them appropriate for soc.culture.native *because
of their dealing with an indigenous people* can be cross-posted to the geo-
graphically-based or topic-based newsgroup as well as to soc.culture.native.
However, articles pertaining to subjects not relating specifically to the
indigenous peoples of a region should not be thus cross-posted.


Comments?
--
    Gary S. Trujillo                            gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Somerville, Massachusetts              {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst
Xref: sparky alt.native:1764 soc.culture.nordic:8346