Question for the Canadians

Need some style help from north of the border.

I'll be covering some athletes who are native - Aboriginal, to be exact. What is the proper phrasing? Is Aboriginal ever lower case?

What is correct:
He is Aboriginal.
He is Aboriginie.
They are Aboriginals.
The Aboriginal athletes.
The athletes are all Aboriginie.

Thanks in advance.

 

Cadet, when you talk with a Canadian, you end every question with, Ay. It's basically used in place of the question mark north of the border.
Is Aboriginal ever lower case, Ay.

 

Not completely sure, but I'd say lower case as in, "aboriginal athlete". An Aboriginal.
Like "presidential address" and "the President".

Probably more respectful to actually be more specific, as in Cree or Ojibwa.

Like just grouping everyone under Latino or Asian, or European. Just more specific and respectful.

 

The first choice of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary is Aboriginal. Also checked the forms for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships and Aboriginal is used. My old CP Stylebook doesn't mention the word, but suggests identifying a person by race only when it is truly pertinent. I agree it would be better to use Cree than the blanket Aboriginal if that type of information is available.

 

I work for a Canadian Aboriginal publication.

We use Aboriginal, upper case. Native is also Ok, also upper case.

Only Indian if an Aboriginal person refers to him or herself as such.

As stated, note the specific Tribe if possible.

As a note, most of the Native people I've encountered appreciate it when it is reported that an athlete is Aboriginal. It's sometimes not well known that the athlete has native heritage.

 

Thanks, DG and everyone else.

What is the proper single-person phrasing?

He is Aboriginal?
He is an Aboriginal?
He is Canadian Aboriginal?
He is Aboriginal from Canada?

 

chazp,

It's "eh," not "ay."

Hoser. ;D

 

Looks like I was beat, but it's eh, eh.

And where I come from — not Canada, but a state that is a bridge or tunnel away to the west — we use that all the time.. Point: Not only our friends to the north use it, but so do a huge chunk of Americans.

 

Huh?

 

From a university style guide I found online that says it is based on the CP Stylebook (which I've looked for here at home but cannot find):

"Capitalize names of races and ethnic groups if they are derived from proper nouns such as languages, specific regions or nations, but not if they are derived from descriptive terms:

Mohawk, African, Indian, Caucasian, Asian, white, black, native, aboriginal."

 

Sirs, Madames,

I have a question:

Do Canadians really know anything about beer?

YHS, etc

 

I stand corrected. I visited Tornoto for a week once and I keep hearing it, I assumed the sound was a ay.