Question related to use of the terms "squaw" and "pale face":

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Absolutely no personal experience but...

a quick goggle shows it's undeniably an Algonquin word that the first settlers heard and used, but has been misinterpreted by many, including some of us palefaces using it disparagingly. Needless to say, its use amongst Native Americans is controversial, simply because any terms with hint of race tend to become insulting and/or controversial in this country. I have no idea if the complainers represent the mainstream or just the complainers themselves. Apparently some Western tribes oppose its use primarily because it is not in their languages.

"Squaw" means "woman", or some variant of it, like "girl", in some dialects, but there are many who mistakenly think it means "Vagina" because it's similar to another word in another linguistic group. They are wrong, but it's the kind of mistake that takes hold in some quarters, and certainly adds to the disparagement of the term.

Personally, I object to the racist use of words, but opposing "almost-racist" terms often seems to trivialize the underlying problem.