Okay, I'm just going to make this a top level post.

[conuly]

If you're referring to the customs of some other people in the past tense, you should stop and ask yourself first "Do these people exist? Do they still do this thing in the present day? How can I find out?" and then go google it. If you're not sure - and if this isn't your custom and your people then you should assume you're not sure - you should see if they have some website in the present day where they tell you what they do today. You should definitely not assume that their quaint old-timey custom is something they did in the past and don't do today, especially if there is a better than even chance that somebody might assume that this is because those people are all gone now.

Of course, on the flipside, if you're assuming people today live like they did in the past, that is also an error and you should look it up. In conclusion, no matter what, look it up.

Comments

Re: Well ...

[conuly]

In this extremely specific vagueposting context it was extremely easy for me to google to find out a. which specific group of "Native Americans" harvests wild rice b. that they still do it c. using traditional methods

Nobody needs perfection, but a teensy effort is appreciated, especially when lots of people have this weird idea that Native Americans are a. all the same and b. dead. I feel it's important to push back on any statement that appears to be making that assumption, even if the person probably wouldn't do it intentionally and does actually know that it's false. Especially then, perhaps - it's a bad habit of speech that needs to be broken with great force.

Re: Well ...

[acelightning73]

I do agree.