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They're both derived from "reserve", which is just saying that this land is reserved for these people.

• grzm 9y ago
  I find etymology fascinating and really enjoy noticing and reflecting on cognates. That said, the actual uses of the words in their current context and their connotations is more important for communication and understanding what people mean and intend to convey.
  • aaron-lebo 9y ago
    It's not offensive, though, unless you are trying to be offended. The reservation system is a broken acknowledgement that the US stole land from all of those tribal groups, but the purpose of a reservation is to set land aside, to reserve it for those tribal groups, to say the government cannot go any further. There's much better things to be offended by. Nobody is offended by hotel reservations.
    • grzm 9y ago
      That's a much better and more respectful explanation I think of your position than calling someone's opinion silly or goofy. I'd have a hard time unpacking your second comment from your first. Particularly on difficult topics, if you think someone's giving something too little thought, err on the side of giving it more thought rather than something shorter. I sympathize with a desire to be concise and pithy, but it can so easily be read in more ways other than it's intended. There's just less info there: fewer error correction bits, so to speak.