The skin and hair covering the top of the head; or the tops of heads taken as trophies (a historical practice).
From Old Norse 'skalpr' (sheath) or possibly Scandinavian roots. Referred to the skin of the head before the trophy meaning developed.
Scalping was practiced by various cultures and soldiers for centuries as a battle trophy, but the Hollywood image of Native Americans scalping colonists is often exaggerated—the practice actually became more common AFTER European contact.
Scalping was colonial settler practice and its terminology carries dehumanization of Indigenous peoples. The word encodes genocidal violence; use with historical accuracy and respect.
Refer to scalping only in historical context with proper attribution to settler violence. Avoid casual use. Center Indigenous voices and framings.
["historical violence against Indigenous peoples","settler frontier warfare"]
Scalp bounties were systematic erasure of Indigenous life; honor Indigenous survivorship and resist language that normalizes this violence as frontier mythology.
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