Indian Givers

[Sassycakes]

Yes, I would definitely give it back.

 

[Aneeda72]

I was in this situation, sort of. Had a couple things from grandma. Half sister never knew grandma-dads mother, but I knew grandma till I was 18. Anyway, I had a watch from her and a Bible she gave me which my/our father signed. Half sister only knew dad a while, and only lived with him as an infant.

She wanted those things. I gave them to her. Seemed fair. Then she said when she died she was going to give them to her daughter. I said no, I wanted them back, after she died, for my granddaughter. She got a bit mad, but then she sent them back to me. I gave them to my granddaughter, who has two daughters.

Those things were important to me, and to my family line. Her daughter had already said she could not care less. Half sister was mad for a while, but got over it finally.

 

[StarSong]

This is a hypothetical question, in case anyone was wondering.

There are no hypothetical questions. Something always prompts them.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I think they prefer to be called Native American givers.

 

[win231]

Yes, I would. I'm usually the giver; not the getter, anyway.
The couple of times that has happened, it was because the friendship went South & I'd rather not have any connection.

 

[helenbacque]

It would depend on my relationship with the giver. To some I'd not hesitate to return it. Someone else, would depend on circumstances and how attached I'd become to it.

 

[Trish]

I would give it back, material possessions are not that important really except, of course, if it was my sister wanting her beautiful tweed coat back!

 

[Trish]

Where did the term Indian giver come from? Seems that the European invaders may have came up with the term to cover their own misdeeds.

I wondered that too. According to Google:

The phrase was first noted in 1765 by Thomas Hutchinson, who characterized an Indian gift as "a present for which an equivalent return is expected," which suggests that the phrase originally referred to a simple exchange of gifts.