Natives in Tech, a nonprofit advocating for Native Americans in the United States, has demanded that all web projects bearing the Apache name be renamed.Inspired by the Apache leader Geronimo
The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is an organization founded in the United States in 1999 responsible for the development of server-side software in the open source Apache family. Representatives of Natives in Tech are accusing ASF of using the locals’ name for their brand, The Register reports.
Brian Behlendorf, a founding member of the Apache Software Foundation, said in a statement that he wanted a more romantic-sounding term than the tech industry generally preferred at the time. Later, Behlendorf was inspired by a documentary he watched about the Apache leader Geronimo, and the software project was named Apache.
ASF assesses the situation
According to a critical blog post, Apache is rooted in the outdated romance of spaghetti westerns and the notion of a Native American that does not represent today’s living Apache communities. In parallel, the Natives in Tech organization demands that the Apache Software Foundation remove the Apache naming from all its projects and use a different logo instead of the Native American feather.
ASF, in a statement to The Register, stated that the foundation will consult with indigenous peoples: “We are a volunteer-run, non-profit organization. Changes take time and must be carefully considered by our members, our board of directors and our legal team. Our members are exploring alternative ways to resolve the situation, But for now, we have nothing to disclose.”
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