"Folk" has cognates in nearly every Germanic language, most made different by a single letter or pronunciation (Folk, Volk, Fowk). Originally, in Proto-Germanic, it may have meant "Host of Warriors," as in an army or detachment, but also perhaps "people." It came into modern usage through the word "Folklore" invented in 1846 by a British writer named William Thoms, who used it to describe common people who's culture is primarily handed down through oral means. Not long after, the word came to be used in compound words, such as folk art, folk dance, folk music, and so forth.
In German, the word "Volk" means simple people, people in the ethnic sense, and nation. Like many other parts of German society, this word fell into the meat grinder that was Nazi Germany. There is the slogan "ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("one nation, one empire, one leader"), as well as the word Herrenvolk (master race), to name a few. The Nazi use of the word "volk," depending on context, could not and should not be used as synonymous with "race" and Nazi ideas of it, any more that the word "nation" can be used as synonymous with nationalism in the Nazi sense. In fact, even Hitler preferred not to use the word "volkish," as it was to vague for his purposes.
In 1989, demonstrations against East German government took place every Monday evening, the chant of the people being, "Wir sind das Volk!" ("We are the people!"). These demonstrations resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall, and it certainly was not the Nazi's that accomplished that!
In Germany, "Volk" today means simply "people," as in the common people, as well as "people" in the ethnic sense of the word, without any political or racist connotations, even though in Germany, often the word for "Population" is substituted. I'm under the impression that this fits about as well as replacing "Chairman" with "Chairperson" in English so as not to be sexually offensive. In other words, it's politically correct, and comes off as artificial and constructed.
So what do we mean by the Heathen folk? Common mythology, even if our interpretations differ. Common deities, even though we may use different names. Common experience, even if not identical experience. We celebrate similar holidays, even if we use different names or slightly different dates (or very different if you live in the southern hemisphere!!). Our values may not be identical, depending on the particular path we may follow, but I think most of us have at least an 80% overlap. Most of us make or drink mead, and are familiar with at least one of many different sets of runes.
Anyone who denies the existence of "the Folk" is denying all of this commonality, because the fact is that while some of our differences may seem insurmountable, we all have far more in common with each other than differences. Good folk need to stand together for the common good of the Folk. This does not mean that we need to agree in all matters, but the louder and more united the voice against bad practices, such as racism and hate, the better position the Folk are in as a whole, as well as in smaller groups or as individuals.
The time for us to focus on our similarities instead of our differences has long since past. There are far too few of us for bickering these days. Let us put aside our petty differences in favor of support for fellow Heathens, and say with one proud voice, "We are the Folk!"
Hail the Folk!!