First Peoples of North America

25 Sep 2004 By

Slate answers the question, “American Indian” or “Native American”?

  • http://jenben.info/home.html JenBen

    Funny this should come up as I had a similar discussion with a Navajo woman yesterday. In the conversation she used the terms Native American and American Indian interchangably. She personally doesn’t care if people use the term “Indian” by itself but chooses to not use the term.

    She also pointed out that many Navajo hate the term “Navajo” since that is not who they are but a word given to describe them by the Spanish. Many Navajo prefer the tern “Diné” which means “The People” in their language.

  • http://www.the-enigma.net/blog Enigma

    heh.. the answer should be neither. i think i’ll refrain from reading that lest i get pissed.

  • http://www.sisteroutsider.com Anitra

    While not exactly the same type of question, I do find similarities between the whole “Black/African-American” issue. I know people who prefer one term over the other, and so forth and so on. Same thing with Native Americans (the terminology I use unless someone tells me they prefer something else: American Indian, their individual tribe, Native, First Nation, etc.). In so many ways, it’s a personal and relative decision.

  • http://www.swirlspice.com Erica

    I do find similarities between the whole “Black/African-American” issue.

    Agreed. There’s not really even a “correct” term, and each term has its own connotation and baggage.