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HelpRe: Maverick
in reply to a message by lakin5
You’re right that Native American or Indigenous is the preferred term in most of the United States. With that said, I used to live in South Dakota (which has a very high Native population) and Natives there really did prefer “American Indian.” That term was used everywhere (by indigenous people), while Native American and other terms were not.
So it really depends on where you are.
*Formerly summitseeker*
--Still seeking summits--
So it really depends on where you are.
*Formerly summitseeker*
--Still seeking summits--
This message was edited 2/4/2018, 9:12 AM
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That’s a good point... it does also vary by region. There are so many distinct First Nations groups spread across such a wide territory that it’s nearly impossible to come to a complete concensus.
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True. At least in SoDak, saying “Native American” gives the impression that you’re an outsider—not from the area—who is out of touch with the local American Indian population. It is perceived as racist in a patronizing way. I was specifically told *not* to say it when interning for the state census data center.
Of course, in other states / countries this is totally different. It really is complex.
Of course, in other states / countries this is totally different. It really is complex.
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It's fraught with complexities because they aren't the same people's, they are being grouped as if they are.
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And also their relationship with each other many not be friendly, or tribes with radically different views on things, so it hard to get a concenses of what is acceptable and was isn't! Plus the low number of Native Americans compared to other groups makes it harder for every opinion to be heard.
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Yeah a lot of tribal members dislike the term Native American and prefer American Indian, the younger generation is more okay with Native American than the older generation but as you said it also varies regionally and of course on a personal level. In my experience tribal members always prefer to be referred by their tribe's name.
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