Native American OR American Indian?

[Zorro]

I prefer Best and Most Awesome Race of the Universe, myself. Or just "BeeMeR" for short, cuz that sounds really rich and classy.

[traddancer2021]

hmmm...to me... it's not that big of an issue....all I know is that Im not white, not black, not chinese, not japanese, not mexican, not russian, not french, not phillipino, ect. I am what I am...I am me!

[Fairchild]

whenever someone asks me which nationality i am from, I ask them if they want the short or long version. If they're willing to listen I say I'm anishinaabe and answer the usual questions that follow, otherwise I say I'm native and leave it at that. When its a redneck or someone else that rubs me the wrong way I just say I'm human and walk away...run if they are big and holding a confederate flag

[Annie Fawn]

whenever anyone says aboriginal it always makes me think of the aboriginals of austrailia. i would never call myself that or answer to it...not that i have anything against aboriginals I just don't identify with the label. Maybe it's the rebel in me but I balk at these PC sub names Native American, African American, Mexican American. I always want to ask which one are they African or American. If we are going to use these sub names I think it should be the other way around American Native, American african, American Mexican. That way the first identity is American and we are all unified then should come the subtitle which is how we are different.

Me too! I usely just mark other on forms and add Native American. On line I've caught myself saying American Indian and also use that discription around our area because there are so many India Indians around the Atlanta area. Refering to other Natives I usually say, you know Cherokee Chris or something like that.

[Native Disc Dogger]

whenever anyone says aboriginal it always makes me think of the aboriginals of austrailia. i would never call myself that or answer to it...not that i have anything against aboriginals I just don't identify with the label. Maybe it's the rebel in me but I balk at these PC sub names Native American, African American, Mexican American. I always want to ask which one are they African or American. If we are going to use these sub names I think it should be the other way around American Native, American african, American Mexican. That way the first identity is American and we are all unified then should come the subtitle which is how we are different.

[StandsTallWoman]

America.

You're exactly right wiyani. America was named after Amerius Vespuci. The reason why people allow U.S. to continue Columbus' idiocy is because probably we let it and because the teachers were taught to teach students the half-truths about history.

[NDN GRITS]

I like the term aboriginal! We are the original! The one and the only! Don't let them forget it!

[Migiziwomen]

WHOME is always making us think!

anyway any of those terms works for me really, although when i am asked if i am indian which does happen once in awhile and i am feeling frisky i say no, i am a shinob.

[Migiziwomen]

out of the mouth of babes right?

Sho you right Burbs. Hey, this reminds me of an interesting thing my son said the other day. We were watching the Olympics and he asks, "mom, are there any Indians competing in the olympics?" I told him I didn't know (still wondering about one girl on the US indoor volleyball team). He then comes back with, "well, if there are any Indians, they should have let them come in the opening ceremonies with their tribal flags so they can represent their tribe, which is their country, right?"

it's a little off the subject, but whatcha think about his question?

[Migiziwomen]

i have two questions:

why do you hate the word aborigional; after all it has the word origional in it. that is what we are the origional. i myself like the term.

also, where is that aviater from, is it a movie it is so familiar to me.

I call myself and friends and family "indian" cuz my family's been called indian all their lives and we call each other that amongst ourselves...but i guess we should call ourselves "anishinabe" which is our nation. Non-natives can call us Anishinabe, native american, canadian native, (we're we wear runners and drink pop, not sneakers and sody pops), or first nations, or i hate this one, "aboriginals". if non-natives call me an indian i would take offense.

[Blackbear]

Yeah but it's also a myth that Christopher columbus called us indians because he thought he was in India.. it comes from In Dios or something like that which really is a flattering term, for what it means.. something about in god's eye or godlike or whatever... native american is anyone born here, people from India were never called Indians ever from what I remember reading, and prefer hindus I think. Indigenous people of the north Americas is the politically correct term at it's finest and takes forever to say as well as Aboriginal Americans. First Nations is great, but it doe'snt bother me to be called an indian... people know who you are talking about when you say it becuase it's been around forever.

[Native Disc Dogger]

Actuallly Native American is anyone who lives in the Americas so technically Canadians, Venezuelans, Mexicans would be considered Native American. American indian is also incorrect because well no ndn I know actually came from India. They are both wrong. Maybe we should adopt what other coutries call us. In Fiji they call us Red Indians and in some Asian coutries the call us the original people but I think the best one is the simple way my dad describes us. We are The People.

[wiyan]

I wonder, though, about the fact that "Native American" can be used on anyone born here....Wasn't this land named America by Americus Vespuci? So it was "American" before the United States OF America was ever created...So, we ARE Native Americans...I think....brains a'sizzlin"

When I correct people, I don't use either term, I'm Oglala Lakota...from the Brotherhood community. I wonder (again) if maybe American Native might be more appropriate....certainly NOT Indian, though, as it perpetuates a stupid mistake, an idiotic misnomer....why allow the US to continue Columbus' idiocy?? LOL

[wyo_rose]

Wow, this thread is sure a blast from the past! Gaw, my post sounds cheesy!

And I had another good laugh at WhoMe's...Turtle Love...lllllow and sllllow....goot one!!

[Sweet_N8tive65]

I prefer Native American.