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Related: Referring to American Indians as 'Native Americans', which is often seen as over-inclusive by American Indians themselves since it implies you're talki
by judge2020 5y ago
Related: Referring to American Indians as 'Native Americans', which is often seen as over-inclusive by American Indians themselves since it implies you're talking about Natives to the entire North and South America. While not the worst thing, when you are specifically talking about the native tribes the United States pushed out and forcibly moved to reservations, the term 'Indian' is codified in law[0] and is what the group themselves embraced as their identity so that, as a whole, they could bargain with the United States government to obtain compensation for the tragedies endured.
https://youtu.be/kh88fVP2FWQ https://youtu.be/kh88fVP2FWQ
0: https://www.bia.gov/ https://www.bia.gov/
- l33t2328 5y agoI knew you linked to that CGP grey video before I clicked since it’s literally the only place I’ve ever seen that claim made. I find it dubious, since there are many Indians, and some tribes have taken the stance that they don’t like that term.
- judge2020 5y agoThe problem seems to stem from 'American' being synonymous with the United States, when in a literal sense it means the entire North and South America continents. People will probably know what you mean with context but it can be confusing, so adding on 'Native American' just requires more explaining whenever you bring it up when not among peers.
- OscarCunningham 5y agoThis is a good point, but I'd also be interested in seeing the opinion of Americans with heritage from India, since using 'Indian' to refer to Native Americans might inconvenience them.
- eplanit 5y agoIndian-American: An American citizen whose family came from India. American Indian: same as Native American.