• DinosaurThussy [they/them]
    ·
    2 years ago

    Full transparency, I’m not native, so take this with a grain of salt.

    It’s not a universal thing. Some prefer American Indian. Some prefer indigenous. I personally have a friend who used to roast the fuck out of me when I used the term “Native American”. Just said it sounded awkward and he’d grown up thinking of himself as Indian. When in doubt, ask. If you need a default, using the name of the specific tribe is usually a safe bet.

      • DinosaurThussy [they/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Yeah I’ve parroted what little shit I’ve been told by indigenous friends and a little bit I learned on nativetiktok, so I think that’s all I’m gonna say about it

    • DinkyBingus [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Where I'm from (Canada), that term is a slur, and although there are some individuals and groups who prefer to go by that term, best practice is usually to use a term that's not viewed by many as a slur. Yeah, some people prefer it, but also many find it outright offensive. In Canada, that tends to be First Nations, which in my experience hasn't ever been viewed negatively, but that might just be a cultural difference between here and the US.

      It's important to remember that the indigenous peoples of the Americas are not a monolithic culture, society, or community, and that using a singular term as a catch-all for them isn't even really appropriate outside of specific contexts.

    • ClimateChangeAnxiety [he/him, they/them]
      ·
      2 years ago

      One explanation I’ve heard is that for 200+ years “Indian” has been the word used to refer to native people within the borders of the United States, and while that’s many different tribes with different cultures, they have the shared history of oppression by the United States.

      Native American is overly inclusive and could apply to any indigenous people across two continents.

      Also it is still the official term the US gov uses, it’s still called the “Bureau of Indian Affairs” I believe.