There is no consensus among first peoples either. Some prefer the term Indian, some prefer other terms.
I prefer something besides Indian mostly to avoid confusion between East Indian and West Indian. When East Indians were minuscule in population, it wasn’t an issue but today there are likely more East Indians than North American Indians in North America.
Side note - as a part 'native' I wish that term you used would come back. Indian is now ambiguous and First Nations and Native American sound so stupid.
"First nations" is the common term in Canada to refer to the people living in the area now known as Canada before Europeans arrived, similar to "Native American" in the US.
American Indian also includes native populations from both Canada, Mexico, and arguably South America.
The only term that avoids all confusion is the term "Native American". It technically has the same connotations as "American Indian", but in common use it's understood to mean the Natives in the areas of the United States.
This is why actasasabuffoon stated he wasn't offended by the term 'Indian', there are some who insist on using the term 'Native American' and get offended when referred to as 'Indian'.
He was pointing out he's not among those who get offended by the term and generally the only times he feels the differentiation matters is when you're clarifying 'Indian' or 'Native American'.
Of course the term 'American Indian' is also good enough to clarify, but if we're talking about using terms in titles then 'Native American' is really the best term to use if you're unable to provide context in the title itself.
Which is why I like the way in Canada they are referred to as “First Nations.” It describes a reality in terms that feel less politically loaded or geographicalally misguided than others.
Because it’s not offensive or incorrect. American Indians have adopted and use the term themselves. Most official American Indian organizations are named as such, and not as “Native American” or “First Nations”, though the latter is also catching on, especially in Canada.
Huh never heard the precolonial societies on the Atlantic side referred to as First Nations
Does all of Canada use that terminology now?
I think that term only bleeds over across the border into the US in the Pacific Northwest, since some tribes there overlap borders and have a special cross border ID that allows employment (some cross border tribes in New England but theyre just split in two)
Having grown up on a reservation, I really have never heard that combination. Its "Indian", "Native American", or "American Indian". Canada adds "First Nation". Using three words is pretty unnatural. Really not sure why people are down voting you.
This use of "a First Nation" is meant to refer to the group of people, not an individual. I believe it's equivalent to saying in the US "a Native American tribe".
Perhaps that's the case in Australia, but that term is very rarely used in the US. As the parent states, it's "Native American" or "American Indian" when reaching for a catch-all, followed by a tribe name when specifics are required. "Indigenous people" just isn't used really at all here.
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