Title: 8 of the Biggest Misconceptions People Have About Native Americans
Headings: 8 of the biggest misconceptions people have about Native Americans
8 of the biggest misconceptions people have about Native Americans
Joey Clift
People participating in the Lakota Language Weekend, a crash course on Lakota language and culture, at the University of Denver in 2018.
We weren't all born In teepees.
We don't all look like a caricature from the 1700s.
People participating in the Lakota Language Weekend, a crash course on Lakota language and culture, at the University of Denver in 2018.
We're not all the same tribe.
There's no such thing as being 18% Cherokee.
Some Natives love the term 'Native American,' while others hate it, and that's OK.
Non-Natives shouldn't call things their 'spirit animal.'
No one can speak for all Natives — myself included.
We're still here and we're doing a lot of really awesome stuff.
US Representatives Sharice Davids (L) and Deb Haaland became the first Native American women elected to Congress in 2018.
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Content: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images
Between "Indian," "Native American," and "First Nations," there are a lot of catch-all terms that are used to describe North America's indigenous residents. I'm often asked, "which one is the right one?" The honest answer to this question is that it depends. Each of the catch-all terms is going to have fans and detractors. The way I've grown to understand it is that "Indian" or "American Indian" is an official term. The US government branch that primarily interacts with tribes is called "The Bureau of Indian Affairs." My tribal ID card says "Cowlitz Indian Tribe" in big letters at the top. I don't hear "Indian" said a ton by my Native friends with the general feeling being that "Indians are from India," though sometimes we'll refer to ourselves as Indians, abbreviated to "NDNs" in email chains and text threads because it feels cool. "Native American" is the term that I use the most in casual conversation, with it often being shortened to just "Native" out of convenience and for cool points. With that in mind, many Natives find the term "Native American" offensive because associating us with "America" feels like rubbing salt in a wound, which, boy, do I get!