Title: American Indian versus Native American
Headings: American Indian
versus
Native American

American Indian versus Native American
A once-heated issue has sorted itself out
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Content: American Indian versus Native American
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American Indian versus Native American
Updated February 28, 2017 | Infoplease Staff
A once-heated issue has sorted itself out
by Borgna Brunner


Are the terms American Indian and Native American essentially synonyms, in the same way that the terms black and African American are often used interchangeably? Or is using the term American Indian instead of Native American the equivalent of using Negro instead of black ? offensive and anachronistic? Is the insistence on using Native American to the exclusion of all other terms a sign of being doctrinaire? Culture Wars
While these were once raging questions in the culture wars, they have now happily sorted themselves out. Over the years, the people whom these words are meant to represent have made their preference clear: the majority of American Indians/Native Americans believe it is acceptable to use either term, or both. Many have also suggested leaving such general terms behind in favor of specific tribal designations. As the publisher and editor of The Navajo Times, the largest Native American?owned weekly newspaper, puts it, "I . . . would rather be known as, 'Tom Arviso Jr., a member of the Navajo tribe,' instead of 'Arviso, a Native American or American Indian.'