Title: Native American vs. American Indian: Which Is Preferred?
Headings: ‘Native American’ or ‘American Indian’? How to Talk About Indigenous People of America
‘Native American’ or ‘American Indian’? How to Talk About Indigenous People of America
Where these terms originated
Which should you use?
What about ‘Alaska Native’?
Can I just say ‘Indigenous’?
What about tribe names?
How to talk about it
If someone corrects you
Terms to avoid
The bottom line

Content: They might dislike “Native American” and prefer “American Indian,” or vice versa, but you have no way of knowing unless you ask (or better yet, listen first). People often get so caught up in dissecting the nuances of political correctness that they overlook what really matters: how someone chooses to describe themselves. You might assume you’re showing respect by using terminology you’ve been taught. But when you fail to ask someone what they prefer to be called or ignore their preference by insisting you’re using the correct term, you show them even more disrespect by invalidating their identity. What about ‘Alaska Native’? The term “Alaska Native” refers to any member of the 229 tribes or nations indigenous to Alaska. Alaska Natives make up about 15 percent of the total population of Alaska. You might also see the terms “Native Alaskan” or “Alaskan Native” used, but these terms subtly imply possession, or that the Indigenous people of Alaska “belong” to Alaska. As a broader term, “Native American” also includes Alaska Natives, since Alaska is, of course, a state.