Title: Native American vs American Indian: Understanding the Difference
Headings: Should You Use Native American or American Indian? That Depends on Who You Ask
Should You Use Native American or American Indian? That Depends on Who You Ask
Want to know what someone prefers to be called? Ask them.
The preference between using Native American or American Indian is personal.
Some people would rather be identified by their clan.
The U.S. Census uses the term American Indian.
Avoid the term "Indian," if you are non-Indigenous.

Content: Given the wide cultural diversity across a population that's millions-strong according to U.S. Census data, there is no one single answer to a question like "what do Native Americans call themselves? Is American Indian preferred?" That said, there are terms that should definitely be avoided. And, as is the case with the Hispanic vs Latino terminology debate (which comes with its own complex socio-geographic history), deferring to how people choose to define themselves is always best. Below, a high-level look at a complicated topic: The terms American Indian vs Native American vs Indigenous. To learn more, check out these Native American authors for a wealth of perspectives, dip your toe into the world of the #NativeTikTok tag on the popular social app, and see why some celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day every October. The preference between using Native American or American Indian is personal. Both terms are generally acceptable, according to the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), a Smithsonian institution based in both New York and Washington, D.C. "In the United States, Native American has been widely used but is falling out of favor with some groups, and the terms American Indian or Indigenous American are preferred by many Native people," a FAQ on the museum site explains. In its 2019 "Tribal Nations and the United States" report, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) defined Native American as "All Native people of the United States and its trust territories (i.e., American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans), as well as persons from Canadian First Nations and Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central and South America who are U.S. residents."