No matter how polite or respectful terms like “Native American” or “Alaska Native” aim to be, these are still English names assigned by white people. Whenever possible, aim to use a specific tribe name rather than a generalized umbrella term. While saying “Alaska Native” might feel more specific and accurate than “Native American” or “American Indian,” keep in mind that it’s still a fairly broad term.Īs the Alaska Federation of Natives explains, Alaska Native tribes share a number of core values that help them survive in Alaska’s harsh climate, but they still have their own diverse languages, traditions, and culture. Land boundaries were established by white settlers, not by Indigenous people themselves, and many Alaska Natives may not consider themselves Americans or Native Americans. Keep in mind that while all Indigenous tribes have unique cultures, histories, and ways of living, Alaska lies quite far from most of the United States.
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Still, it’s always best to use the most accurate and specific term possible. 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.Īs a broader term, “Native American” also includes Alaska Natives, since Alaska is, of course, a state. Alaska Natives make up about 15 percent of the total population of Alaska. The term “Alaska Native” refers to any member of the 229 tribes or nations indigenous to Alaska. Some choose instead to reclaim “Indian” or “American Indian” to describe their ancestry. It also categorizes them as Americans, a name they didn’t choose. Still, many Indigenous people object to this term because it’s a name assigned by white oppressors. In other words, they’re native to this land. This term emphasizes that hundreds of individual tribes inhabited the land now known as the United States of America before anyone else. “Native American” became the preferred “politically correct” terminology in the 1970s. There’s a reason why many states and regions now officially recognize and celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. government continues to use the term “American Indian” officially, many find “Indian” a painful reminder of the racism, violence, theft, and decimation of their people. Later, you probably learned of not just the flaws in Columbus’ reasoning - obviously, you can’t discover a place where people already live - but also the many atrocities he committed in his travels. You know, that intrepid explorer who claimed to have “discovered” America? He was so certain the “new” world he’d landed on was India that he called its people “Indios,” which later became “Indians.” You most likely heard a sanitized version of the Columbus story in elementary school. Before getting into whether one term is better than the other, let’s recap some history to help explain where these terms came from.