Native American
Original American inhabitants
Native American refers to a member of any of the indigenous peoples of North America, particularly those within the boundaries of the United States.
The term emerged in the late 20th century as an alternative to American Indian, which some consider inaccurate or offensive given that Columbus mistakenly believed he had reached India.
Both terms remain in use, and preferences vary among indigenous people themselves.
Native American tribes have treaty rights that predate the Constitution.
Native American also functions as an adjective: Native American art, Native American languages.
Indigenous Southeastern nation
- NavajoSouthwestern indigenous people
- SiouxPlains Indigenous nation
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- IroquoisNative American confederacy
Seminole · Comanche · Mohawk · Algonquin · Hopi · Zuni · Cree · Ojibwe
Ceremonial tribal gathering
- beadworkStrung ornament craft
- quillworkEmbroidery with porcupine spines
- featherworkArt using bird plumes
- moccasinsSoft leather slip-ons
dreamcatcher · totem pole · kachina · wampum · turquoise jewelry · silverwork · Navajo weaving · birchbark
Indigenous spiritual healer
- medicine manTraditional indigenous healer
- vision questRite seeking supernatural guidance
- sweat lodgeHeated structure for ritual purification
- pipe ceremonySacred indigenous smoking rite
smudging · animism · spirit guide · creation story · sun dance · drumming · chanting · sage
Advance arrangement to hold
- treatyBinding pact between nations
- tribal nationSelf-governing indigenous political entity
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
- land rightsLegal claims to territory
tribal council · tribal police · jurisdiction · blood quantum · enrollment · water rights · fishing rights · hunting rights
Conical pole-and-hide shelter
- wigwamDomed bark-covered shelter
- longhouseElongated communal dwelling structure
- puebloCommunal adobe village
- hoganNative American earth dwelling
wickiup · adobe · kiva · totem pole · campfire · fire pit · village
Americas before 1492
- Trail of Tears1830s forced indigenous relocation
- Wounded Knee1890 massacre location
- Little Bighorn1876 Montana battle site
- boarding schoolsResidential institutions for pupils
forced relocation · broken treaties · Manifest Destiny · Indian Wars · assimilation · colonization · resistance · Sitting Bull
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- descendantsThose who come after
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- legacyWhat's passed down
bloodline · genealogy · family tree · kinship · elders · oral history · traditions · regalia
Cherokee
Indigenous Southeastern nation
- NavajoSouthwestern indigenous people
- SiouxPlains Indigenous nation
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
Iroquois · Seminole · Comanche · Mohawk · Algonquin · Hopi · Zuni · Cree · Ojibwe · Choctaw
powwow
Ceremonial tribal gathering
- beadworkStrung ornament craft
- quillworkEmbroidery with porcupine spines
- featherworkArt using bird plumes
moccasins · dreamcatcher · totem pole · kachina · wampum · turquoise jewelry · silverwork · Navajo weaving · birchbark · basket weaving
shaman
Indigenous spiritual healer
- medicine manTraditional indigenous healer
- vision questRite seeking supernatural guidance
- sweat lodgeHeated structure for ritual purification
pipe ceremony · smudging · animism · spirit guide · creation story · sun dance · drumming · chanting · sage · sweetgrass
reservation
Advance arrangement to hold
- treatyBinding pact between nations
- tribal nationSelf-governing indigenous political entity
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
land rights · tribal council · tribal police · jurisdiction · blood quantum · enrollment · water rights · fishing rights · hunting rights · land back
teepee
Conical pole-and-hide shelter
- wigwamDomed bark-covered shelter
- longhouseElongated communal dwelling structure
- puebloCommunal adobe village
hogan · wickiup · adobe · kiva · totem pole · campfire · fire pit · village
pre-Columbian
Americas before 1492
- Trail of Tears1830s forced indigenous relocation
- Wounded Knee1890 massacre location
- Little Bighorn1876 Montana battle site
boarding schools · forced relocation · broken treaties · Manifest Destiny · Indian Wars · assimilation · colonization · resistance · Sitting Bull · Crazy Horse
ancestry
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- descendantsThose who come after
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
legacy · bloodline · genealogy · family tree · kinship · elders · oral history · traditions · regalia · clan
- Wild Westcowboy, howdy, sheriff, giddyup, lawmen
- Indigenous PeoplesAboriginal, First Nations, Aboriginals, Inuit, Maori
- racerace, racial identity, racial classification, ethnicity, biracial
- race literatureHarlem Renaissance, slave narratives, racial themes, minority voices, protest literature
- EthnicitiesAsian, African, European, Arab, Chinese
- DemonymsAustralian, Canadian, British, Chinese, French
Native Americansettler
One who colonizes territory
colonist · non-native · European American · immigrant · newcomer
Native Americancolonizer
One who occupies foreign land
settler · conquistador · occupier · colonial power · frontiersman