OTHER VOICES: MANY INDIANS DISLIKE THE PHRASE ‘NATIVE AMERICANS’

I’m often asked “How do you prefer to be addressed, as a Native American or as an American Indian?”

I welcome such sincere attempts to be sensitive toward me and other Indian people. I also sympathize

with the questioner’s confusion as it’s taken me years to reach my own conclusions about this

question.

Introduced in the 1960s, the term “Native American” was a well-intentioned attempt to

respectfully address American Indians and Alaska Natives. It expanded to include all Native people of

the United States and its territories. Despite its good intentions, its use is not encouraged by me or by

most Indians.

I sense there will always be disagreement even among Indians, so I don’t envy the non-Indian

struggling to communicate in a culturally appropriate manner. Most Indians understand the dilemma

and won’t take personal offense at either use.

So why all the controversy? A number of issues are at play.

One argument against usage of “Native American” is its application to non-Indians who

consider themselves Native Americans. As natives of America, they do so quite honorably and

patriotically. It’s perfectly understandable.

Another argument surrounds the origins and use of the word “Indian” itself. It’s erroneously

believed we came to be called Indians due to the poor navigational skills of Christopher Columbus

who thought he’d reached India and thus named us accordingly. I prefer George Carlin’s take on this.

In “Brain Droppings” he says, “Call them Indians because that’s what they are. They’re Indians.

There’s nothing wrong with the word Indian.” He continues, “The word Indian does not derive from

Columbus mistakenly believing he had reached ‘India.’ India was not even called by that name in

1492; it was known as Hindustan. More likely, the word Indian comes from Columbus’s description of

the people he found here. He was an Italian, and did not speak or write very good Spanish, so in his

written accounts he called the Indians, “Un gente in Dios.” A people in God. In God. In Dios. Indians.

It’s a perfectly noble and respectable word.”

Some tribes have elected to drop “Indian” from their names. But I like the word “Indian” and I

want to protect its legitimacy. The word has strong roots in the United States Constitution and in

critically important case law. Those roots provide some of the most important protections for my

people.

Most Indians prefer to be identified with their tribes or nations. I am a Stillaguamish and

Snohomish woman of The Tulalip Tribes, and I’m a member of the Lytton and Cooks Ferry Bands of

B.C. where we are known as “First Nations.”

So, this controversy will continue. And why not? Indian tribes and nations have no shortage of

issues and controversies to solve. In the big scheme of things, although how we’re addressed is

important to our ongoing identity as First Peoples -- particularly for future generations, we must

continue to attend to the basic cultural, spiritual, and political and economic needs of our people.

Kyle Taylor Lucas, a member of the Tulalip Tribes and a tribal liaison in state government, is a

member of The Olympian’s Diversity Panel.