Native Americans

Cultural  

1. The descendants of the original inhabitants of North America and South America before the arrival of white settlers from Europe, also called Indians or American Indians. The term Native American is sometimes preferred over Indian because the latter is a misnomer that originated with Columbus, who mistook the inhabitants of America for the people of India. Both terms, however, are accepted.

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In recent years, Native American activism has taken the form of calls for the protection of their tribal or ancestral shrines and artifacts.

Example Sentences

Over the years, as some historians soured on Columbus’s treatment of Native Americans and the impact of colonization that followed his discovery, the city began removing his many tributes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The state’s natural salt “licks” had long been harvested by Native Americans, and by 1888 Michigan produced 40% of U.S.-manufactured salt.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

But the land was fertile, and the Native Americans told of even richer soil to the east, ideal for encomiendas, as large Spanish-ruled plantations exploiting indigenous labor were called.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

But for Native Americans, that is not at all the goal.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

Well before other crops began to arrive from elsewhere, Native Americans settled in eastern U.S. river valleys and developed intensified food production based on local crops.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond