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

Environmental activists and Native Americans, not historically allies in the region, joined forces to fight it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Charles and Camilla were later paying their respects to fallen US troops at Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, before meeting with Native Americans at a national park.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 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

“Yellowstone” also introduced a conversation about the complexities of land ownership, commercial development, environmental concerns and the history of our nation, particularly with respect to Native Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Those lands became productive not only for European settlers but also, in some cases, for Native Americans, as soon as Europeans introduced suitable domestic animals and crops.

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