Indian agent

American  

noun

1. an official representing the U.S. government in dealing with an Indian tribe or tribes.

---

Indian agent British  

noun

1. an official who represents the US or Canadian government to a group of North American Indians

---

Etymology

Origin of Indian agent

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

On 4 January, they reached Moscow, where an Indian agent identified as Alex, who spoke their language, Malayalam, welcomed them.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2024

He had a trading post at the tip of Bainbridge Island, was at one point “the defector Indian agent in that area” says Lewarch, “and “played fast and loose with stories.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2021

The wife of the local Indian agent, who served as a liaison with the U.S. government, recruited members of the tribe to sing and speak at Fewkes’s request.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 30, 2019

On this date in 1875, J. Ross Browne, custom house inspector, Indian agent, traveler and writer who wrote, “A Tour Through Arizona” in 1864, died in Oakland, California.

From Washington Times • Dec. 5, 2018

Navajo men took their guns, packed supplies, and rode their horses in to report to the Indian agent.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac