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

“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

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

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

Native Americans, possibly ancestral to the modern Inuit, spread throughout the High Arctic around 2000 B.C.

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