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

The couple will later meet with Native Americans at a national park, before departing for the British island territory of Bermuda in the Atlantic.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

That has been understood to mean that people within the United States are subject to the laws here, except for foreign diplomats and, for a time, Native Americans who lived on tribal reservations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Native Americans were initially excluded as well, but Congress later extended birthright citizenship to them under federal law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 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

The sole Native Americans able to resist European conquest for many centuries were those tribes that reduced the military disparity by acquiring and mastering both horses and guns.

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