ethnic native American terms

Paleo-Americans (Paleo-Indians)

the first people to inhabit the Americas beginning 14,000 to 30,000 years ago during the late Pleistocene period—the last ice age

Beringia

land bridge between Siberia and Alaska that was exposed during the last ice age

Native Americans

Indigenous peoples who currently reside in the United States and their ancestors

indigenous

originating naturally in a location; native

tribe

a group of people who share a common ancestry, language, customs, culture, and leaders; often used to refer to Native American groups

nation

a large group of people united by common characteristics such as ethnicity, history, language, or religion; they may or may not have a defined territory or be self-governing

country or state

a nation with a government that has sovereignty over a territory with defined borders and a population within it (a state can also be a region in a country)

sovereignty

the authority to self-govern; the legitimate and ultimate authority over a political unit

treaty

a formal, legally binding written agreement between nations or countries

removal

U.S. government policy of forced displacement of self-governing Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands to lands west of the Mississippi River

reservation

an area of land designated for a tribe or tribes that is created by treaty, congressional legislation, or executive order; the federal government holds title to the land in trust on behalf of the tribe

assimilation

to blend into a different culture; for Native Americans that meant leaving their tribes and cultures and adopting European-American ways of life

allotment

a piece of land (160 acres of farmland or 320 acres of grazing land) deeded by the government to the head of each Native American family, as part of the division of communally held tribal land

reorganization

decreasing federal control of Native American affairs and increasing Indian self-government and responsibility

termination

a federal policy in which Native tribes were disbanded and their land sold; Native Americans were to become citizens subject to taxes and laws from which they had been exempt

relocation

a companion policy of termination in which the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) moved thousands of Native Americans to cities with the renewed goal of assimilation into mainstream culture

self-determination

the restoration of tribal community, cultural renewal, reservation development, educational control, and input into federal decisions concerning Native policies and programs

self-governance

after negotiating agreements with federal agencies, tribal governments assert their right to self-rule by assuming control and decision-making authority over federal programs and resources that serve their citizens and communities

ethnocentrism

the tendency for people to view others from the perspective of their own group, which they be conscious or unconscious, the belief that ones group or culture is normal, and or superior to others.

eurocentrism

viewing other cultures from the perspective of European culture and believing that it is superior.

cultural relativism

the idea that we should seek to understand another persons beliefs and behaviors from the perspective of their culture rather than our own.

cultural competency

the ability to successfully interact with people from different cultures, especially through recognizing and respecting differences in backgrounds and experiences

cultural appropriation

use of the cultural elements of the marginalized group in a disrespectful, stereotypical, or exploitative way, especially by members of a dominant group.