Only the United States uses the term Native American. NO other country in the Americas uses that term to identify their indigenous people.
1. INDIAN is the collective term of all per-colonial inhabitants of the Americas (usually said in the language of the country).
2. In the United States AMERICAN INDIAN designates RACE.
- AMERICAN INDIAN as a RACE was judicially determined and is reflected in United States LAW.
The designation of “AMERICAN INDIAN” as a “RACE” can be seen in the US CENSUS, which states.
AMERICAN INDIAN or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who “maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment”.
About Race - People and Households - U.S. Census Bureau
The designation as a RACE can also be seen in the "free passage" provision codified in Section 289 of the IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT.
Sec. 289 [8 U.S.C. 1359]. . . . Nothing in this title shall be construed to affect the right of AMERICAN INDIANS born in Canada . . . . But such right shall extend only to persons who possess at least 50 per centum of blood of the AMERICAN INDIAN "RACE"; (and must be proven through DOCUMENTATION)
INA: ACT 289 - AMERICAN INDIANS BORN IN CANADA
3. The term NATIVE AMERICAN does NOT designate RACE. NATIVE AMERICAN is a legal designation identifying a specific group of people.
NATIVE AMERICAN identifies the citizens of FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES within the borders of the United States. Tribes, who through TREATIES have a government-to-government relationship with the United States, as a result; various programs and services are available to NATIVE AMERICANS. These programs and services are NOT available to AMERICAN INDIANS, who do not qualify as members of FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES.
Here is an example:
For a student to be eligible for many NATIVE AMERICAN scholarships, the student should be an enrolled member of a FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE. Otherwise funding will most likely be denied.
FinAid | Other Types of Aid | Native American Students
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Indian Affairs, through its government-to-government relationship with FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES, carries out the Federal Government's unique and continuing relationship with and responsibility to tribes and Indian people. Indian Affairs programs support and assist FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES.
Benefits and Service
All indigenous people/communities/tribes throughout the Americas have criteria to identify their members, which is usually based on recognized kinship, lineal decent and interpersonal bonds held by the community. This is what is stated by the South American Indigenous people which is similar to the criteria of all indigenous people of the Americas.
Who is Indian?
- An Indian is any member of an indigenous community, recognized by the latter as such.
- An indigenous community is any community founded on kinship or coresidence relations between its members, who maintain historical-cultural ties with pre-Colombian indigenous social organizations.
These days in Brazil > Who they are > Who is Indian?
This explains who the NATIVE AMERICANS and INDIANS (American Indians) are.
If someone is of INDIAN descent and is not recognized by the indigenous people as “BEING ONE OF THEM”; then all they have is Indian ancestry.
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