What Does Indigenous Mean? What is the difference between Native and Indigenous? The term native is derived from Latin nativus; the affix nat- refers to birth. Thus, native can be defined as belonging to a particular place by birth. The adjective native can be used with plants, animals as well as people.
As a noun, native specifically refers to people born in a specific location. The following examples will help you to understand the different meanings of native. California Fremontia is a flowering shrub native to southwestern North America. This island is home to several native species of flowering plants. The temperature was unbearable even for the natives. Although the term native is used to refer to people born in a particular place, the term native is also used to refer to non-white, original inhabitants of a country.
However, this usage may sometimes cause offense due to its associations with a European colonial outlook. The most recent image of native Americans that has gained prominence has come from the National Indian Gaming Association. Perhaps this is because the politically correct people came up with the name "Native American," ignoring the fact that "America" is named for Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci and "Native" can be tied to anybody anywhere, like "I am native to the North End.
The bottom line is that once a name find its way into common usage, it is almost impossible to shake it. Despite its powerful critics, we still see the word "Aboriginal" used widely by government, business and media.
In their "About Us" section on the AMC website, it reads "to promote, preserve and protect Aboriginal and treaty rights for First Nation people in Manitoba" perhaps using the word Aboriginal in a more global sense or to match federal government terminology or maybe even because it is so readily recognizable.
With so many different groups ranging from Mi'kmaq to Haida having so many things in common, people had to come up with a non-specific name which might include everyone. Bottom line: First Nation people have done much to reclaim their identity by striving to become independent and self-sufficient.
This is a good way to go about things for now. Perhaps the biggest problem with all of this is that we fight over it and people's feelings get hurt. I have always maintained that we should call people what they want to be called, and if I make a mistake when I refer to someone's name, I ask that they please "guide me gently to a higher understanding" like the elders do.
I never meant to offend anyone and I hope we can teach each other about these things in a good way.
Don Marks is a Winnipeg writer and the editor of Grassroots News. For more information on this, see our section on bands. Indigenous is a term used to encompass a variety of Aboriginal groups. It is most frequently used in an international, transnational, or global context.
This term came into wide usage during the s when Aboriginal groups organized transnationally and pushed for greater presence in the United Nations UN. For more on how this term was developed, please see our section on global actions. Because it is a very general, overarching term, it does not account for any distinctiveness between various Aboriginal groups.
If you are referencing a specific group, it is generally considered more respectful to use another term that more specifically denotes which peoples you are referring to. Many people find it to be a convenient term that encompasses a wide range of populations. There is no official consensus on when to capitalize certain terms.
Some people consider capitalization a sign of respect to the people you are referring to. Therefore, it may not be necessary to capitalize when using the term as an adjective and not in direct reference to a population. Ultimately, style guides have not created strict guidelines.
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