What are they called?
Native American Names

European explorers have asked this question since they found one group of Native Americans to ask about another. Unfortunately the answers were heavily influenced by confusion and expediency, so the names that Americans and Canadians use today for Native Americans often have little to do with how those peoples refer to themselves. For example, the "Thompson" Indians were named after the explorer who "found" their river and "Eskimo" might have been a southerly attempt at insult (it may mean "eaters of raw meat" in Algonkian).

Many native communities have recently begun to use more meaningful and accurate names for themselves. Some of these changes are minor historical corrections, some are substantially different. Some of these changes are widely used in conversation and writing, while others have only been suggested. Older words may continue to be acceptable, or they might be totally offensive.

Although long overdue, this process can cause some confusion, particularly if you attempt to relate older published works (in our bibliographies) with contemporary Internet resources (in our on-line resource pages). So I have begun to compile a list of these changes. The list does not include small changes in spelling or longstanding differences in nomenclature. Please send corrections or additions.

Abbreviations: s = singular; p = plural; l = language; "" = translation; der = derogatory; pr = pronounced.

Words for white peoples/outsiders: Qallunaat (Inuit); Wasichu (Dakota).

References

Davis, Mary B. 1996. Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing.

McMillan, Alan D. 1988. Native Peoples and Cultures of Canada. Second edition. Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre.