Native Americans/Alaska Natives

There is no universal definition for indigenous people. Experts agree, however, that indigenous peoples are those whose ancestors were already in the land when others from different cultures arrived to settle. In general, it refers to people who were there first, before European settlers or other colonizers arrived. Indigenous people share certain characteristics, such as having small populations in comparison to the currently dominant ethnicity or culture of their country. However, in some countries, they may account for 50 percent or more of the population. Other characteristics of indigenous people are having historic ties to a territory, an ancestral culture and traditions, and self-identifying as indigenous. Indigenous people are also known as Native People, First Peoples, Tribal Peoples, Aboriginal, and Originary Peoples. In the United ...