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The Native Americans of the 21st century are a diverse and complex group of people whose demographic patterns and cultural multiplicity result from five centuries of interaction between the indigenous population of North America and the Europeans who colonized the continent. From 1492 to about 1890, Native Americans endured a 400-year military struggle; it ended at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on December 29, 1890. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 4.1 million Americans (1.5% of the U.S. population) report their race as Native American or Alaska Native (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005). This number includes 2.5 million people, or 0.9% of the total U.S. population, who report only American Indian and Alaska Native background, in addition to the 1.6 million people, or 0.6% of the total, who report American Indian and Alaska Native in combination with another race. There are about equal numbers of Native American males and females, and they are a young people, with an average age of 28 years. Almost one third of Native Americans are children under the age of 18, whereas only 7% are age 65 and older. Far from a homogeneous population, with more than 500 tribes, the many Native American subpopulations are culturally distinctive, diverse, and complex. The Native American population is often thought of as being isolated on reservations, but the majority—by 2000, more than 60%—actually live in urban environments. More than 550 tribes are recognized by the U.S. government, including 223 village groups in Alaska. The Census 2000 identified Native American tribal groupings with 100,000 or more people as Cherokee, Navajo, Latin American Indian, Choctaw, Sioux, and Chippewa.

Communication Styles

In general, Native American communication styles are vastly different from the communication styles of other U.S. citizens. These communication styles affect media preferences, and they should be kept in mind by those developing new media specifically for Native Americans. Of course, communication styles vary among tribes and individuals, but there are several common elements among Native Americans

Patience. Concepts of time appear to be different for Native Americans; they often take more time to make decisions and consider possibilities and ways of being. Patience is a way of being, a way of seeing, a way of thinking, and a way of conducting oneself in the world. Silence is common among Native Americans, one manifestation of patience, which in turn is a respectful way of communicating. Often mistaken for shyness, silence is a form of communication in many Native American cultures. For Native Americans, silence often represents a period of reading body language and nonverbal communications. It is also a time in which American Indian clients may evaluate and test the specialists attempting to assist them.

Listening and observing. Most Native Americans may appear quiet and not as talkative as others, but this quietude is a skill that is taught, encouraged, and valued among them. Native Americans do a lot more listening than talking, and this behavior is seen as a sign of respect. Seeing, knowing, experiencing, and understanding involve listening intently and observing keenly the seen and unseen world, as well as understanding the relationship between these worlds. According to Fixico (2003), Indian thinking not only involves listening for sounds, but hearing while understanding the unseen.

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