Native American, Indian, Indigenous? What’s the Difference? What am I?

The term "Indigenous" is both complex and significant, encompassing diverse meanings across social, cultural, and historical contexts. Generally speaking, Indigenous refers to people who are the original inhabitants of a region or country, distinct from those who have settled, colonized, or migrated to the area over time. Indigenous communities have historical ties to the lands they inhabit and maintain cultural, linguistic, and spiritual practices that are deeply rooted in their ancestral homelands.

*Definition provided by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary*

 

Indigenous identity is relative to many aspects of heritage including ancestral lands, cultural practices, spirituality, and ways of life that are passed down through generations.

 

While there is no single definition or criteria of what it means to be Indigenous, there are several common characteristics among Indigenous communities. Remember, these characteristics are not all-inclusive and may not apply to every Indigenous population:

Ancestral Territory and History

Indigenous communities have a long-standing connection to a particular territory that predates modern nation-states and settler-colonial entities.

Cultural Distinction 

Indigenous groups generally have their own languages, spiritual practices, customs, and societal structures that are distinct from those of the communities that later settled.

Marginalization and Oppression

Indigenous peoples have historically been marginalized, displaced, and subjected to many struggles including discrimination, racism, cultural suppression, genocide, colonialism and forced assimilation.

Colonialism and its Continued Legacy 

The history of colonialism has had a profound impact on indigenous populations. From Turtle Island (the Americas) to Australia, Africa, and Asia, European colonial powers stripped indigenous peoples of their lands, resources, cultural freedom and expression, and rights. The colonial legacy continues to manifest today through systemic marginalization, poverty, and discrimination faced by many indigenous communities.

Racism and Harm on Turtle Island

Racial slurs, derogatory stereotypes, and offensive imagery—such as the use of Native mascots for sports teams—perpetuate harmful misconceptions and disrespect rich, ancient cultures.

Cultural appropriation is another widespread issue, where non-Native people adopt sacred symbols, regalia, and ceremonial practices without understanding or respect, usually creating an amalgamation of several Native cultures and failing to acknowledge the distinct cultural differences amongst each tribal community. These practices erase tribal identities, reinforcing a cycle of exclusion and dehumanization as it oftentimes leads to problems such as featurism, colorism, anti-Blackness, and the perpetuation of non-Native-created stereotypes of what it means to be Native or an Indigenous person in general.

So, what does that mean for me as an artist? 

I am a multi-generationally mixed woman and would rather identify myself as Afro-Indigenous because it encompasses all of my heritage. Moreover, I also feel that we as Indigenous and/or Native people should not associate ourselves with identifiers like "American" or any colonial entity at all, not only because of our history with genocide and oppression by Settler-Colonial states but because we belong to our respective tribal nations and communities instead.

I am Yesą from the Occaneechi/Occoneechee band of Virginia, as well as a descendent of several other Southeastern/Eastern Woodland peoples. While I am part of tribal communities within the US borders, I am also a descendant of many Indigenous communities within Africa including Yoruba, Hausa, and Bantu—all of which practice the tradition of beading.

So, when you see my beadwork, you are not seeing influences from a singular culture. My beadwork is an artistic expression that reflects many aspects of my heritage from multiple continents and communities. Each piece is made with intention and is a proud representation of my ancestors and the people that made me and my identity as an Afro-Indigenous woman possible.

 

Additional Information and Context 

Who are the Occoneechee/Occaneechi Saponi of Virginia? 

The Occoneechee Band of Saponi is an Indigenous community historically located in the Piedmont region of present-day Virginia.  Found in Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation: A Brief History Yésah (The People), “the people of the Saponi Nation resettled in the land, which formed the counties of Brunswick, Greensville, Mecklenburg, Granville, and North Hampton on the Virginia-North Carolina border.”

We are very closely related to the Occaneechi Band of Saponi in North Carolina, being distinguished and separated by colonial state borders. The Occoneechee fall under the umbrella of Siouan-speaking tribes and are kin to many other tribal communities in surrounding territories.

Today, the Occoneechee work actively to revitalize our traditions, language, and customs, while seeking awareness of our contributions to the region’s history. We have maintained a strong sense of identity and connections to our ancestral lands.

 

 

Sources:

 

“Indigenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigenous. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.

Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation: A Brief History Yesáh (The People) by Forest Hazel & Lawrence A Dunmore, III, Esq., 1995, updated 2015