<p>Are Native Americans only the original people of North America?</p>
<p>Or does it also include the indigenous people of Central & South America?
(like the Incas of Peru)</p>
<p>Good question. What comes to my mind: Incas would be Native American. However, the Inca people do not remain a separate group, and their descendants are now Hispanic. Though both Hispanic and Native American could be applicable, if one was certain of major Inca ancestry.</p>
<p>Well, according to my 9th grade Biology teacher, there is no such thing as Native American. I think we say American Indian because it’s more politically correct and less ambiguous?</p>
<p>Anyway, I believe when applying to colleges, “American Indian” means the people who’s descendants have been in North America before European colonization. Regardless, you probably want to ask here: [College</a> Admissions - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/]College”>Applying to College - College Confidential Forums) if it is about college applications. I will say further though, that anything you can reasonably defend is probably fair game for when applying to colleges.</p>
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<p>Then there are no Europeans, Asians, Australians, Pacific Islanders, or Africans (who all had to migrate to get where they are).</p>
<p>If you’re using the phrase “Native American” in respect to college admissions and affirmative action, I believe you are required to be registered with a tribe.</p>
<p>Oh, I didn’t know that ^
I was wondering why on the Common App it asks if you’re enrolled…</p>
<p>Anyway, I was just truly curious.
“America” is pretty broad.</p>
<p>Because it asks for a registration number for your tribe, I assume this to mean you must be a Native American of North American descent. I do not believe countries in Central and South America have “tribes” in which you are required to enlist, considering a large amount of the population is descended from the original inhabitants of the area.</p>
<p>“Then there are no Europeans, Asians, Australians, Pacific Islanders, or Africans (who all had to migrate to get where they are).”</p>
<p>The issue it the word “native.” People don’t usually say “Native Asian” or anything like that. Secondly, there is a big difference in the number of years since migration.</p>
<p>Beyond that, that wasn’t the point of my post.</p>
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Well, actually, using that logic, there would be Africans. But only Native Africans. Though their ancestors can be traced back to the sea… So we’re native sea creatures!</p>
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<p>That’s because Asia hasn’t been colonized by Whites to the same extent that the American continents have. Many White Americans (and Asian/African/others) refer to themselves simply as Americans.</p>
<p>And are you trying to infer that Native Americans like myself should be considered displaced Asians? I take offense to the fact that some people think my ethnic group should be lumped together with Asians (“no such thing as Native American”). Native Americans migrated to North America 45,000 years ago. Is that not a significant enough amount of time for you? Because that’s approximately how long Australia has been inhabited. So, there are no people who are native to Australia. Just like how no one was native to the Americas. You’re right. They aren’t native to the places they’ve inhabited for 45,000 years.</p>
<p>My cousin claimed to be native american to get scholarship money and they couldn’t deny her.</p>
<p>You can put down that you’re native american, black, white, whatever you want. They can’t do anything about it.</p>
<p>@Basajaun Maybe because genetically Indigenous peoples from N. & S. America, and Oceanic, are Asian. There’s only three races, and Indigenous people are part of the Asian race. Native Americans aren’t displaced Asians though.</p>
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<p>Only if you’re using an extremely outmoded and incorrect form of classification. There are so many genetic variances that it’d simply be wrong to call both Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans one and the same.</p>
<p>Native Americans enroll in their Tribes…
They do NOT register.
And most scholarships require Tribal documentation as a requirement for application.</p>
<p>I’m somewhat Native American, I think…my grandfather’s mother was either full blooded or half Miami Indian. I don’t think I’d qualify for any financial aide, or would I?</p>
<p>is anyone in your family an enrolled member? if they are that is good. if not, you have work to do.</p>
<p>@FiggyNewton: I think most Americans (except recent immigrants) probably have some native ancestry. Supposedly one of my great great somethings was Cherokee. Heh, it’s apparently true of enough people that real indians have noticed:</p>
<p>[stuff</a> white people do: claim they have native american blood](<a href=“http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/2009/06/claim-they-have-native-american-blood.html]stuff”>stuff white people do: claim they have native american blood)</p>
<p>I’m going to be extremely technical and say that there are actually no Native Americans since all the different races we consider Natives immigrated to the Americas from Africa/Asia.</p>
<p>However, I know someone who is like 1/256th Cherokee (one great great great grandfather or something) and as a result is a card-carrying member of the Cherokee nation. Populations are so low that there aren’t very many requirements, I guess. I don’t know.</p>
<p>At least that’s what she says…</p>
<p>Maybe it would be more accurate to call Native American a nationality, rather than an ethnicity.</p>