# What is the difference between Native Americans and First Nation Peoples? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 12, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673 "2022-01-12T23:51:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/1 "2022-01-12T23:51:12Z")
I’m reading an article about a middle school in Alaska that held a Moose hunt. An activity almost all of the kids participated in. Not sure what the proper formatting is here on the new Boards, but this is from a New York Times article today. ( To avoid getting slammed for copyright infringement, I only quote the relevant passage here ) " While most people may not think of moose as food, for many Alaskans and Canadians, it has been a crucial nutrition source “because of all the richness that it has,” he said. Moose are an important traditional food for many Alaska Native, Native American and First Nations people. " Please explain the difference to me. I get that you can be an Alaska Native and be 100% Nigerian by blood and history. Duh. But what’s the difference between Native Americans living in Alaska and First Nation People? PLEASE let us keep this thread civil. Thanks ! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/2 "2022-01-12T23:54:37Z")
First Nation people live in Canada. Just different terminology, but the US infrastructure for Native Americans is somewhat different than for First Nation people in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/3 "2022-01-12T23:54:56Z")
Native Americans are from the lower 48. First Nations are the descendants of indigenous Canadian peoples. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/4 "2022-01-12T23:55:01Z")
A google: > In summary, _Native American_ is the most common and neutral term in the US, while _First Nations_ is the preferred term in Canada, although both exclude the Inuit. _Indian_ is acceptable in the US, but should be avoided in Canada. _Aboriginal_ is the only common umbrella term encompassing First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada, but it is not used in US English. > **[Native American, First Nations or Aboriginal?](https://www.antidote.info/en/blog/reports/native-american-first-nations-or-aboriginal)** > > Many users have wondered what the difference is between terms like > Native American, First Nations, Aboriginal, Indian, etc. , and > which ones are considered acceptable. That’s kind of what I thought as well, but it’s a blog so take it with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/5 "2022-01-13T00:00:59Z")
[Ancestry.com](http://Ancestry.com) has me listed as 25% Indigenous Peoples since my grandfather was of a native tribe in Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/6 "2022-01-29T01:08:46Z")
My thanks for all of the helpful replies. Now I know !!! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/7 "2022-01-29T02:21:18Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I get that you can be an Alaska Native and be 100% Nigerian by blood and history. Duh. No, you can’t. An Alaska Native is an indigenous person, and that is an official designation, much like First Nation. A native Alaskan, on the other hand, is someone like me who just happened to be born there, just like someone born in Akron is a native Ohioan. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/8 "2022-01-29T03:04:36Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > First Nations are the descendants of indigenous Canadian peoples. I think they would say that they are indigenous Canadian peoples. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/9 "2022-01-29T11:52:01Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I get that you can be an Alaska Native and be 100% Nigerian by blood and history > [@Chefguy](#): > > No, you can’t. An Alaska Native is an indigenous person, and that is an official designation, much like First Nation [What **Chefguy** said](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Natives) AIUI, the difference is that a Hopi Native American who moved to Alaska would still be a Native American, but he’ll never be an Alaska Native. Also, in the past (probably still is, for some), some of the Alaska Native groups like the Iñupiat or the Yupik were considered separate in some sense from the Native American groups like the Haida (“Eskimo” vs “Indian”, to use the outdated terminology), so it was considered more of an umbrella group. Note that in Canada, “First Nations” does _not_ include Inuit. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/10 "2022-01-29T14:49:44Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Note that in Canada, “First Nations” does _not_ include Inuit. Nor does it include Métis. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/11 "2022-01-29T14:54:19Z")
Sure, yeah, but there aren’t any Métis communities in Alaska, AFAIK, so it wasn’t relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/12 "2022-01-29T15:12:03Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Note that in Canada, “First Nations” does _not_ include Inuit. I wasn’t aware of that. Alaska Natives fought for a long time to be recognized by the BIA as having tribal status. It finally happened in 1993. That said, there are still court battles being fought between Alaska Native Corporations and the federal government over status. It’s all about grabbing federal dollars. There’s a good article [here](https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/04/are-alaska-native-corporations-indian-tribes-a-multimillion-dollar-question/#:~:text=Federal%20law%20had%20long%20spoken,inherent%20sovereignty%20under%20federal%20law.). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/13 "2022-01-29T15:17:12Z")
The federal government in Canada has jurisdiction over “Indians”. That has been held to include all indigenous groups: First Nations, Inuit, Métis and non-status. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/14 "2022-01-30T23:36:01Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@Cartooniverse](#): > > > > I get that you can be an Alaska Native and be 100% Nigerian by blood and history. Duh. > > No, you can’t. An Alaska Native is an indigenous person, and that is an official designation, much like First Nation. A native Alaskan, on the other hand, is someone like me who just happened to be born there, just like someone born in Akron is a native Ohioan. Thank you for the concise clarification. I surely meant zero disrespect by using incorrect terms. Just wanted to understand !!! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/15 "2022-01-31T01:13:00Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Thank you for the concise clarification. I surely meant zero disrespect by using incorrect terms. > Just wanted to understand !!! None taken. Most people don’t know a whole lot about Alaska, let alone terminology. “Eskimo” is still used up there in many places, especially by the Alaska Natives, but of course that doesn’t mean others should use the word. At one point my boss (who was Inupiat and had an MBA from Harvard) would always describe herself as a “poor Eskimo girl from Barrow”. Anybody buying into that notion could find themselves on the wrong end of a business contract. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/16 "2022-01-31T01:24:49Z")
And in Alaska the Eskimo prefer being called… the Eskimo, but not in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/17 "2022-02-02T09:56:40Z")
I once heard a so-called Canadian on a podcast refer to a First Nations person as a “Native American”, was that guy a fake Canadian? He lived in Toronto all his life too, it’s not like he picked the phrase up after decades of living in America ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/18 "2022-02-03T07:50:21Z")
Alaska Eskimos belong to different cultural groups, but Canadian Eskimos are all Inuit and prefer to be called that. (Greenland Eskimos are all Inuit as well, but prefer to be called Greenlanders.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/19 "2022-02-03T16:31:33Z")
Yes. ?? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-native-americans-and-first-nation-peoples/957673/20 "2022-02-03T16:34:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And in Alaska the Eskimo prefer being called… the Eskimo, but not in Canada. > [@Bookkeeper](#): > > Alaska Eskimos belong to different cultural groups, but Canadian Eskimos are all Inuit and prefer to be called that. (Greenland Eskimos are all Inuit as well, but prefer to be called Greenlanders.) > [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes. ?? You left out why.