# Who are Native Americans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 11, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918 "2010-08-11T06:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/101 "2010-08-19T09:20:30Z")
I prefer to be called “wagon burner” myself, but that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/102 "2010-08-19T10:24:37Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > > [@BrightNShiny](#): > > > > Dictionary: A book where you can look up the meaning of words. See [here](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dictionary) for definitions. > > Good to know you now realise not only that they are available but how to use one to actually prove your point. 😉 > > As I said, I was wrong about this but, had I been on the other side of the argument, the **very first** thing I would have done was to check the dictionary and quote the definition that indicated the mistake. > > Just imagine all the time that would have been saved all round if only someone had taken that obvious course. > > Still, you got there in the end. Well done. 🙂 From now on, anytime you quote me, my response will be this: blah, blah, blah. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/103 "2010-08-19T10:31:29Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > > [@qpw3141](#): > > > > Good to know you now realise not only that they are available but how to use one to actually prove your point. 😉 > > > > As I said, I was wrong about this but, had I been on the other side of the argument, the **very first** thing I would have done was to check the dictionary and quote the definition that indicated the mistake. > > > > Just imagine all the time that would have been saved all round if only someone had taken that obvious course. > > > > Still, you got there in the end. Well done. 🙂 > > From now on, anytime you quote me, my response will be this: blah, blah, blah. Perhaps you’d care to look up the words ‘juvenile’ and ‘petulant’ in the dictionary? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/104 "2010-08-19T10:45:06Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > > [@BrightNShiny](#): > > > > From now on, anytime you quote me, my response will be this: blah, blah, blah. > > Perhaps you’d care to look up the words ‘juvenile’ and ‘petulant’ in the dictionary? 😃 Blah, blah, blah. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/105 "2010-08-20T04:49:42Z")
Anybody born on American soil is a “native American.” The people who were here before the pilgrims arrived are “American Indians.” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/106 "2010-08-20T04:57:03Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > From now on, anytime you quote me, my response will be this: blah, blah, blah. > [@qpw3141](#): > > Perhaps you’d care to look up the words ‘juvenile’ and ‘petulant’ in the dictionary? 😃 > [@BrightNShiny](#): > > Blah, blah, blah. You are both through with this exchange and you will not resume it in any other Great Debates thread. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918/107 "2010-08-20T11:11:38Z")
Don’t forget that people make assumptions about words sometimes regardless of their context. Sometime ago on these boards I posted about us Brits; describing ourselves quite accurately as the “natives of these isles”, do such and such. Another Doper who is a Brit from an ethnic minority got quite huffy about my post believing me to be making a dig about non white people. But back to the O.P., its common understanding that anyone who talks about “Native Americans” is talking by common accepted usage about Amerindians; not people who happened to be born in the U.S. Quite often when people talk about “Masons” they are referring to men who are members of a fraternal organisation not people who work stone for a living. And I’ve yet to meet someone who DOES work stone for a living getting upset about the lodge members being described as such. (And yes I actually do know some stone masons) Personally I can’t see why the debate has got so heated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-native-americans/549918.md?page=5)