If you asked Rick Waters, National Director of Tribal Partnerships for the University of Phoenix, how he classifies himself, he’d say, “I am Cherokee American Indian.” If you asked the same question of Reverend John Norwood, Tribal Council member and Principal Justice for the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, he’d say he’s “Nanticoke-Lenape American Indian.” So what’s the proper way to address American Indian coworkers It depends on whom you ask, but one thing they all would agree on: to be the most accurate, identify the tribe first.
“We are more closely identified with our tribal origins,” says Norwood. “It’s like asking someone from Europe what they are. They would answer ‘French’ or ‘German.’ It’s the same idea here. When someone asks me what I am, I give them my tribal reference.”
Societal concerns over the proper way to address American Indians are not new. You may hesitate over calling someone an American Indian rather than a Native American, though our sources prefer American Indian (after their tribal identification). But what else might you say that would be offensive Take a look at these 11 things you should NOT say to an American Indian colleague.
