Why doesn't the US acknowledge non-US Amerindians as Native Americans?

Question

I thought that "Native American" means the Americas period. Not just a single country.

Cloud Nine, that is also a good point. I think that it is completely unfair.

KED, Caribbean Indians reside in North America, but I am not considered NA.

Answer 1

Because in the context of "Native American" the term is refering to a person of Indian descent that is an American citizen.

Like African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American, etc.

Answer 2

You have the meanings of the different terms a little confused. Amerindians refers to indians from both South and North America (often called the Americas.) Native Americans specifically means indians from ONLY North America. Therefore a non-US Amerindian cannot be a Native American as he/she does not reside in North America (they are considered to be of latin descent instead.)

Answer 3

The US government is politically driven. The less people they have to count as Native American, the better. For example, many people from mexico are also Native but the US government refuses to acknowledge this in any way that makes a difference. When I have done advocacy work for Native issues I have been told straight to my face that there isn't enough of your people to make a difference. The government likes to keep it this way. There are several Actual Native U.S. tribes that the government won't recognize. If they did so then the numbers of Native people would rise and the government would have to take us seriously, couldn't justify ignoring us (which they shouldn't anyway). You have to know that it is a scary scary thought for the government to have to deal with us, after all they were responsible for culutral genocide of our peoples. They don't want to have to admit these mistakes. And they definately don't want to have to discuss allowing us our land, water, or fishing rights (because that would mean less for them).

Hope this answers your question.

Answer 4

There are Amerindians in Austrailia too.