The following quote from the third edition of Roger L. Nichols' book American Indians in U.S. History is one of the most informative and refreshing things I've read about using the terms Indian and American Indian:
After the previous edition of this book was published ten years ago, some people questioned my use of 'American Indian' or 'Indian' when discussing the activities of indigenous people in our society. Having been affiliated with the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Arizona for more than fifteen years, I question their objections. The department was created, named, and staffed by people with tribal memberships who use the terms proudly, as do many other indigenous scholars around the country. Questioning me one afternoon after I used the term "Native American," one of my colleagues told me that, having been born in the United States, I was a native American and that she preferred her own ethnic identity. One afternoon in the hall when Vine Deloria Jr. and I were chatting, he said, "Roger, when I was boy on the res, we didn't play cowboys and Native Americans. We played cowboys and Indians." Patting me on the shoulder as he turned back toward my office, he added with a grin, "And the Indians always won!"
These are not isolated incidents, but just examples of indigenous people and groups using the term "American Indian." The oldest and largest pan-tribal organization in the county is the conservative National Congress of American Indians. A newer and more aggressive group is the American Indian Movement (AIM). The national newspaper or news magazine Indian Country Today covers tribal events across the country. In the West the Indian Rodeo attracts thousands of spectators each year. Its competitions lead to the Indian National Finals Rodeo each year in Las Vegas. So, for this edition, the text will continue to use "Indian," "Native," and "indigenous people."
Source: Roger L. Nichols, American Indians in U.S. History (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2025), xi-xii.
