AIS 100 -Quick Write # 1 The Native People Native people have been described in many different ways over the years. The Europeans, during the time of Invasion and Conquest, portrayed the natives as dangerous savages even though the Europeans brought genocide to the land and the people. Across the American continent, natives were identified with different names. The Aleut and Inuit, as some define, are the Alaskan Entities. Canada's more generally accepted term for their natives are "First Peoples". In the territory that is now the United States, many terms were used to describing the natives over the decades. In the 60's and 70's, "American Indian" was commonly used, but around the 80's and into the 90's the name "Native American" was adopted. The present, and more accurate way of discussing Native People in the U.S. is "Native", which has been used since the 90's. "Indigenous" was the term denominated to the People located in the Central and South American regions. Further south, the term "People of the Western Hemisphere" was used to describe the many People who existed within the region. Federally & Non-Federally Recognized Tribes The United States federally recognizes tribes who have large groups of people, giving them a political status as a tribe. These tribes are eligible for funding and services from the Bureau f Indian Affairs. Only 253 tribes are federally recognized. Low population tribes are Non Federally Recognized. Although these may be recognized by states, they are not guaranteed funding from the state or the federal government. Although tribes have their own laws in which their members must abide, state law and federal law still have jurisdiction over the territory. If a crime is committed within the tribe's territory, the state and federal court can supersede the tribe law, and continue to prosecute.