Amy

@Bill As an Ojibwe person, tribe is fine. So is First Nations, although the concept of a nation wasn’t really a thing before colonialism. I don’t usually capitalize tribe, but folks should always capitalize Indigenous and Aboriginal when referring to people. Same with Native. Indian is even okay depending on the person using it. It’s built into names of systems we have no control over, so sometimes it just makes sense to say. And it’s been in use for hundreds of years. But most people prefer to be referred to by their tribe. I’d rather be referred to as Ojibwe or Anishinaabe over Indigenous, First Nations, etc.

@pitypie Ojibwa is less common now, but it used to be more common. Ojibwe is the correct spelling when using the vowel sounds in Ojibwe language (Anishinaabemowin). The government still uses Chippewa and I’ll take Ojibwa over that one. (I am Ojibwe.)

@Bill Definitely not selling anyone short as it’s not a bad thing! Governments and systems , yes , absolutely. Almost all tribes had them. The US constitution was partly modeled after the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (more commonly and incorrectly known as Iroqouis). But they weren’t categorized like they are now. So like, the Dakota had their tiospaye, which are like small communities. Ojibwe has clans, but we don’t separate by those. And no, tribes did not commit genocide. Warfare was usually over land or revenge for something, not with the express intent to wipe out any kind of people.