Indigenous describes people, plants, or animals that originally come from a particular place and have lived there naturally for a very long time. It is often used to talk about the first peoples of a region.
It comes from Latin “indigena,” meaning “native” or “sprung from the land,” from “indu-” (in, within) and a root related to “gignere” (to beget, to produce). English borrowed it through Late Latin as a more formal, scientific-sounding word.
Indigenous literally suggests “born from within” a land, not brought in from somewhere else. When we say “indigenous peoples,” we’re recognizing deep, long-standing ties to a place that existed long before modern borders. The word carries history, culture, and identity all packed into one adjective.
Discourse about Indigenous peoples has frequently centered male leaders and warriors while minimizing women’s and Two-Spirit people’s roles in governance, knowledge transmission, and resistance. Colonial narratives often erased Indigenous gender systems that did not match European binaries.
Capitalize ‘Indigenous’ when referring to peoples; avoid stereotypes and include women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people in examples of leadership, knowledge, and creativity.
Highlight Indigenous women and gender-diverse knowledge keepers, activists, and scientists whose contributions are often sidelined in mainstream accounts.
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