Is it normal to be infuriated by the term

I've never heard "native American" used for anyone besides American Indians. The term native is mostly used the describe where someone ancestors are from. native American sounds more accurate than Indian which can be easily confused with Asian Indians. Black people are African because that is where their heritage and genes are from. Same goes for anyone's heritage.

My understanding is that most people prefer "American Indian" anyway.

If a group of people like being called something, then why would you argue that they shouldn't be called that?

You are the one being divisive by creating a conflict where there doesn't need to be one.

Instead of trying to tear other people down for having pride in their ancestry, perhaps you should be celebrating your own Russian heritage as well.

Someone forgot to take their happy pills this morning.

They are called first nations or some crap now. I just call them native american, because indians is pretty stupid because they don't come from India.

I see the point you're trying to make, but I think terms like Native American and African American are referring to one's cultural roots. I consider myself Chinese American because I was born and raised in American with a chinese influenced cultural background. It doesn't mean I have any allegiance to China, but I do recognize that my ancestors came from there and that much of their culture has been passed down to me.

Native American makes an ethnic distinction of those of Aboriginal American ethnicity. Those Who are not of that culture or ethnic bloodlines are simply just called "Americans" because they observe their European ethnicities. There are many of Us that are mixed with European and Native ingredients. Alot of "Black" people have these mixes as well so they're not truly African Americans. We SO need to Have an official National POW WOW day!

You know you make an excellent point. However people enjoy separating themselves. Nothing wrong with being black, white, brown or yellow. However people believe Im white so im better, Im brown so im better, im yellow so im better and so on. So that is all anyone focuses on now. Maybe if more people thought like you OP we would have less racism in the world.

That's what they're CALLED. They're not American Indian because they have nothing to DO with India, that name came from a mistake on the part of Columbus. Please understand that native American is not the same term as Native American.

I would'nt commit suicide over it.

You have a good point. Political correctness is dividing everyone into groups and making it obvious that we are all different, when it was supposed to bring us together peacefully.

Honestly, people need to stop being so petty. These terms, like many terms, are just a way to make it easier to describe someone. In a population of several billion diverse individuals, we need easier ways to describe people. It's when you start speaking a word as a curse that it becomes a curse word, otherwise it's simply a word.
The government isn't speaking the words with irritance, so it should remain neutral.

Just out of curiosity, do the term's "First Nation" or "Aboriginal" ruffle your feathers too?

Don't get so upset.

Native American probably isn't an ideal term. I think Indigenous American makes more sense. Ethnicity is relevant within many cultures, whether you like it or not, making classifications like 'Black', 'White', 'East Asian', 'Native American' etc. necessary terms for now. There isn't an easy, broad word like 'black' or 'white' for Native Americans / American Indians, so you end up with a more specific phrase.

African American is an inaccurate term in so much as it's used as a synonym for black. So a black person who is not from America could be called African American in America :/ Also plenty of black people in America have more of a connection to their heritage in the Caribbean, rather than some extremely distant relatives from Africa. When there is a simple, inoffensive term like 'black', which doesn't overtly express ancestry, why not use it?

I had a sociology professor from Harvard as a passenger on a schooner I was operating and we talked about this very thing. He also felt it was divisive to label Americans by their ethnicity and through his research he had found that most American Indians preferred to be called Indians.
Personally, I like the term that the northern Canadian Indians use for themselves; "the First People".
Pride in ethnicity has nothing to do with labels imposed by a government in the name of political correctness. One should be proud of one's accomplishments, not in something one has absolutely no control over and has no real meaning in life. How would it change an American's day to day life if their grandparents were from Germany rather than England or Africa?

I absolutely agree with you on the African American thing.

What would you call a Native American? Assuming you had to name his ethnicity...

I get called a Pommy(limey, American equivalent) in Australia and an ozzy in the UK. I can't win. At the end of the day you need to assimilate or you will always have a problem.

Well I believe your story is real , and I guess you are one asshole , who have hell lots of problems , help yourself.