Native American

when both words are capitalized, this universally acceptable term refers to an American Indian. However, partly because of its imprecision (it could also mean a native American), the term has been replaced in many cases by "American Indian." The best approach is to use the particular Indian people's own name (Dine, for example) and ask whether they would prefer the use of "Native American" or "American Indian" in other references. See also American Indian, Indian, native American, sports teams' names and mascots.