Native Americans and African Americans are two distinct racial/ethnic groups in the United States that have their own unique histories, cultures, and experiences. While some people may lump all non-white groups together or assume all people of color in America share the same background, Native and Black identities have many differences that are important to understand.
Historical Background
Native Americans are the indigenous peoples of North America. Their ancestors were the original inhabitants of the continent prior to the arrival of European colonists. There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the U.S., each with their own distinct language, culture, and history going back centuries. Though they have faced genocide, displacement, and oppression over the past 500 years, Native tribes are still thriving today with over 6 million Native Americans living in the country.
In contrast, Black or African Americans are the descendants of Africans who were forcibly brought to America during the Atlantic slave trade which operated in the Americas from the 16th to 19th century. Over 10 million Africans were captured and shipped across the Atlantic to be sold into slavery, with around 500,000 bringing the culture, language, and traditions of Africa to what would become the United States. After slavery was abolished, African Americans faced over a century of violence, discrimination, and inequality under Jim Crow laws until the Civil Rights Movement began dismantling institutionalized racism in the mid-20th century. Black culture today remains influenced by both African and uniquely American experiences.
Appearance and Ancestry
There are some overlaps in physical appearance between Native Americans and African Americans. Both groups typically have darker skin tones than European Americans due to greater amounts of the pigment melanin. However, there are still clear differences on average between phenotypic traits, ancestral background, and genetic makeup of the two populations.
Native Americans share strong genetic links to indigenous peoples of Siberia and east Asia with archeological evidence of human migration from eastern Russia to North America over 10,000 years ago. They exhibit unique physical traits like shovel-shaped incisors and the epicanthic eye-fold. African Americans derive most of their genetic ancestry from various ethnic groups in West and Central Africa imported through the slave trade. Their physical features reflect influences from this part of the world.
| Ancestry | Native American | African American |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic origin | Indigenous peoples of eastern Siberia/Asia | Ethnic groups of West and Central Africa |
| Time of arrival in Americas | 10,000+ years ago | 400-500 years ago |
| Skin tones | Tan to brown | Brown to dark brown |
| Other physical traits | Epicanthic eye-fold, shovel-shaped incisors | Broad nose, tightly coiled hair |
Culture
Both Native American and African American cultures place great importance on oral tradition, storytelling, music, and the arts. However, there are still significant differences that have developed from their unique histories.
Native cultures are inextricably linked to specific tribal affiliations – Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux etc. Each tribe has distinct traditions, religious/spiritual practices, languages, clothing, cuisine and more that establish a particular cultural identity. Tribes also share some overlapping cultural elements like pow wows, use of herbs/plants for medicine, and reverence for the natural world.
African American culture draws on common experiences of slavery, emancipation, and life under racist Jim Crow laws. Cultural markers include soul food, gospel music, the Harlem Renaissance, and the central role the Black church has played in the community. Despite a shared struggle against anti-Black racism, though, there is incredible diversity within the African American community based on regional, ethnic, and national origins.
| Aspect | Native American Culture | African American Culture |
|---|---|---|
| Key elements | Tribal affiliations, ceremonies, indigenous languages, connection to native lands | Soul food, gospel music, Black church, Harlem Renaissance, overcoming slavery and racism |
| Diversity within group | Over 500 unique, sovereign tribal nations | Regional, ethnic, and national diversity among descendants of enslaved Africans |
| Arts | Pottery, textiles, music, oral tradition | Jazz, blues, literature, dance, spirituals |
| Spiritual practices | Tribal religions, nature worship, trickster figures | Christianity, Islam, varied belief systems and superstitions |
Official Recognition
Native Americans are legally recognized as sovereign indigenous nations by the United States government. The Constitution affirms their right to self-governance and self-determination over tribal lands and people. There are 334 reservations today protected for Native tribes as domestic dependent nations. The Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior handles relations between the federal government and tribal nations.
Meanwhile, African Americans were only granted full rights and protections as American citizens in the 1960s after centuries of enslavement and segregation. The federal government does not recognize Black Americans as a distinct cultural sovereignty in the same way as Native tribes. However, the month of February is designated as Black History Month to celebrate African American achievements and history within the broader American experience.
| Legal Status | Native American | African American |
|---|---|---|
| Government recognition | Domestic dependent sovereign nations | American citizens |
| Self-governance | Tribal governments and courts | No distinct self-governing bodies |
| Protected lands | 334 Indian reservations | No specifically designated lands |
| Federal representation | Bureau of Indian Affairs | No equivalent bureau or agency |
| Heritage month | November – Native American Heritage Month | February – Black History Month |
Population Size
There are vastly different population totals for Native Americans compared to African Americans according to United States census data and demographic research.
As of the 2020 Census, there were 9.7 million people who identified as American Indian or Alaska Native alone or in combination with another race. This represents about 3% of the total U.S. population. The Native American population grew by 86% between 1990 and 2020.
African Americans make up a far larger portion of the U.S. – around 13% as of 2020. There were 46.9 million Black or African American people in the country based on the latest census. The Black population increased by 36% from 1990 to 2020, higher than overall U.S. population growth.
| Population | Native American | African American |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 census population | 9.7 million | 46.9 million |
| % of U.S. population | 3% | 13% |
| Population growth 1990-2020 | 86% increase | 36% increase |
| Largest tribal affiliations | Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Chippewa, Choctaw | N/A |
Geographic Distribution
Both Native Americans and African Americans can be found across the United States, but there are key differences in where each group is concentrated demographically.
Large numbers of Native Americans still reside in the Western U.S. near tribal lands and reservations. States with the highest proportion of Native residents include Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota and Arizona. There are also sizable indigenous populations in California, Texas, North Carolina, Florida and other states.
Meanwhile, African Americans live predominantly in the South where the slave-based plantation economy was centered. The Black population is densest across the Deep South and along the East Coast. States with the highest Black populations include Texas, Georgia, Florida, New York, North Carolina and California, along with major urban centers like Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia outside the South.
| Geographic distribution | Native American | African American |
|---|---|---|
| General regions | Western U.S., near tribal lands | South and East Coast, urban centers nationwide |
| States with largest populations | Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana | Texas, Georgia, Florida, New York, North Carolina, California |
| Top metro areas | Phoenix, Albuquerque, Anchorage, Tucson | New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia |
Socioeconomic Status
Both Native Americans and African Americans suffer from higher poverty rates, lower educational attainment, and other socioeconomic disadvantages compared to the overall U.S. population. However, the specific causes and outcomes vary between the two groups.
For Native Americans, poverty and lack of opportunity are linked to historical dislocation from ancestral lands as well as broken treaties and inadequate support from the federal government. Native youth have a high school graduation rate of 72% compared to 88% for whites. Unstable tribal economies lead to an average unemployment rate of 12% on reservations.
Socioeconomic challenges facing African Americans have roots in discriminatory practices like redlining, segregated schools, and hiring biases keeping generations in poverty. Black Americans have a poverty rate of 21% compared to 10% for whites. They also graduate high school at 79%, go to college at half the rate, and own homes at just 43% the rate of whites on average.
| Socioeconomic Status | Native American | African American |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 26% | 21% |
| High school graduation rate | 72% | 79% |
| Key factors | Broken treaties, inadequate federal support | Institutional racism, discrimination |
| College graduation rate | 16% | 22% |
| Homeownership rate | 56% | 43% |
Experiences of Racism
Both Native and African Americans have endured long histories of racism, violence, and oppression at the hands of white European settlers and their descendants. However, they have faced distinct forms of bigotry and marginalization in the United States.
Native peoples were victims of genocide, land theft, broken treaties, ethnic cleansing, forced assimilation, and other atrocities over centuries meant to displace them for white settlement. Natives continue fighting racist mascots and stereotypes that reduce their identity to crude caricatures. There is also racial bias against Natives in policing, child welfare, and the justice system.
African Americans endured 250 years of brutal slavery followed by a century of lynchings, segregation, and denial of basic rights after emancipation. Racist stereotypes, discrimination, and police brutality are still realities negatively impacting Black lives today. The Black Lives Matter movement has protested ongoing violence and marginalization in recent years.
| Experiences of Racism | Native American | African American |
|---|---|---|
| Past injustices | Genocide, land theft, broken treaties, forced assimilation, ethnic cleansing | 250 years of slavery, lynching, segregation, denied rights |
| Ongoing issues | Mascots, inadequate services, stereotypes | Police brutality, discrimination, mass incarceration, marginalization |
| Racial justice movement | Red Power, American Indian Movement | Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights Movement |
| Impact on identity | Connection to tribal heritage, indigenous pride | Shared struggle, African roots, Black pride |
Interactions Between the Groups
Throughout much of American history, interactions between Native and African Americans were limited. In recent decades, ties have grown between these two marginalized groups.
During the colonial and plantation eras, Native tribes were displaced as African slaves were imported to provide forced labor. Escaped slaves known as Black Indians sometimes found refuge among Seminole and other tribes. But overall contact was restricted to avoid unified resistance.
The Native American Party of the 1860s sought to exclude both groups from society. However, Native and Black activists formed alliances during the civil rights era, recognizing shared goals of equality, self-determination, and resistance to white oppression. Solidarity between them continues today against police brutality, voter suppression, and environmental racism threatening their communities.
| Interactions and Relations | Historically | Contemporary |
|---|---|---|
| During colonial/plantation eras | Limited interactions. Runaway slaves found refuge among some tribes | N/A |
| Native American Party 1860s | Sought to exclude both groups from society | N/A |
| Civil rights era | N/A | Formed alliances and recognized shared struggle |
| Today | N/A | United against police brutality, voter suppression, environmental racism |
Conclusion
In summary, Native Americans and African Americans represent two distinct racial and ethnic identities with their own unique backgrounds and experiences in the United States. Though both groups face marginalization in society, Native Americans are recognized as sovereign tribal nations while Black Americans are united by the legacy of slavery and civil rights struggles. Their interactions were historically limited but contacts have increased in recent times as they find common cause against ongoing forms of oppression and discrimination.
Understanding the key differences as well as commonalities between these two populations is important for advancing greater cultural awareness, sensitivity, and social justice. Native and Black identities teach crucial lessons about the complexities of race, racism, and the diversity that exists both between and within minority groups in America.