Native Americans in the United States are the
indigenous peoples in
North America within the boundaries of the present-day
continental United States, parts of
Alaska, and the island state of
Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct
Native American tribes and
ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact political communities. The terms used to refer to Native Americans have been
controversial. According to a 1995
US Census Bureau set of home interviews, most of the respondents with an expressed preference refer to themselves as
American Indians or
Indians, and this term has been adopted by major newspapers and some academic groups; however, this term does not include
Native Hawaiians or those
Alaskan Natives, such as
Aleuts,
Alutiiq,
Cupik,
Yupik, and
Inuit peoples, who are not American Indians.