Native Americans of the United States (from top left): Joseph Brant · Sequoyah · Pushmataha Tecumseh · Touch the Clouds · Sitting Bull Chief Joseph · Charles Eastman · Holmes Colbert Billy Bowlegs III · Jim Thorpe · John Herrington 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 tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact political communities. The terms used to refer to Native Americans are 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.