indigeneity

noun

in·​dig·​e·​ne·​i·​ty in-ˌdi-jə-ˈnē-ə-tē  -ˈnā- 

variants or Indigeneity

: the fact, state, or experience of being Indigenous (see indigenous sense 1b) especially with reference to the history and effects of settler colonialism

I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. My family doesn't speak our language or know our ceremonies due to colonization, but we are still grounded in our indigeneity.

—Jen Deerinwater

Indigeneity is … not an identity. Sámi is an identity. … Lakota and Anishinabe … are identities. Indigeneity describes a certain set of relationships to colonialism, anticolonialism and specific lands and places.

—@storfjta, on X, formerly Twitter

… the disappearing of Indigenous peoples through settler-legislated definitions and documentation as "proof" of Indigeneity …

—Ciann L. Wilson and Ann Marie Beats

Whiteness over Indigeneity or Blackness has always been privileged. It links to class and education in pretty much all countries in Latin America and in the Caribbean.

—Isabel Molina-Guzman, quoted at NBC News (online)

The [Sundance Institute's Native] Lab focuses on centring Indigeneity in the storytelling of participants from Native and Indigenous backgrounds …

—Jeremy Kay

Those films … dismantle stereotypes. They place indigeneity in a modern context. They're not just National Geographic subjects any more.

—Madeleine Hakaraia De Young, quoted in The New Zealand Herald

Examples of indigeneity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By the early twentieth century, the general public assumed that there were no California Indians left, leaving a void of perceivable authentic indigeneity. —Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025

Annabel Keenan underscores the overlap between environmental sustainability and Indigeneity, noting that many actions now considered climate friendly have their roots in Indigenous communities that live in closer harmony with the land. —Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

In Taos, occasionally catching the eye of a figure with aquiline features and long graying hair, I was knocked sideways by the sheer implication of indigeneity in a country like America. —Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025

The Lab is designed for artists of Native and Indigenous backgrounds who aim to center Indigeneity in their work. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025

That’s for a panel debate; this is a conversation between friends about Indigeneity, queerness, and imperialism. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 25 Mar. 2025

Even after the unwarranted, racially motivated police stop, Aguilar Méndez's Indigeneity continues to be criminalized. —Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 9 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

indigen(ous) + -eity (in heterogeneity, homogeneity)

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for indigeneity

• homogeneity
• simultaneity
• contemporaneity
• heterogeneity
• inhomogeneity
• deity
• spontaneity