Gotcha. I would recommend just using the characters name. If you’re going for a bit of historical accuracy but want to avoid using any type of title that could be a slur, use “boy/girl/child”. For example, if a cowboy were calling your First Nation character out in not-so-friendly way, maybe use “Hey boy!” etc. The fact that your character is Native doesn’t necessarily have to be the crutch the reader relies on to identify their ethnicity. You can also describe their physical aspects (clothing, hair length, hair color, hair style, etc.) to describe your character, these things are all very unique to each Tribe and differ greatly from the Westerners. Hope that helps a little more than my previous response!
3 Likes