Native peoples, like others, use objects not only as a means of adornment or as tools for living but also as statements about themselves in the greater whole of the universe, conveying many levels of information. These objects will remain a statement of tribal and individual identities serving as communicators to the outside world and as points of reference for Native Americans. This article presents an overview of ways that the categorization of Native North American creations from precontact to the present day has usually taken place. It neither attempts to be encyclopedic nor definitive but rather seeks to demonstrate how categorization and the labels attached to categories could be more carefully considered especially when utilized by exhibiting institutions or in public spaces. The author hopes that this article will engender a greater dialogue about the much-needed evaluation of terms and categories attached to Native objects and aid in the transition of practices in museums and cultural centers as they relate directly to terminology, leading to a fuller understanding of the people whose creations continue to inspire everyone. (Contains 1 figure and 39 notes.)