native potter at work

The term 'Native' comes from Late Middle English from Latin “nativus” from “natus” meaning born, and has been used to describe people born to a particular place. However, while the term has been in common use historically, it has been criticised for not only reinforcing colonial hierarchies (natives were considered inferior to the civilised coloniser) but also for implying an exclusionary racial and ethnic right to a place by a specific group.