here's a reaction/response you probably haven't had.
my initial reaction is calm and reasoned and goes like this: since the word has ambiguous connotations, it depends totally on the context; i.e., where am I and who am I speaking with.
since I live in the U.S., this usually means that I end up in the American Indian context and have to deal with the whole p.c. thing [exasperated frown] once again. I rail at using the Native American appellation -- am I not a 'native american'? are my US-born ancestors not just as dead as theirs? [gratuitous aside: I doubt that aborigine (or autochthon) will catch on here anytime soon.] so I end up [response] being steamed at having to deal with yet another of these frustrating language issues that are really just a waste of time and energy and contribute *nothing* to useful dialog(ue).
