You Are Not a Michigander, You Are Officially a Michiganian

It's a debate that's gone on for years.

Are Michigan residents Michiganders or Michiganians?

Lately, Michigander seems to be winning the debate, but an official source says we should be using the term Michiganian.

Who is the authority on such matters? Is it a family who owns a cottage in the Upper Peninsula? A family who has lived in Michigan for generations? Or maybe part of the federal government based in Washington, D.C. tasked with "keeping America informed."

If you're siding with longtime Michigan residents and you are a fan of the term Michigander, prepare to be disappointed by our federal government. It's probably not the first time.

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) aims to keep us informed about a lot of things. Even some things that maybe we'd be okay just informing ourselves about.

The U.S. Government Publishing Office defers to Webster's when needed to decide how to spell words not included in the government style manual, but no need to defer here. The GPO guide addresses how to refer to natives of all 50 states. They say Michigan natives should be called Michiganians.