Do people...

[MrEco]

Calling people chief is sort of common in the US. It's sort of old-school but you hear it a lot. A friend of mine back in Minnesota once accidentally offended a Native American guy by calling him chief without realizing the possible implication.

I lol'd.

[Ack]

It's true though, it does happen. A buddy of mine from Texas was offended at first when he heard me say it, but he quickly realized I wasn't intending for it to be derogatory, thinking more of things like "police chief" as opposed to "chief of a tribe of Native Americans."