Native American Name Controversy

The Indigenous peoples, also called Indians, Aboriginal peoples, American Indians or Native Americans, are the original inhabitants of America and are descendants who maintain their culture and are recognized as such by the Europeans. However, the different vocabulary used to refer to the Native American have create a controversy because some of these names are considered inappropriate or offensive for them, but exists some appropriate terms to refer as them.

Europeans found the Native Americans after 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered America. Since then, Native Americans have been commonly referred to as Indians or American Indians in the United States. The Indian’s name comes from the explorer Christopher Columbus error. He believed that the distance from Europe to East Asia, which was then known as India or the Indies, was shorter than predicted. In 1492 he began his first trip and when he reached the American continent he thought he had come to East Asia. And he called the natives Indian people because of European’s erroneous belief. However, the wrong name that Columbus gave to the original inhabitants of the Americas was discovered soon after, but the name became popular and was used to describe Native Americans for centuries. Despite the fact that the Native American term is most widely used today, the terms American Indian or Indian are even common.

Also, the population that has been called Indian is incorrect, because the correct name of this human group is indigenous. As for the term indigenous, this word has nothing derogatory, degrading or inappropriate; and has nothing to do with the word Indian neither derived from this word. Indian comes directly from the ancient Latin, even before the Roman people knew of the existence of India. Unfortunately the Indian term can be interpreted as an insult and the right thing is indigenous. The indigenous term has been used to designate people who had been referred has aboriginals. According to the Indigenous Foundation the indigenous term “is used to refer broadly to peoples of long settlement and connection to specific lands who have been adversely affected by incursions by industrial economies, displacement, and settlement of their traditional territories by others.” Dr. Michael Yellowbird considers both term “American Indian and Native American, to be “oppressive, ‘counterfeit identities.’” He prefers the terms indigenous peoples or First Nations peoples to either American Indian or Native American.”

Additionally, the terms American Indian or Indian may be more appropriate, but it can be an insult for some of them. For example, two reasons they can feel disrespected are because the term’s association with Columbus, and because it is not from their Nation. Even the correct legal term is indigenous a survey conducted by the Census Bureau published, “49 percent preferred the term Indian, 37 percent Native American, and 3.6 percent ‘some other name.’ About 5 percent expressed no preference.” Some of these indigenous groups have different believed and theories. Peoples that like to be called Native American is because their theory is that they are native from United States and they are not from India, unlike the Indian group that their theory is they do not feel American citizens. Lastly, other groups like to be called by their real name because they are neutral.

Finally, referring to the original inhabitants of the Americas is a delicate subject. From all the different terms that it has been used to refer to the Indians from the beginning when the Europeans found them until the nowadays the most common is Native Americans, even when this term continues creating controversy and debates. People call them Native Americans, but the correct way is Indigenous. It is strange that such an established word is most likely based on an error.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Staff, History. "Columbus

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