What do you call the indigenous people of the Americas?

[civ_king]

Indeed. I don't understand why people think it's confusing to use the term "Indian." It seems a little anal retentive to me.

"The Europeans traded with the Indians." OK that one sentence all alone would be confusing but if it's in a book on the French and Indian War? I mean if you read "Indian" and think Hindu warriors were raiding farms in Upper New York then you're an idiot and context doesn't matter to you.

And "American" is kind of an ambiguous term as well without any context (like most words).

"What race are you?"
"Indian."
"Cool dude, what tribe are you?"
"No, I'm a real Indian."
"Huh? What reservation are you from?"

 

[Bugfatty300]

"What race are you?"
"Indian."
"Cool dude, what tribe are you?"
"No, I'm a real Indian."
"Huh? What reservation are you from?"

"What race are you?"
"None of your business"

Honestly the person asking that would be an ass anyway.

 

[GoodGame]

When I first heard "Amerinds" I though that was brilliant. But it seems like most governments like First Peoples or Native Americans. Most people in the USA that you drop in a mention of "Native American" in conversation will say "Why yes I am a native born American" or something, somewhat sarcastically. So I don't think it matters, other than to recognize some ethnic groups, as tribes (Cherokee, etc..), were here long before the other peoples.

 

[BasketCase]

"What race are you?"

Indy 500. Click here.

 

[civ_king]

"What race are you?"
"None of your business"

Honestly the person asking that would be an ass anyway.

Well actually it is more like
"Dude, what are you?"
"¿Por qué?" (Why?)
"¡Porque, I was wondering!" (Because,...)
"I'm Indian"
"Cool dude, what tribe are you?"
"No, I'm a real Indian."
"Huh? What reservation are you from?"

 

[warpus]

It's all BS, of course. Race doesn't really matter except to the extent that you humans think it does.

Those humans.. such fools!

 

[emzie]

Indians, feathers not dots.

Almost always natives, unless it's in a formal context, where I'd say Native Americans; really in a formal context I should probably say First Nations.

 

[otago]

Oh dear, one does have to wonder about the standard of schooling in parts of the USA, people would call the original Hawaiians Indians ?
The original Hawaiians are Polynesian nothing to do with any native tribes who arrived in the mainland USA.
They like us would call themselves Tāngata whenua, people of the land.

Oh,who speaks a native American language ? and no, English and Spanish are not native American languages.

 

[Bugfatty300]

people would call the original Hawaiians Indians ?

Who would do that?

The original Hawaiians are Polynesian nothing to do with any native tribes who arrived in the mainland USA.

Who is talking about Polynesians and Hawaiians here?

Swoosh!

Oh my, Otago. What was that sound? Just above your head? Sounded like something going over it at a high rate of speed.

 

[civ_king]

Who would do that?



Who is talking about Polynesians and Hawaiians here?

Swoosh!

Oh my, Otago. What was that sound? Just above your head? Sounded like something going over it at a high rate of speed.

It is the sound of an unburdened swallow flying over his head

 

[Earthling]

Really this thread has garnered a lot of repetitive responses along with the move to OT from whatever subforum it was buried in, maybe that's to be expected though. Anyway I thought the recent news about that newly discovered pre-Clovis site in Texas was pretty neat for a related topic though. Otherwise I already knew Canadians tend to weirdly call them "First Nations" and for the rest of us, Native Americans is more "officially correct" while some people just say "Indian" informally, so yeah.

 

[warpus]

It is the sound of an unburdened swallow flying over his head

European or African?

 

[warpus]

Really this thread has garnered a lot of repetitive responses along with the move to OT from whatever subforum it was buried in, maybe that's to be expected though. Anyway I thought the recent news about that newly discovered pre-Clovis site in Texas was pretty neat for a related topic though. Otherwise I already knew Canadians tend to weirdly call them "First Nations" and for the rest of us, Native Americans is more "officially correct" while some people just say "Indian" informally, so yeah.

Well, we couldn't call them Native Canadians.. You know, I suppose we could. But that sounds weird.. There wasn't a Canada so how could they be native Canadians? You know what I'm trying to say? Because I don't

 

[amadeus]

Indians. They use it.

 

[Zelig]

Indeed. I don't understand why people think it's confusing to use the term "Indian." It seems a little anal retentive to me.

Because I hear people talk about people from India several times more often than I hear people talk about indigenous folks, so the assumption when I hear "Indian" is someone from India.

 

[civ_king]

European or African?

Bahama Swallow

Indians. They use it.

No, racist real Indians who are intelligent, hard working and have degrees want lazy natives to stop abusing their name

[/SARCASM]

Because I hear people talk about people from India several times more often than I hear people talk about indigenous folks, so the assumption when I hear "Indian" is someone from India.

That's because Canada uses First Nation

 

[emzie]

Indians. They use it.

Do they? I wasn't aware there was some massive bloc that spoke for aboriginal peoples spanning from Alaska to Patagonia.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Because I hear people talk about people from India several times more often than I hear people talk about indigenous folks, so the assumption when I hear "Indian" is someone from India.

Same for me but I've never been confused or unable to make the distinction between the two (ymmv). It's hard for me to conceive a situation where such a misunderstanding would take place that doesn't involve ignorance, total lack of context or intricate set up. All this "confusion" really doesn't seem to be much of an issue.

 

[Babbler]

I just call them "Indians." Not that it is an authoritative reason to do so, but an Indian speaker made a presentation to my Anthro class a month ago and referred to herself and her people as "Indians."

I also don't care if a team or school decides to use an Indians as a mascot in name or imagery. Slightly off topic, but a similar issue.

IIRC, 1491 made the same point: American Indians call themselves Indian mostly. So I think its a perfectly acceptable name, although "Native/Indigenous Peoples" is probably a good term if you want to avoid ambiguity.

 

[Tee Kay]

Edit: never mind