Why are Native Americans called Indians when people from India are also called Indians?

[Vivaldi]

Why are Native Americans called Indians when people from India are also called Indians?

They have nothing to do with each other race-wise

[WindAtMyBack]

The story that Columbus thought he was in India may or may not be valid, but I have never heard an alternate explanation.

Columbus was well traveled before he sailed across the Atlantic. Prior to that almost all sea travel hugged the coast because open water sailing was too dangerous until they came up with better navigation. There was already European trade with Africa and Asia - both overland and sea trade.

Europeans were already familiar with peoples from other parts of the world and what they looked like. Columbus was more familiar than most. When he landed in the Caribbean, probably in the Bahamas, supposedly he and his crew thought the people did not look like they expected. They made notes about the people having a broader face and higher forehead than they expected.

Add to that the fact that they saw unfamiliar plants and animals, completely different than anything they had seen before. I don't know exactly when they realized they were in a new undiscovered place, but it happened fairly soon. They certainly knew before their second voyage the next year. The rest of Europe knew also, because they almost immediately started exploring and exploiting the New World.

If the story about Columbus thinking he was in India or the West Indies was true, he didn't bother to change the name for the natives even though he quickly knew they were not from India or the West Indies.

For some reason, the name "Indian" stuck and was still used for the first 20-25 years of my life. It was even used by professional historians, and archaeologists. "Native American" was one of the first "politically correct" terms in the 1970s. Before that, 'Indian' was used almost exclusively.

When it was still used, it might seem like it would be confusing, but it normally wasn't. We usually knew by the context which Indian somebody was talking about. If there was any doubt, we would just ask, "Do you mean American Indian or India Indian?". It really wasn't a problem.

[Hellraiser1984]

Supposedly when Columbus was searching for a seaway passage to the west indies he landed on Central America (I think). He thought he was at the west Indies. I think because the natives hard darker skin he thought they were actual indians from India. Then his discovery led to a ton of death and violence for the natives..

[Vivaldi]

Was America discovered by going wrong way when they wanted to go to India?

[Hellraiser1984]

No he was going the right way he just supposedly didn't know about the Americas. Then hit them.

[Vivaldi]

But he went to America instead of India?

[Hellraiser1984]

Yes. Supposedly he didn't know about them but in reality he really did.. he made maps using several older maps showing the eastern coastline. There's a book i read I think it's called Columbus and the templars. It's interesting. He may have been the illegitimate son of a pope. It's Christopher Columbus the last Templar by Marino.

[purplepoppy]

India takes its name from the indus river. American indians take it from the Spanish indios meaning indigenous. The columbus mistakening it for India story is just a myth.

[electromagnetic]

I don’t think they are called Indians anymore since they aren’t. In Canada they are called ingenious persons.

[Vivaldi]

In south america, they dont live?

Are they from North America only?

[Vivaldi]

I mean they are especially native north americans?

[electromagnetic]

They’ll all over the world. Australia, the America’s. They’re the indigenous folks of those countries.

[Vivaldi]

Native australians are different race

[electromagnetic]

Exactly my point. They aren’t Indians and they aren’t called that anymore. They’re call indigenous people.

[Vivaldi]

What I mean is Native australians are different race than Native North Americans

[joehypo1]

I myself think that indian was another way of saying indigenous the people that were already in america before it was "discovered" are tbe indigenous to america not sure if that helps or if i spelled it correctly

[Vivaldi]

Those are especially native north americans, from north america, not including the south.

[Orion84]

Christopher Columbus attempted to sail around the world, to Asia, missed horribly, and declared victory.

Thus, Indians, because he thought he was in India.

[TheStaleMarshmellow]

Europeans where dumb and wanted to go to India. Took a wrong turn, got western hemisphere

[TheStaleMarshmellow]

"WE FINALLY MADE IT TO INDIA!"

[ProbablyClueless]

Columbus was under the false impression that he had reached India when he got to the new world.

[DryGermanGuy]

Advantage for the German precision:
Dots: Inder
Feathers: Indianer

[jahaims]

Open a book

[theTrashcanMan]

Ask Columbus