if we call indigineous north americans.. indians?

Question

indian originaly meant "alien to" are we not then the indian.
and of alien..why do we call them alien when we are not very old as humans, im sure we werent here first..my question is..who decides what words to teach us to use and why do we think we are superior to things that we know little of...we knew not of the native americans yet branded them with indian and we know little of our celestial neighbors and brand them as alien..who gave these terms to other lives???????????????

Answer 1

Politically correct .....Hmmmmm

I agree that they should be called by whatever they call themselves, the settlers took their land (eventually) let us not take their birthright. We are Americans because we live in America. If the earliest settlers called the land Downtown we would be downtowners.. Since we are new in this land, having left our "homeland" ....let me simplify this..

Accepted - this is America, good ole USA (right or wrong)

Say an Englander moves here for permanant living. He legally becomes a citizen. He is not an English American, he is American. A person from Asia moves here and legally becomes a citizen, they are now American, not Asian American. If I was to leave USA and move to another country and become a citizen, say Canada. I would then be Canadian, not American Canadian.
And as such should learn that country's ways, language and way of living.
If people did away with this horth thit of attaching another country to their name and live as one in the country that is theirs, all would be better...VOTE FOR ME IN 2008 (Just Kidding)

Answer 2

Native Americans were originally called Indians because Columbus thought he had sailed around the world and reached India. It was a mistake that stuck, which is why it's more appropriate now to call them 'Native Americans'.

The term alien, when applied to a person, refers to someone living in a country that they are not a citizen of. I, for example, am an alien in Italy because I am of US citizenship.

Answer 3

Native americans were called Indians because when christopher columbus landed in america he thought he had reached India, as his intention was to reach India. He saw the red skinned ppl there and called them Red Indians. Indian does not mean alien...

Answer 4

Who decides the terminology to use? Well, throughout history, might makes right. To the victors go the spoils, etc etc etc

To be completely politically correct, one should refer to them by what they call themselves: Seminoles, Apaches, Cherokees or whatever. Everyone else should be referred to as Asian Americans, African Americans, European American, etc. Although anyone actually born here that has never been anywhere else should be referred to as American. Not Asian, African or anything else, just American. But, then how would we fill all those affirmative action requirements.

Answer 5

It's an enigma wrapped in a mystery, cacooned inside of an anomoly. -who ever had the guns gave the names I guess.

Answer 6

this was caused by industrially devvoloped eurpeons which they became by stealing like from india which they stuck to indians like lice