Why are early Canadians called Indians? (For example, the Subarctic Indians)?

Question

I don't think Columbus went that high. Did other explorers make the same mistake?

I am teaching a lesson on early Canadians and that's the term that the 6th grade text book uses.
I don't think Columbus went that high. Did other explorers make the same mistake?

Answer 1

The name 'Indian' (a misnomer) has been applied equally to all indigenous tribes of the Caribbean as well as North and Central America.

Answer 2

Because of Christopher Columbus. Columbus thought that he had discovered India when he ran into the islands in the Carribean, so he called the natives of the New World "indians". All Westerners began to call native Americans "indians" because of Columbus even though we eventually realized that America was not India.

Answer 3

It's due to the mistake Christopher Columbus made when he sailed the oceans blue.
The First Nations of Canada are collection of diverse peoples. Though we generally don't use the term "Indian", there are some legal terms that still use it. Such as the Office of Indian Affairs is a governmental branch that connects the First Nations with the federal government. Weird, eh?

Answer 4

For the same reason that native Americans are called Indians - because they were found here by the Europeans who thought they landed in India.

Answer 5

I'm pretty sure in Canada the natives are called First Americans or First Nations. I attended a conference in Vancouver and the Native Americans were very well-respected, -represented, and -appreciated, which was a major change from the way America and her society treats the Native Americans. Very refreshing.