when christopher columbus landed here he thought that he was in india so he called the natives he saw "indians"? And thats were the word Indians came from? IF this is true. Then what where the "Indians" called before. What do they refer to themselves as?
2006-09-17 00:31:25 · 9 answers · asked by MJ 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
They referred to themselves by their tribal names.
2006-09-17 00:33:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Basically that is the story. However, if Columbus had NO awareness of India whatsoever...then what ? The fact remains that Columbus brought that name back to Europe and encouraged its use. The name at that point becomes irrelevant. Trinkets and beads for fur eh ? They could have termed them the gullible's.
Today, Reservasionists seems most fitting, although their fondness for firewater could make it ironic.
We don't call Africans by their tribal names. Therefore .the best would be Native North Americans. If we hadn't wiped them out and herded them up like cattle, that would be a consistent and proper term !
2006-09-17 07:53:10 · answer #2 · answered by nitro_tnt_911 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes, it seems that is true.
It seems that in many of the native laguages, the term used for themselves translates into "the people".
Don't be confused, though, by the non-native names for the tribes and the native language names.
example: Indians that were known as Papago, now known as Tohono O'odham
- (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) -
"Tohono O'odham" means "People of the Desert." The people rejected the name "Papago" (literally: "tepary-bean eater"), which they were first labelled by conquistadores who had heard them called this by tribes unfriendly to the Tohono O'odham.
2006-09-17 08:32:45 · answer #3 · answered by kent chatham 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There was no universal name as they didn't think like the Europeans. They saw themselves as humans connected to all life forms. They saw the differences and welcomed them initially as part of the "Oneness".
Their belief pattern had themselves interconnected with everything.
Unfortunate that was not respected and it cost them dearly.
They couldn't own anything as it was part of everything. How do I "Own" a tree or land?" No one "Owns these things... we use them" They couldn't fence anything in. They had respected areas that needed no walls.
Not that their belief system was so right. Just that it was used against them.
"Sign this treaty saying you don't own the land..."
Part of the lost culture... I am 1/16 Cherokee, and want to learn all I can about "The trail of tears"...
2006-09-17 07:46:50 · answer #4 · answered by icyuryy 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes , this is true . But as there were so many tribes , no single specific name was there , for all of them .
2006-09-17 08:58:51 · answer #5 · answered by tornado20ad 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
that is true, they refer to themselves as their tribe name Seminole, Seneca, Cheyenne etc.
2006-09-17 07:35:08 · answer #6 · answered by setter505 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They had tribal names... like the cherokee
2006-09-17 07:35:11 · answer #7 · answered by BeachBum 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it is true. Probably each group had its own name for itself.
2006-09-17 07:33:27 · answer #8 · answered by picopico 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
ehm cheyenne,navaho....
2006-09-17 07:33:32 · answer #9 · answered by Obilee 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋