Native Americans have been named many times throughout history. Whether it be the Redskins, the former name of the Washington Commanders, or the Chiefs, the current name of the Kansas City Chiefs, one name always shows up, both in the past and the present, American Indians. I believe that this name should not be used as a way to reference to Native Americans.
First, there is already a country whose demonym is Indian. Native Americans and Indians from India are two extremely different groups of people. We shouldn’t be redeeming Christopher Columbus’ mistake he made when he reached the New World in 1492. We know much better now that we have proof that he made a mistake.
Second, Native Americans are native to the Americas, so why wouldn’t we use the name that describes them? Using the term American Indians implies that they were not native to the continent, which history can easily prove wrong.
Third, many racial slurs used against Native Americans derive from the term “Indian”. Being labeled after the stem of racial slurs of your ethnicity would not be the best representation of yourself and others within that group.
Fourth and final, “Indian” implies that they are all one group of people, while on the contrary, they are an extremely diverse group. As they stretch from the Yupik people in the north to the Seminoles in the south, the customs will all vary based on many factors.
In the end, we need to take into consideration these different aspects of this name and start using Native Americans as a way to refer to these diverse and unique people.
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