Why are native Americans called Indians or red Indians?

This created much discussion throughout Indian country, so I've decided to keep the conversation going. The question asked: “What do you prefer to be called? Native American, Native, American Indian, Indian, etc.?” References of us are important and this discussion differs throughout Native communities. read more

It is most unfortunate that Native Americans are called Indians and worse Injun, because the word Indian comes from Indus, a Greek word for the river that flows in the north-western region of the Indian sub-continent (now in Pakistan). read more

Redskin/Red Indian. Some Europeans have called Native Americans "redskins" or, more commonly, [citation needed] "Red Indians". This is partially based on the color metaphors for race which colonists and settlers historically used in North America and Europe, and also to distinguish Native Americans from the Indian people of India. read more

Thus Red Indians was in reference to distinguish between Brown Indians, etc. The term has stuck since it has been used for sooooooo long. People in the Americans still refer to Native American or Indigenous Americans as 'Indians'. read more