Oct 10, 2008

Salem on History | American Indian

At a glance:

Article abstract: An “American Indian” is broadly defined as a member of any of the aboriginal peoples of North, Central, or South America and the West Indies. Peoples covered under this definition are also generally considered part of a group once widely referred to by anthropologists as “Mongoloid” in reference to certain physical characteristics and facial features.

The term “American Indian” is an obvious misnomer on two counts: First, the word “American” refers to explorer Amerigo Vespucci, for whom the Americas were named by European...

[The entire page is 361 words long]

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