Why 'Red Indians?'...
By mr_pearl
@mr_pearl (5018)
India
October 1, 2012 5:01pm CST
Hello my dear fellow myLotters... I was answering to a discussion, just now and another 'childish' question popped up in my mind... It is, I suspect, one of those questions, to which there is an obvious answer (as my Dad used to say!).. Why 'Red Indians?'....
We all know that the natives of America were termed as 'The Red Indians', by the european settlers, before America was established... Why were they called Indians? And why did they add 'red' to it?
My mind can conceive only one answer... I've read the first letter written by Columbus to Spanish King and Queen... Columbus had begun his voyage in search of 'India'.. He must have travelled for a long duration over the Atlantic.. So when he saw the first piece of land, he should have assumed it to be India... And thus, he ended up coining the term- 'Indians'.. This's just my surmise though, based on the little reading that I've done about America... I really like America and I read as much as I can about America, its history and Americans...
So far, I've been able to form the explanation to the term 'Indians'.. And I admit, it might be erroneous.. And it might even sound childish... I've failed though to get an explanation to the word 'red' in that term. Was it based on the complexion of the native Indians? Or what was it???
Please share my dear fellows.. Thank you!
1 person likes this
3 responses
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
2 Oct 12
I think it's more to do with the color of skin more than anything else, perhaps the early European settlers perceived as red what was tan compared to their white skin, the term "redskins" is more popular than " red Indians" , yes an error on the part of Christopher Columbus.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
2 Oct 12
Columbus and India Is the correct answer. Why Red? My guess is the war paint some tribes/nations wear.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
2 Oct 12
You had the answer already! Who was the first to use the term? You may never know.
@mzz663 (2772)
• United States
3 Nov 12
Multiple theories fight for prominence as to the true historical origin of the word. One theory, is that the term was meant as merely a physical indicator, similar to the words "white" and "black" for Caucasians and Africans, respectively. Another theory holds that it was first used by Native Americans during the 1800s as a way of distinguishing themselves from the ever-growing white population. Another theory is that the term "Red Indian" originated to describe the Beothuk people of Newfoundland who painted their bodies with red ochre, and was then generalized to North American indigenous people in general.
A fourth, unproven claim is that the term originates from the bloody scalps (red-skins) of Native people taken for bounty prizes after battle, and their skins bought and sold in local towns.
There is no historical documentation or evidence to support this theory, which is generally taken as an urban legend.
@mr_pearl (5018)
• India
5 Nov 12
Hi... Thank you for such valuable post... I had known only about the complexion theory... It really adds to my knowledge about a country that I like so much... Thanks a lot!
It could either have been complexion or the war paint... Gosh, I wish we could know the truth....
