Who are the First Americans?

Indian. American Indian. Native American. First Americans. These terms are used interchangeably, but where did they come from? What do they mean?

This activity explores the history of these terms, which are used to reference the collective Indigenous communities who call this continent home. It is important to understand that these terms are racial identifiers. As individuals, we prefer to be identified by out specific tribal affiliation. 

Tap or hover your mouse over a word and learn about its history and use. 

Corn soup in a bowl on a wooden table.

Indian

“Indian” was first used in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, who misreported that he had arrived on the shores of India. This erroneous term is one of the oldest used to describe the Indigenous peoples of this hemisphere. 

Corn soup in a bowl on a wooden table.

American Indian

When German scholar Marin Waldseemuller published a map of the globe in 1507, he named the Western Hemisphere “America,” after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. “America” was added to the other misnomer, “Indian,” to create “American Indian.” This inaccurate term remains in use and is widely tolerated. 

Corn soup in a bowl on a wooden table.

Native American

The term “Native American” emerged in the 1960s. The term was aligned with an effort to establish a naming convention for all minorities in the US. Others include African American, Asian American, and so on. However, this term is open to misuse. Some people consider themselves “native American” because they were born in the United States.

Corn soup in a bowl on a wooden table.

First American

We were the first on this land, though the last to gain US citizenship. This is an emerging term that differentiates our Indigenous people from descendants of settler communities.