Native Americans

1. The descendants of the original inhabitants of North America and South America before the arrival of white settlers from Europe , also called Indians or American Indians. The term Native American is sometimes preferred over Indian because the latter is a misnomer that originated with Columbus , who mistook the inhabitants of America for the people of India . Both terms, however, are accepted.

Notes

In recent years, Native American activism has taken the form of calls for the protection of their tribal or ancestral shrines and artifacts.