US president Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that it was “not allowed” to use the word “Indian” anymore. Speaking to a reporter, he said: “You’re not allowed to use the word ‘Indian’ anymore. The only ones that want you to do it are the Indians. I will never tell you to change.”The word “Indian” is used to describe Native American communities. While some tribal members continue to use the term, others argue it is outdated or rooted in racism.
The term “Indian” stems from Christopher Columbus’s error in believing he had reached India, leading to its historical application to Native Americans.Trump has a long and uneasy history with Native American tribes. He often positions himself as their defender, despite long-running disputes with them.In April this year, organisations condemned Trump’s threat to block a new stadium in Washington, DC, unless the local NFL team returned to its old name, the Redskins. The name was dropped in 2020 after years of complaints that it was a racial slur.“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The team would be much more valuable, and the deal would be more exciting for everyone,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.Trump also put the pressure on the Cleveland Guardians to change their name back to the “Indians,” claiming that the “Indian people” want the Guardians to be the “Indians” yet again.Several native groups rejected his claim. The Association on American Indian Affairs said such mascots reduce indigenous people to caricatures and ignore their living cultures. “These mascots and names do not honor native people; they reduce us to caricatures. Our diverse people and cultures are not relics of the past or mascots for entertainment,” the Association on American Indian Affairs said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.While some groups oppose the Commanders returning to the former name, the Native American Guardians Association said, “The Native American Guardians Association stands with the president of the United States in the call to return common sense and sanity back to our nation.” In 1993, Trump testified before Congress against Native American gaming. During that hearing, he said some tribes “don’t look like Indians to me,” and questioned their identity and their role in running casinos. He later added that he might have “more Indian blood than a lot of the so-called Indians” operating reservations, as quoted by Time.
