The only true natives of the Western Hemisphere.
All other people are either immigrants or descendants of the Europeans, Africans, Asians and others who came to the Americas after Columbus made his landfall at San Salvador in 1492. Columbus, whose knowledge of global geography was understandably vague at that time, called the natives found in the Americas "Los Indios" because he thought he had landed in India. Today, as a result, they are universally known as the American Indians.
The People is generally the name each tribal group calls today itself. The misnomer "Indian" is a term still in use, although it is incorrect. "Native American" is also widely used, however it is considered offensive by some. When referring to an ethnic group or individual, it is preferable to use the tribal name. Other acceptable collective terms include "American Indians" and "The First Americans".
