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Is using the term "indigenous" in reference to people living in the Americas before Columbus an implicit repudiation of the "Out of Africa" theory? https://en.
by adolph 2y ago
Is using the term "indigenous" in reference to people living in the Americas before Columbus an implicit repudiation of the "Out of Africa" theory?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recent_African_origin_of_moder...
- AlotOfReading 2y agoNo, it's just a widely accepted term for descendents of the people who inhabited the Americas before European colonization. Their (long ago) ancestors are also our long ago ancestors in Africa. The reason "indigenous" is used is mainly historical, but there aren't any better modern terms. "American Indian" is largely a US term and one a lot of people don't like. "Native American" has similar issues. "First nations" is mainly used by Canadians and doesn't encompass all the groups being discussed. "Indian" works, but "indigenous" has a lot less semantic baggage.