American Indian
American Indians are the descendants of the inhabitants of North and South America before the coming of Europeans in 1492. As an ethnic group, they are indigenous to the Americas.
They are believed to have descended from Asians who crossed the Bering land bridge during the last Ice Age. According to evolutionary theory and radiocarbon dating, this took place as early as 20,000 years ago.[1]
Those who are descended from those early inhabitants are still considered American Indians if they maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. However, each Native tribe or band makes its own rulings regarding membership.
Some American Indians prefer to be called Native Americans in order to distinguish themselves from the people of India, and to remind others they were the original inhabitants of the Americas. The oldest Native American skeleton is Kennewick Man, found in 1996 and judged by radiocarbon dating to be over 9000 years old. Kennewick Man was at first said to be unlike present day Native Americans. However further research has demonstrated that this is not the case. [2]
References
- ↑ TIME - Who Were The First Americans?, By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK, ANDREA DORFMAN, Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 [1]
- ↑ TIME - Who Were The First Americans?, By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK, ANDREA DORFMAN, Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 [2]
