why are native americans called indians

Native Americans are called Indians because when Christopher Columbus reached the Americas, he believed he had landed in the Indian subcontinent (South Asia). He used terms derived from the Latin Inde or Indios to refer to the people he encountered, and the label stuck in many European languages and in early English usage. Over time, the broad label “Indian” became common for Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and “American Indian” was used in the United States and other places to distinguish them from Indigenous peoples in Asia. In the 20th century, many people and organizations shifted toward more precise or self-chosen identifiers, such as Native American or specific tribal names; however, some individuals and communities still use Indian or Indigenous terms based on tradition, self-understanding, or institutional usage.