#506 - Conversations with First Nations

When Christopher Columbus arrived at the North American continent from Europe in 1492, he thought he was in India; so when he found people there, he called them "Indians".... For a long time, the original inhabitants of North America were known as "American Indians." Later on, political correctness gave rise to the term "Native Americans".... On a trip across our northern border, we encountered the term "First Nations," the nations who were here first.... That is the term we have adapted into our lexicon. After all, these folks were Ho Chunk, Oneida, and Ojibwa long before the were native "Americans".... We meet and talk with members of the First Nations of the North American Great Lakes region. We talk about preserving their language, culture and way of life. We also discuss the effects of demeaning stereotypes of native people.