FACT is that, the name/word “Indians” has nothing at all to do with native Americans.
Indian comes from the name of the country of India. Native Americans are not Indians. The Indians name came from the mistake that mistake that Christopher Columbus made when he landed in the Americas (another questionable name) and thought that he had landed in Indian waters.
The Wikipedia entry:
“When he landed in the Antilles, Columbus referred to the resident peoples he encountered there as “Indians” reflecting his purported belief that he had reached the Indian Ocean. The name stuck; for centuries the native people of the Americas were collectively called “Indians” in various European languages.”
Thus, there is absolutely no reason to change the name that many people think refers to native Americans. It’s not about native Americans, and if native Americans have a problem with the name, it should be because they should never have been called Indians.
There is actually a team in India’s pro cricket league called the Mumbai Indians.
I live a half mile from an Indian Reservation, everyone there calls themselves “Indians.” They have Indian Taco Sales, (NDN Tacos written on the signs). All the school buses say “Indian School” on the side, etc. They only call themselves Native Americans when talking to government officials.