“Indian Country” is trending today thanks to Donald Trump and a debate is raging over whether this comment has racist undertones.
Years ago, the term Indian has been swapped for Native Americans, but the phrase, Indian Country, is still officially used by the EPA. The government website defines it as “all land within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States Government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent, and, including rights-of-way running through the reservation.”
But when Trump uses the term you have to wonder.
Certainly, Trump knows the politically correct term is Native Americans. We found one instance at the White House back in 2017 where he honored “Native American” code talkers. But even that event wasn’t without controversy. Trump couldn’t just honor the Native Americans, instead, he also had to throw in a snide comment about Senator Elizabeth Warren:
“You were here long before any of us were here. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas.”
As for the subject of Trump’s tweets. The Hill writes:
It is the first time the President, known for using “Pocahontas” as a slur against political opponents, has tweeted about legislation for Native American communities, according to Indianz.com.
The three bills include compensation to the Spokane tribe for the loss of their lands in the mid-1900s, reauthorization of funding for Native language programs and federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana.
