The term “Indian giver” is the most blameworthy charge that one child can level at another, for he (or she) so charged is two-faced, without honor, faithless.
To be brief, the present that Billy-B may bring to Robbie’s birthday party is one that Robbie may look at while the party is in progress, but Billy will demand its return when the party is over.
That is to say, even back in colonial days an Indian gift referred “to the alleged custom among Indians,” according to the Handbook of American Indians (1907) issued by the Smithsonian Institution, “of expecting an equivalent for a gift or otherwise its return.”
The same authority defines Indian giver, “A repentant giver.”
In our own youth, incidentally, although “Indian” was expected in formal speech, the normal everyday speech of all boys and many adults was “Injun.”
Related Posts
-
What does the term “Indian sign” mean and Where does the phrase Indian sign come from?
Evidently Frederick Webb Hodge, editor of the Handbook of American Indians (1907), issued by the Smithsonian Institution and still regarded as the leading authority on Indian life and customs, did not foresee that…
-
What was Indian Territory and Where was Indian Territory located?
Indian Territory was the name given to the western lands where the United States wanted to resettle the southeastern Indians. Originally, it did not have exact boundaries, but by the late nineteenth century…
-
Why did Christopher Columbus call Native Americans “Indians” and Where did the term Indian come from?
Christopher Columbus called Native Americans indios, or "Indians," because he felt sure that he had reached the Indies, the region we now call Asia. That is why the islands he explored are known…
-
What is an “Indian summer” how did the term originate?
Is the phrase "Indian summer" meant to be derogatory? Maybe, or maybe not. The phrase, of course, refers to a time in late fall when the weather turns unseasonably warm and mild. For…
-
How did Caribou Get its Name and What does it Mean in Native Indian?
The name Caribou is believed to have come from its Micmac Indian name xalibu, "the one who paws," hinting at the caribou's trait of pawing in the snow for lichen. Caribou is a…
-
Are the People Who Live In Mexico of Spanish or Indian Descent and What Does the Word Mestizo Mean In Latin?
Most of the people who live in Mexico today are descendants of both Indian and Spanish people, a combination called mestizo. The Spanish word Mestizo, which originated around 1582, came from the Latin…
