The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The character of “Injun Joe” is another problematic, stereotypical depiction in the book. What is the origin of the term “Injun”? Why is the term offensive? What are some appropriate, inclusive terms that could be used to characterize the community Joe

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Injun is a late 17th century alteration of "Indian" in reference to Native Americans (now pejorative or slur). This term is offensive because it is meant to stereotype a whole culture using a demeaning tone. Today we should use terms like First Peoples, First Nations, or Aboriginal.