(/)
The most accepted hypothesis is that the expression simply describes the way the Indians walked along the trails in the middle of the forest. Therefore, “Indian”, in this case, has nothing to do with the residents of India, but with the native populations of the Americas. Walking in single file was an excellent war strategy for North American tribes. Historical reports record that, when the warriors moved through the middle of the forest, each one stepped in the footprint of the person in front, so that the last man erased his own steps and those of the whole group. Thus, no one left traces of their passage to the enemy.
Some experts also point out that the expression reveals the discrimination suffered by indigenous populations in the United States. “Actually, it is just another label created by colonizers to convey the impression that the Indians are savages always ready for war”, says linguist Wolfgang Mieder, a specialist in folklore and proverbs at the University of Vermont, in the United States. . However, history shows that indigenous warfare strategies were incorporated by the US Army during the War of Independence (1775-1783). While the English soldiers attacked in blocks, the Americans took advantage by walking in line and hiding behind trees and rocks, as the natives did.
Read too:
– What was the biggest battle between Indians and the US Army in the old west?
– How does smoke signal communication work?