The "New World" prior to European contact was alive with Native peoples and history, yet the perception remains that the history of the New World began on October 12, 1492. Indians and Other Misnomers attempts to rescue the present from the past by documenting the names that tribal people use to refer to themselves, many of their historical figures, and many of the place names of North America that are of Native origin. Completely cross referenced, Indians and Other Misnomers is comprised of three related elements: tribal names, personal names of tribal members, and place names of native origin from both the U.S. and Canada. All entries contain translations of the Native name (and/or in some cases, aliases).