History books usually start with a boat. They tell us that in 1507, a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller inked the word "America" onto a map, honoring Amerigo Vespucci. But people were already here. Millions of them. They had cities, complex trade routes, and deeply rooted spiritual systems. So, it’s a bit weird that we don’t talk more about what did the natives call america before that map existed.
The truth? There wasn't just one name.
North America wasn't a single "country" to the people living here. It was a patchwork of thousands of distinct cultures. To expect one name for two massive continents is like expecting every person in Eurasia to use the same word for their backyard. It just didn't happen that way. Instead, we find a beautiful, complex web of indigenous names that describe the land not as a political territory, but as a living entity.
The Famous One: Turtle Island
If you’ve spent any time in Indigenous circles today, you’ve heard the term "Turtle Island." It’s become a sort of pan-Indigenous shorthand for North America. You'll hear activists, elders, and artists use it constantly. But where did it actually come from?
It isn't just a catchy nickname. It’s a creation story.
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Anishinaabe peoples have variations of a story where the world was once entirely water. In the Haudenosaunee version, Sky Woman fell from the heavens. To save her, animals dove deep into the murky depths to find mud. The muskrat—the humblest of creatures—finally succeeded, placing the mud on the back of a giant snapping turtle. As Sky Woman danced, the mud grew and grew until it became the vast continent we walk on today.
Basically, the land is literally resting on a turtle’s shell.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, talks about this beautifully. She explains that "Turtle Island" isn't just a label; it’s a reminder of our responsibility to the earth. If the land is a living creature, you treat it differently than if it’s just a piece of real estate you bought from a bank.
Abya Yala: The Name from the South
While "Turtle Island" dominates the conversation in the North, "Abya Yala" is the powerhouse name for the American landmass in the South.
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This name comes from the Guna people, who live in what we now call Panama and Colombia. In their language, Abya Yala means "land in its full maturity," "land of vital blood," or "noble land."
In 1992, as the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival approached, many Indigenous groups across the Americas started looking for a name that wasn't tied to European colonizers. They chose Abya Yala. It was a conscious political statement. By using a Guna word to describe the entire Western Hemisphere, they were rejecting the "New World" label. After all, it wasn't new to them. It was ancient.
It’s fascinating how this name has traveled. You can find murals in Los Angeles or community centers in Buenos Aires using the term. It has become a symbol of continental unity that predates the arrival of ships from across the Atlantic.
Cemanahuac and the Aztec Perspective
Further north, in the Valley of Mexico, the Aztecs (or Mexica) had their own way of looking at the world. They called their known world Cemanahuac.
Translated from Nahuatl, it roughly means "the land surrounded by water."
The Mexica weren't necessarily trying to name a "continent" in the way a modern geographer would. They were describing their reality. To them, the world was a disc of land sitting in the middle of a vast, primordial ocean. They believed they were at the center of the universe—which, honestly, is a pretty human way to feel.
What’s interesting is that Cemanahuac wasn't just a physical location. It was a sacred space. The borders weren't defined by fences, but by the edges of the water and the reach of their influence.
Why "America" Sticks and Others Fade
We have to be honest about why these names aren't in our everyday vocabulary. Language is a tool of power. When European powers arrived, they didn't just take the land; they renamed it. Renaming is a way of claiming ownership. If you name a mountain "Mt. Rainier," you’re effectively erasing the fact that the Puyallup people had been calling it təqʷuʔməʔ (Tacoma) for thousands of years.
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But there’s a shift happening.
Indigenous place-naming projects are popping up all over the country. In 2015, the highest peak in North America was officially changed from Mount McKinley back to Denali, its original Koyukon Athabaskan name. This wasn't just about a sign change. It was a massive win for cultural recognition.
When asking what did the natives call america, you’re really asking about the identity of the land itself.
Regional Variations: Not Everyone Used "Turtle"
It's a common mistake to think every tribe used the "Turtle Island" metaphor. They didn't. The world is huge, and Indigenous cultures are incredibly diverse.
- Pueblo Peoples: In the Southwest, many groups identified more with their specific ancestral homelands and the "middle place" of their villages rather than a continental landmass.
- The Diné (Navajo): They refer to their traditional homeland as Dinétah, bounded by four sacred mountains. Their world was defined by these peaks, not by the coastline of a continent they hadn't seen yet.
- The Cherokee: They often referred to themselves as Ani-Yunwiya (The Real People). Their concept of "the world" was often synonymous with the land they occupied and the spiritual realms above and below.
Kinda makes sense, right? If you live in a desert, you probably aren't going to have a creation story centered on a giant sea turtle. You’re going to talk about the mountains, the red clay, and the sky.
The Problem with a Single Keyword
Seeking one single answer to "what did the natives call America" is a bit of a trap. It assumes that there was a unified "Native American" identity before 1492. There wasn't. There were hundreds of nations, often at war with each other, speaking languages as different from one another as English is from Chinese.
The concept of "America" as a single unit is a European invention.
Native peoples saw themselves as belonging to the land, not the land belonging to them. Their names reflected that relationship. The names were often descriptive, like "The Place Where the Big River Bends" or "The Land of the Long White Cloud."
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Reclaiming the Narrative
Today, the use of names like Turtle Island or Abya Yala is more than just a history lesson. It’s a form of "linguistic decolonization."
When a young Indigenous person uses these terms, they are connecting to a lineage that goes back long before the 1500s. It provides a sense of continuity. It says, "We were here, we had a name for this place, and we are still here."
Scholars like Dr. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, argue that understanding these original names is crucial for understanding the true history of the continent. It’s about shifting the perspective from "discovery" to "interruption."
Moving Forward with Indigenous Geography
If you’re interested in diving deeper into this, you don't have to look at dusty old maps. There are living resources available right now.
One of the best tools I’ve found is the Native Land Digital map. It’s an interactive project where you can type in your address and see which Indigenous nations originally lived (and often still live) where you are sitting. It lists the languages, the treaties, and the names of the land.
It’s a humbling experience to see your "hometown" through the lens of those who named the rivers and mountains long before you were born.
Actionable Ways to Honor Original Names
- Learn the Land: Use tools like Native Land Digital to find out whose traditional territory you occupy.
- Support Land Back Initiatives: Many Indigenous groups are working to regain legal rights to their ancestral lands or at least have a say in how they are managed.
- Adopt New Language: Start using terms like "Turtle Island" when appropriate to acknowledge the pre-colonial history of the land.
- Respect Sacred Sites: If you travel, research the Indigenous history of the parks or landmarks you visit. Use the original names when you can.
The land doesn't forget its names, even if we do. By looking past the word "America," we start to see a much older, much richer story of the ground beneath our feet.