Fullerton : Explorers’ Concepts of Indians to Be Studied

Christopher Columbus not only found a New World in 1492 but also an unknown race of people, subsequently--and mistakenly--called Indians.

What did Columbus think of these people? How did other European explorers regard the natives of the newly discovered lands? These are questions being explored by Cal State Fullerton anthropology professor Roger Joseph with a $27,500 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“With the 500th anniversary of his discovery of America approaching, it seems fitting to delve into the subject,” said Joseph, who lives in Orange. His fellowship study is entitled “The Anthropological Image of the World: European Representations of Culture in the 16th and 17th Centuries.”