Federal Gov't Officially Recognizes Indianans As Hoosiers

By Mike Perleberg (Washington, D.C.) – In the eyes of the federal government, we are "Indianans" no more. Indiana U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly and Todd Young made the announcement in a video on Twitter that residents of Indiana are now officially called Hoosiers. The name change was included in the updated U.S. Government Publishing Office's style manual that was released Thursday. “I’m pleased the federal government has granted our request and will now call us what we call ourselves: Hoosiers. This is a welcome and long overdue change,” Donnelly said. “We aren't achieving world peace here,” said Young, “but it's nice to be recognized by the federal government as Hoosiers. It's not just a classic movie. It’s not just the nickname for IU athletics. It’s who we are.” Young, Donnelly and former Senator Dan Coats requested the name change last year. They argued that Indiana residents have proudly called themselves Hoosiers for more than 180 years. The origination of the term Hoosier remains up for debate. The first mentions of the word referred to Indiana settlers. According to the Indiana Historical Society, one of the earliest known uses of the term is found in an 1827 letter that states, “There is a yankee trick for you – done up by a Hoosier.” It was widely used to refer to Indiana natives by the 1830s.  Some people think it was meant to mock Indiana as a rough, backwoods and backwards place. Others think that early settlers used the term with pride to describe themselves as a hearty, courageous group. The historical society says other theories on the word’s origination have been debunked as myth. One story by writer James Whitcomb Riley joked that it came from the question “Who’s ear?” asked after tavern fights amongst early Indiana settlers. Supposedly, settlers would respond to knocks on their cabin doors with a “Who’s yer/here?”.