When the British captain George Vancouver explored Puget Sound in 1792, he had a ready-made label for the indigenous people he found there. Although they or their children eventually used the term to identify themselves, its meaning has not since been static or indisputable. Just read the newspapers today. There are people who say they are Indians, and there are groups contesting those claims. But it is hard to foresee a future where some people would not insist on their Indian identity, although the terms might change.
All humans define themselves by looking at history and seeing what they want to be.
I also would like people to come away with an understanding of the dynamics of race relations. Indian and non-Indian peoples always have had a considerable amount of interaction in this area. These relations have effects in defining how alike and different we are. There is a consistent push-pull relationship on both sides.