Indiana’s senators are giving it the old Hoosier try — urging the federal government to designate Hoosiers as the official term for people from Indiana.
The U.S. Government Publishing Office’s style manual lists “Indianian” as the term for Indiana residents, although Indianan is also used by non-Hoosiers.
“In fact,” Sens. Dan Coats and Joe Donnelly wrote to the GPO on Tuesday, “we find it a little jarring to be referred to in this way.”
The senators argue that Indiana residents have proudly called themselves Hoosiers for more than 180 years, even if no one is sure where the term came from.
References to Hoosiers have been found in private correspondence, travel reminiscences and local newspapers as early as 1826. The term gained popularity after Richmond poet John Finley wrote “The Hoosier’s Nest,” which included these lines:
“The emigrant is soon located,
In Hoosier life initiated; Erects a cabin in the woods,
Coats and Donnelly said the poem, which was widely circulated throughout the country and even abroad in the 1830s, defined and solidified Indiana’s identify and instilled pride in the citizens of the still-young state.
The senators note the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Hoosier as “a native or resident of Indiana.” Amtrak’s Hoosier State line carries passengers through the Indiana countryside.
“Whether we are cheering for the Indiana Hoosiers on the basketball court, hiking the Hoosier National Forest, or inviting friends over for some Hoosier hospitality, we have always called ourselves Hoosiers,” they wrote. “We urge you to consider its inclusion in the GPO’s next style manual.”
The GPO's style manual is widely used by people in both the federal government and private sector, according to GPO spokesman Gary Somerset. It's in the process of being updated, with a new version expected to be released by early next year.
Somerset said the GPO board updating the manual "appreciates and will consider the suggestion of Senators Coats and Donnelly."
