The Creek Indians, part of the Five Civilized Tribes, were once a dominant nation in the southeastern United States. They were an amalgamation of several tribes, with settlements around a “mother city.” The family played an important role in their life, and they lived in mud huts. Today, only a few Creek nations have federal […]
The Shasta Indians were the predominant population in Northern California and Southern Oregon, organized into small villages with shared food and lacking strong central leadership. They experienced a severe population decline due to American settlers and their languages are now extinct. They had a monetary system using dental shells and had important rituals for maturity, […]
The Pawnee Indians were a powerful Great Plains nation until the 1800s when disease and conflict decimated their population. They were traditionally a matriarchal society, with four different tribes. They were forced onto a reservation in Nebraska and later relocated to Oklahoma, where they operate a self-government and various businesses, including two casinos. The Pawnee […]
The Kickapoo Indians were originally part of the Shawnee tribe and lived in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. They moved to southern Wisconsin with neighboring tribes before settling in northern Illinois plains. They were wary of white people but allied with them in some wars. They were given lands in Missouri and Kansas but many left […]
The Huron Indians prefer to be called Wyandot, as the name Huron comes from a French term for their hairstyle. Originally from Quebec, they are now scattered across the US and Canada, with three distinct communities. They have their own land and government, with a history of a different social structure and focus on trade. […]
The Wichita Indians, along with associated tribes, are located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They were known for their dome-shaped grass dwellings and were first encountered by Europeans in 1541. The population declined due to diseases and forced removal from their lands. The tribe is recognized by the US government and speaks English, with only […]
The Yaqui tribe, with several thousand members, lives in northern Mexico and Arizona. They speak Cahita and practice a modern religion influenced by the Jesuits. Their traditions include the deer dance and mask burning. They are primarily farmers and fishermen who also sell handicrafts and prefer to live off the land. The Yaqui tribe lives […]
The Chippewa Indians, also known as Ojibwa, Ojibwe, and Ojibway, lived in the Great Lakes region before European arrival. They migrated from Canada’s Atlantic coast and depended on fish and game. They lost much of their land due to treaties with the US and Canadian governments and now live on reservations or in rural and […]
The Mohawk Indians were an agricultural tribe with a matriarchal society and a sense of community ownership. They were skilled craftsmen and had a close alliance with Dutch settlers. Many still live in Quebec and run autonomous governments in Canada and the US, preserving their traditional values and operating successful casinos. The Mohawk Indians are […]
The Cayuga Indians were originally from upstate New York and are part of the Iroquois Confederacy. They were forced to migrate to Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Ontario. They lost their land in the 1700s and live with other tribes. They speak English, but some still speak the native Cayuga language. They lived in longhouses, but now […]
The Makah Indians are a Pacific Northwest tribe in Washington state who have lived in the region for over 3,000 years, surviving through fishing and whaling. They refer to themselves as “people who live near rocks and seagulls”. The tribe’s traditional dwellings were longhouses made of red cedar planks, and they used red cedar bark […]
The Crow Indians, also known as Apsaalooke, are a Native American tribe from Montana. They have their own government and system of laws, and their reservation spans over two million acres. They traditionally lived in teepees but now live in modern homes. Women are treated as equals, and the tribe speaks their native language. The […]
The Paiute Indians were hunter-gatherers whose spirituality centered on the coyote and wolf. They lived in dome-shaped houses and wove baskets. European explorers first came into contact with them in 1776. The Paiutes were relocated to reservations in Utah and Nevada in 1865, and in 1951, they sued the federal government over lost lands. Today, […]
The Serrano Indians are a Native American tribe from California who lived in the San Bernardino Mountains and migrated seasonally. They made lodges from willow branches and hunted small game while gathering wild plants. The tribe’s language is nearly extinct, but there are revitalization efforts and traditional songs have been preserved. The Serrano encountered Europeans […]
The Timucua Indians were a Native American tribe from northern Florida and southern Georgia with an agrarian culture. They lived in round dwellings and grew crops, hunted, fished, and made tools. They wore animal skin garments and their population declined due to conflicts with European settlers and a smallpox epidemic. The Timucua Indians were a […]
The Yakima Indians are a Native American tribe from Washington State, known for their use of birchbark canoes, earthen huts, and crafts such as wood carving and basket making. They primarily fished and hunted, and women looked after children and gathered plants. In 1855, they signed a treaty with the US to form a reservation. […]
The Fox Indians are a Native American tribe consisting of the Sac, Asakiwaki (Sauk), and Meshwahkihaki (Mequakie/Fox) native to the northeastern regions of the present-day United States. They settled the shores of the Great Lakes and were involved in the Black Hawk War before settling in Indian Territory. They are now a federally recognized tribe […]
The term “Indians” for Native Americans came from Columbus’ misunderstanding in 1492. “Native American” is a politically correct alternative, but not perfect. “Indigenous peoples of the Americas” is more accurate, but too cumbersome. Some Native Americans still refer to themselves as Indians and it is the official legal term in the US. The debate on […]
The Kiowa Indians were a nomadic tribe that followed buffalo herds for food and lived in teepees. They were close allies with the Comanche and used dogs as pets before horses. They are known for their art and had a social class based on wealth and family ties. The Kiowa Indians are an American Indian […]
The Lakota Indians are a Native American tribe, part of the Sioux tribe, residing in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and southern Canada. They lived in tipis made of buffalo hides, and their government consists of presidents for each subtribe, local representatives, and members of the tribal council. The Lakota Indians began seeking full […]
