Very good info!
American Indian Tribes
˜ Fact sheets about American Indians in general
American Indians Kids FAQQuestions and answers about Native Americans in the past and present.
Algonquian Indian TribesQuestions and answers about the Algonquian tribes.
Native American HomesPictures and descriptions of ten different types of American Indian houses.
Native American HairstylesPictures and descriptions of traditional hairstyles in many different Native American tribes.
American Indian ClothesPhotographs of Native American clothing and regalia, including special pages on Indian loincloths and headdresses.
American Indian FoodA brief introduction to Native American hunting, gathering, farming, and fishing techniques, with links to recipes.
˜ Fact sheets about specific American Indian tribes
AbenakisThe Abenaki Indians have been native New Englanders for thousands of years,
but are still looking for recognition from their neighbors.
AlabamasThe Native Americans who gave their name to the state of Alabama, the Alabamas have merged
politically with their allies the Coushattas.
AlgonquinsOften confused with other American Indian tribes known as "Algonquians," the Algonquins
live in the modern Ontario/Quebec area of Canada.
ApachesRelatives of the Navajos, the Apache Indians are best-known for their fierce military resistance against
the Mexicans and Americans, under the leadership of warriors like Geronimo and Cochise.
ApalacheesOriginal people of northern Florida, the Apalachee Indians were driven west and
their descendants live in Louisiana today.
ArapahosThe Arapaho Indians were originally farming people, but once horses were introduced
to the Americas, they began to follow the buffalo herds like the Cheyenne and Sioux.
ArikarasDevastated by epidemics, the Arikara tribe has merged with their neighbors the Mandans and Hidatsas.
AssiniboinesRelatives of the Sioux tribes, the Assiniboines were known as big game hunters and expert traders.
AtakapasAmerican Indians of the Gulf Coast, the Atakapas are known today for their contributions to zydeco music.
AtikameksThe Atikamekw are a small, traditional Native American tribe that still speaks their native language
and lives off the land.
BeothuksThe Beothuks or "Red Indians" were the original inhabitants of Newfoundland, Canada.
Tragically, they died out in the 1800's.
BlackfootFour tribes make up this powerful Plains Indian nation: the Blackfoot (Blackfeet) in
Montana and the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai in Canada.
CaddosNative Americans of Texas and the Southern Plains, the Caddo Indians were
farming people known for their pottery art.
CalusasAlthough the Calusa Indians of southern Florida were not agricultural people, they built
technologically advanced cities with windbreaks, seawalls, piers, and canal systems.
CatawbasThe Catawba were one of the few southeastern Indian tribes not deported to Oklahoma,
and they have preserved their native pottery-making traditions among other customs.
CayugasMembers of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Cayuga tribe are Native Americans
of upstate New York.
CherokeesOriginal people of the American Southeast, most Cherokees were forcibly deported to
Oklahoma along the infamous Trail of Tears.
CheyennesPlains Indians who depended on the buffalo for survival, the Cheyennes have survived
several American massacres.
ChickasawsThe Chickasaws were one of several Southeast Indian tribes forced to move to Oklahoma
along the Trail of Tears.
ChinooksNative Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the Chinook Indians were well-known as expert traders.
ChippewasAlso known as the Ojibway, Ojibwe, or Ojibwe, the Chippewa tribe are one of the largest
and most powerful nations.
ChumashNative Americans of southern California, the Chumash were fishing people known
for their unusual plank canoes.
ChoctawsDespite losing their homes in the infamous Trail of Tears, the Choctaw Indians gave what
they had to help Irish famine victims in the 1800's, and are still admired by Irish people today.
Coeur d'AleneAmerican Indians of the Great Plateau, the Coeur d'Alenes were master fishermen and traders.
ComanchesKinfolk of the Shoshone, the Comanche Indians split off from the Shoshones long ago and
migrated to the Southern Plains.
CoushattasAlso known as the Koasatis, the Coushattas have merged politically with their allies
the Alabamas.
CreeksAlso known as the Muskogees, the Creeks were one of the most important tribes of the
American southeast, but most of them were forced to relocate to Oklahoma in the 1800's.
CreesThe Cree are one of the largest native groups in North America and have had a major impact
on Canadian history.
CrowsThe Crow are a northern Plains tribe, famous for their expert horsemanship and especially long hair.
DakotasThe Dakota tribe are one of the largest and best-known Native American nations of the Great Plains.
Gros VentresThe Gros Ventre were kinfolk of the Arapaho, and called themselves A'aninin, the White Clay People.
HaidasNative Americans of the Northwest Coast, the Haida tribe is known for their huge seafaring canoes.
HidatsasDevastated by epidemics, the Hidatsa tribe has merged with their neighbors the Mandans and Arikaras.
Hochunks/WinnebagosUnlike other Siouan tribes, the Hochunks never gave up their farming villages in favor of a migratory life.
HopisKnown as the Peaceful People, the Hopi Indians were expert farmers and artists.
Hurons/WyandotsThe Wyandots, who lived on both sides of the modern US-Canadian border, were an important trading tribe.
IlliniThe state of Illinois was named after the Illini Indians, who were nearly wiped out by war in the 1700's.
InnusThe Montagnais and Naskapi have different tribal names but consider themselves part of the same
culture, Innu.
IowaysTogether with their cousins the Otoe and Missouri Native Americans, the Ioways are Plains Indians
who once hunted the great buffalo herds.
IroquoisThe powerful Iroquois Confederacy was known for their war prowess, but also for their government, which
was one of the examples of representative democracy used as a model by America's founding fathers.
Kansas (Kaws)The Kansa Indians are the tribe after whom the state of Kansas was named.
KickapoosFiercely independant, many Kickapoo people fled all the way to Mexico rather than surrender to
the Americans.
KiowasPlains Indian people, the Kiowa migrated frequently to follow the buffalo herds they depended on.
KwakiutlNative Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the Kwakiutl tribe is known for their tall totem poles.
LakotasThe Lakota tribe are one of the largest and best-known Native American nations of the Great Plains.
Lenni LenapeThe Lenape or Delawares are considered by many Indians to be the eldest Algonquian tribe.
LumbeesThe Lumbees are the descendants of the Carolina Indians who helped the Roanoake Colony.
MakahNative Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the Makah Indians were well-known as expert whalers.
MaliseetsThe Maliseet people are original residents of the Canadian Maritimes. They are renowned
for their beadwork and artistry.
MandansThe Mandans were primarily farming people, but like other Plains tribes, followed the buffalo
herds on seasonal hunts.
MaricopasAmerican Indians of the Southwest deserts, the Maricopas were agricultural people known for their
elaborate tattoos.
MenomineesOriginal people of Wisconsin, the Menominee tribe is named after their staple food, wild rice.
MiamisThe Miami Indians lived not in Florida, but in the Midwest: Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.
MiccosukeesOne of the tribes that made up the powerful Seminole alliance, the Miccosukees were
original people of southern Georgia and northern Florida, but retreated into the Everglades
when the Americans attacked them.
MicmacsThe Micmac (or Mi'kmaq) people still live in their original homeland in Nova Scotia today,
where they are fighting for the right to fish and hunt as their ancestors used to.
MissourisTogether with their cousins the Ioway and Otoe Native Americans, the Missouria are Plains Indians
who once hunted the great buffalo herds.
MojavesAmerican Indians of the Southwestern desert, the Mojaves were farming people known for their
elaborate tattoos.
MohawksMembers of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Mohawk tribe are Native Americans
of upstate New York.
MohegansFrequently confused with the Mohicans due to a poorly-researched literary classic, the Mohegan
people consist of many originally independent tribes including the Pequots and Montauks.
MohicansFrequently confused with the Mohegans due to a poorly-researched literary classic, the Mohican
tribe was not driven to extinction, merely exiled to Wisconsin.
MontaukOne of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
MunseeThe Munsee people were original inhabitants of Long Island and New York State, but were
driven to Wisconsin and Ontario by colonial expansion.
NanticokesThe Nanticoke people were known for their sympathy to escaped slaves, many of whom they sheltered.
NarragansettOne of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
NavajosThe largest nation of Native Americans in the United States, famous for their beautiful rugs
and their intricate language which was used as a code in World War II.
Nez PerceThe Nez Perce were originally a fishing culture, but once they acquired horses, they began
following the buffalo herds.
NianticOne of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
NipmucOne of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
OkanaganInterior Salish people, the Okanagans were salmon fishermen and traders.
OmahasThe Omahas are Plains Indians of the prairie, who once relied on the buffalo herds for food.
OneidasMembers of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Oneida tribe are Native Americans of upstate
New York.
OnondagasMembers of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Onondaga are Native American Indians of upstate
New York.
OsageThe Osage are Plains Indians of the prairie, known for their intricate tribal tattoos
(which only distinguished warriors and their female relatives could wear.)
OtoesTogether with their cousins the Ioway and Missouri Native Americans, the Otoe are Plains Indians
who once hunted the great buffalo herds.
OttawasThe native nation Canada's capital city was named for, the Ottawas are kinfolk of the Ojibways.
PassamaquoddiesThe Passamaquoddy people are original residents of Maine, where they still live today.
PawneesThe Pawnee Indians were known as scouts and allies of the Americans.
PenobscotThe Penobscot people are original residents of Maine, where they still live today.
PequotOne of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
PocumtuckA subtribe of the Mohican American Indians, the Pocumtuc tribe had distinct leadership and
a unique history.
PoncasThe Poncas are Plains Indians of the prairie, who once relied on the buffalo herds for food.
PotawatomiThe Potawatomi were traditionally the fire-keepers in the powerful Three Fires alliance of Indians.
PowhatansThe Powhatan Confederacy is most famous for being the tribe of the real Pocahontas,
but they were also a powerful empire controlling most of Virginia.
PueblosNamed after their sophisticated adobe housing complexes, the Pueblo Indians are native people of New Mexico.
QuapawThe Quapaw Indian tribe were better-known to white Americans as the Akansea,
and that's where the name of the state Arkansas came from.
Sac and FoxThese two American Indian tribes allied in the 1700's, when the Sac protected their kinfolk the Fox
from a French attempt to wipe them out. Many still live together today.
SeminolesThe Seminole Nation was originally a confederation of several different southeastern tribes,
and were also influenced by the many escaped African slaves who joined them for
protection. Today the Seminoles are a united tribe.
SenecasMembers of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Seneca are Native American Indians of
upstate New York.
ShawneesThe nomadic Shawnee tribe had settlements from New York State to Georgia, but were
rejoined into one tribe when the US government deported them to Oklahoma together.
ShinnecockOne of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
ShoshonisThe Shoshone tribe ranged across a vast territory in the west, and different bands
had different traditional lifestyles.
SiouxThe Sioux Indians, who call themselves "Lakota" or "Dakota," are one of the largest and
best-known Native American tribes of the Great Plains.
TlingitsAmerican Indians of the Northwest Coast, the Tlingit tribe is known for their intricate cedar-bark weavings.
TonkawasThe Tonkawa were originally Native Americans of Texas, but were forced to move
to Oklahoma along with many other Texas Indians.
TuscarorasOriginally from the American Southeast, the Tuscaroras moved north after the British took over
to join the powerful Iroquois Confederacy.
UtesThe Ute Indians are Native Americans of the Great Basin area between the Rocky
Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.
WabanakisThe Wabanaki Confederacy was a powerful alliance of east-coast American Indians.
WampanoagThe Native Americans who shared in the first Thanksgiving feast, the Wampanoag tribe
met a sad fate at the hands of the English.
WappingersA subtribe of the Mohican American Indians, the Wappinger tribe had distinct leadership and
a unique history.
WichitasThe Wichita were originally Native Americans of Texas, but were forced to move
to Oklahoma along with many other Texas Indians.
WiyotsThe Wiyots are northern California Indians who were tragically massacred during the Gold Rush era.
Only a few Wiyot descendants remain today, merged with Yurok and Hupa neighbors.
YakamaNative Americans of the Great Plateau, the Yakamas were master fishermen and traders.
YuchisThough the US government considers the Yuchi people part of the Creek tribe, they have always
been politically independent of the Creeks and have a unique culture all their own.
YuroksKinfolk of the Wiyot, the two peoples have nearly merged after ethnic violence against them in the 1800's.
ZunisAmerican Indians of New Mexico, the Zunis speak a different language and have some different
customs than the other Pueblos.
˜Native American Language Families
Actually, Native American languages do not belong to a single Amerindian family, but 25-30 small ones; they are usually discussed together because of the small numbers of natives speaking most of these languages and how little is known about many of them. There are around 25 million native speakers of the more than 800 surviving Amerind languages. The vast majority of these speakers live in Central and South America, where language use is vigorous. In Canada and the United States, only about half a million native speakers of an Amerind tongue remain.Click on a language family to see a linguistic tree of that family and links about the group. Click on a language name to see a description and links about that language, as well as information about the American Indian people who speak it.
- Algonquian Languages (Algic, Algonkian)
- Abenaki-Penobscot, Algonquin, Arapaho, Attikamekw (Tête-de-Boule), Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Cree, Etchemin, Gros Ventre-Atsina, Kickapoo, Lenape Delaware, Loup A/B, Lumbee (Croatan, Pamlico), Mahican (Mohican), Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, Menomini, Mesquakie-Sauk (Sac and Fox), Miami-Illinois, Michif (Métis), Mi'kmaq (Micmac), Mohegan-Pequot), Montagnais Innu, Munsee Delaware, Nanticoke, Narragansett, Naskapi Innu, Ojibwe (Chippewa, Ottawa), Potawatomi, Powhatan, Shawnee, Wampanoag, Wiyot, Yurok; possibly Beothuk (Red Indian)
- Arawakan Languages
- Amuesha, Arawak, Ashaninka, Garifuna, Taino, Timucua
- Athabaskan Languages (Na-Dene)
- Ahtna, Apache, Beaver, Carrier, Chilcotin, Chipewyan, Gwichin, Haida, Hupa, Kaska, Navajo, Slavey, Tlingit
- Caddoan Languages
- Arikara, Caddo, Pawnee
- Cariban Languages
- Carib, Macushi
- Chibchan Languages
- Arhuaco (Ika), Bribri, Cofan, Chibcha, Cuna (Kuna)
- Eskimo-Aleut Languages
- Aleut, Alutiiq, Inuktitut
- Gulf Languages
- Atakapa, Chitimacha, Natchez
- Hokan Languages
- Chimariko, Chumash, Havasupai, Karuk, Kashaya, Mohave, Pomo, Yuma-Quechan
- Iroquoian Languages
- Cayuga, Cherokee (Tsalagi), Huron-Wyandot, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Susquehannock, Tuscarora
- Kiowa-Tanoan Languages
- Kiowa, Tewa, Tiwa, Towa
- Mayan Languages
- Ch'ol, Itza, Yucatec Maya
- Muskogean Languages
- Alabama, Apalachee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Coushatta, Miccosukee, Muscogee
- Oto-Manguean Languages
- Amuzgo, Zapotec
- Panoan
- Capanahua, Mayoruna
- Penutian Languages
- Alsea, Cathlamet, Chinook, Chinook Jargon, Coos, Klamath, Maidu, Miwok, Nez Perce, Nisgaa, Ohlone, Tsimshian, Wintu, Yakama, Yokuts
- Salishan Languages
- Bella Coola, Chehalis, Coeur d'Alene, Cowichan, Cowlitz, Flathead Salish, Lillooet, Quinault, Saanich, Skagit-Snohomish, Squamish
- Siouan Languages
- Assiniboine, Biloxi, Catawba, Crow, Dakota-Lakota, Hidatsa, Hochunk, Kansa, Mandan, Omaha-Ponca, Osage, Otoe, Quapaw
- Tucanoan Languages
- Orejon
- Tupian Languages
- Guarani
- Uto-Aztecan Languages
- Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Cocopah, Comanche, Diegueno, Gabrielino-Tongva, Hopi, Huichol, Juaneno, Luiseno, Nahuatl (Aztec), Paiute, Papago-Pima, Shoshone, Tarahumara, Ute, Yaqui
- Wakashan Languages
- Bella Bella, Haisla, Kwakiutl, Makah, Nootka
- Other North American Indian Languages
- Cayuse, Keres, Kootenay, Tonkawa, Yuchi, Zuni
- Other Central American Indian Languages
- Mixe-Zoque
- Other South American Indian Languages
- Aymara, Cahuapanan, Chon, Harakmbet, Jivaroan, Lule-Vilelan, Quechua, Witotoan, Yaguan, Zaparoan
Featured Native American Cultures
We currently have online language materials for more than 150 Indian nations of North America, and are adding more information on the native languages of Central and South America as well. In addition to this language information, we have carefully collected and organized links to many different aspects of native life and culture, with an emphasis on American Indians as a living people with a present tense. American Indian history is interesting and important, but Indians are still here today, too, and we have tried to feature modern writers as well as traditional legends, contemporary art as well as museum pieces, and the issues and struggles of today as well as the tragedies of yesterday. Suggestions for new links are always welcome.Native peoples showcased on our site so far include:
Abenaki Indians:
The Abenaki Indian people have been native New Englanders for millennia but are stillAchumawi Culture:
Native people of Northern California, the Achumawi are known for their fine grass basketry
Alabama Indian Culture:
The state of Alabama was named for these Indians, but few of them live there today--Aleut Indians:
The Aleut people are coastal Native Alaskans known for their seamanship and marine hunting skill
Algonquian Peoples:
The native cultures and languages of the many Algonquian Indian nations
Algonquin Indians:
Only one of many Native American nations called "Algonquian" by anthropologists,Alsea Indians:
One of many small Native American groups of Oregon who merged onto the Siletz Reservation
Apache Culture:
The Apache Nation is best known for their military resistance against the Americans, but thereArapaho Indian Culture:
Plains Indians originally, the Arapaho Indian nation was split in half by American conquest
Arawak Indian Culture:
Native people of the Caribbean and the South American coast, the Arawaks wereArikara Indian Culture:
Members of the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Indian nation, the Arikaras are traditionallyAssiniboine/Nakota:
Close relatives of the Sioux, the Assiniboines are native people of Montana and western Canada
Atakapa Indians:
This native culture of Louisana is best-known for its contributions to zydeco music
Atsugewi Culture:
Native people of Northern California, the Atsugewi are known for their fine grass basketry
Attikamekw Indian Culture:
This little-known Native Canadian nation has preserved their culture fiercely
Aymara Culture:
The Aymara Indians are Andean native people similar to, but distinct from, the Incans and their descendants
Bannock Indians:
An offshoot of the Paiute tribe, the Bannocks have since merged with their allies the Shoshones
Beaver Indians:
Calling themselves the Dane-Zaa, these northern Athabaskans are distant relatives of the Navajo
Bella Coola Indians:
Also known as the Nuxalk, this Northwest Coast Indian tribe made their living by fishing.
Beothuks (Red Indians):
One of the few truly extinct Native American cultures, the Beothuk were theBiloxi Indians:
This southern Siouan tribe was known for their sun worship
Blackfoot People:
Four tribes make up this powerful nation: the Blackfeet in Montana and theCaddo Indians:
Native people of the Southern Plains, the Caddo Nation barely survived a terribleCarrier and Babine-Wetsuwiten culture:
These subarctic First Nations of Canada are distant relatives of the Navajo
Catawba Indians:
One of the few American Indian nations to remain in the Southeast, many Catawba peopleCayuga Indians:
One of the Indian cultures of the Iroquois Confederacy, native people of New York State
Cherokee Indians:
No, your great-grandmother was NOT a Cherokee princess; come learn about us anyway
Cheyenne Indians:
Plains Indians originally, the Cheyenne Indian nation was split in half by American conquest
Chickasaw Indians:
Like the other southeastern Indian nations known as the "Five Civilized Tribes," theChinook Indians:
Once one of the most powerful Native American nations of the west coast, the ChinookChoctaw Indians:
Like the other southeastern Indian nations known as the "Five Civilized Tribes," theChumash Indians:
This Native American culture of California is known for their ceremonial rock paintings
Coeur d'Alene Indians:
The Coeur d'Alene are a Native American nation of the Plateau region who traditionally livedComanche Indians:
Originally an offshoot of the Shoshone Nation, the Comanches ruled much of the Southern Plains
Coquille Tribe:
One of several small native cultures of Oregon, pushed together by colonial pressures
Coushatta Indians:
Most Coushattas were moved to Oklahoma like other native nations of the Southeast,Cree:
The most widespread Native American nation today, spanning Canada from the Rocky MountainsCrow Indians:
Distant relatives and frequent adversaries of the Sioux, the Crow Nation still lives in the NorthernDakota/Lakota People:
The Sioux peoples are the most famous and least-understood American Indian culture in theEel River Tribes:
These small Athabaskan tribes of California were nearly destroyed by the Gold Rush
Fox and Sac Indians:
The Sac took in Fox survivors of a French massacre in the 1700's and the two native nationsGros Ventre Indians:
Kinfolk of the Arapaho Nation, the Gros Ventre people call themselves A'ananin
Gwich'in Indians:
An Athabaskan Indian culture of Alaska, the Gwichins relied on the caribou herds
Haida Indians:
Native people of Alaska, the Haidas are known for their impressive totem poles.
Havasupai, Hualapai, and Yavapai Indians:
Three closely related Indian nations of the Grand Canyon area
Hidatsa Indians:
Plains Indians, the Hidatsa Indian culture depended on both buffalo huntingIllinois Indians (Illini):
The Illini have not survived as a nation, but their descendants live in Oklahoma to this day
Innu Indian Culture:
Montagnais and Naskapi Innu people speak differing languages but share history and traditions
Inuit:
The Inuit are not Native American people, but they are neighbors and their language^^ Did you "Check them out" ? ^^
