NATIVE AMERICANS

People lived in the United States long before the arrival of Christopher
Columbus and the Europeans. These people and cultures are called Native
Americans.
The first people to live in a land are called indigenous peoples. This means
they were the original settlers. The Native Americans are the indigenous
peoples and cultures of the United States. Sometimes these peoples are
referred to as Indians or American Indians. This is because when Columbus
had first landed in America, he thought he had sailed all the way to
the country of India. He called the locals Indians and the name stuck for
some time. Native Americans lived throughout North and South America. In
the United States there were Native Americans in Alaska, Hawaii, and the
mainland of the United States. Different tribes and cultures lived in different
areas. In the middle of the country lived the Plains Indians, including tribes
such as the Comanche and Arapaho. In the Southeast area of the country
lived tribes such as the Cherokee and the Seminole.

The Native Americans were grouped into tribes or nations usually based on
the area they lived in and their culture such as their religion, customs, and
language. Sometimes smaller tribes were part of a bigger tribe or nation. As
best as historians can tell, these tribes were fairly peaceful prior to the arrival
of Columbus and the Europeans.
There were hundreds of tribes throughout the United States when Columbus
first arrived. Many of them are well known such as the Cherokee, Apache,
and the Navajo. The Native Americans did not write down or record their
history, so we have to find out about their history in other ways. Today
archeologists are able to learn a lot about past cultures by digging up
artifacts such as tools and weapons. Much of what we know comes from the
recordings of the first Europeans to arrive. We can also learn from traditions
and stories that have been passed down within the tribes from generation to
generation.

Today, some of the descendants of the original American Indians live on

reservations. These are areas of land set aside specifically for Native
Americans. This helps to protect their heritage and culture. However, only
around 30% live on reservations. The rest live outside the reservations just
like anyone else.
Native Americans were often grouped into tribes or nations. These
groupings were generally based on peoples that shared the same culture,
language, religion, customs, and politics. There are over 1000 Native
American Tribes in the United States.

Sometimes tribes were also grouped by the region of the United States they
lived in (like the Great Plains Indians) or by the type of language they spoke
(like the Apache). Below are some of the major groupings and tribes.

By Region

 Arctic/Subarctic - These Native Americans survived some of the

coldest weather on the planet. They include the Inuit people of Alaska
who lived primarily off of whale and seal meat.
 Californian - Tribes living in the area that is today the state
of California such as the Mohave and the Miwok.
  Great Basin - This is a dry area and was one of the last to have
contact with Europeans. The Great Basin tribes include the Washo,
Ute, and Shoshone.
 Great Plains - One of the largest areas and perhaps most famous
group of American Indians, the Great Plains Indians were known for
hunting bison. They were nomadic people who lived in teepees and
they moved constantly following the bison herds. Tribes of the Great
Plains include the Blackfoot, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Comanche and
Crow.
 Northeast Woodlands - Includes the Iroquois Indians of New York,
the Wappani, and the Shawnee.
 Northwest Coast/Plateau - These Native Americans were known for
their houses made of cedar planks as well as their totem poles. Tribes
include the Nez Perce, Salish, and the Tlingit.
 Southeast - The largest Native American tribe, the Cherokee, lived in
the Southeast. Other tribes included the Seminole in Florida and the
Chickasaw. These tribes tended to stay in one place and were skilled
farmers.
 Southwest - The southwest was dry and the Native Americans lived
in tiered homes made out of adobe bricks. Famous tribes here include
the Navajo Nation, the Apache, and the Pueblo Indians.

Other Major Groups

 Algonquian - A large group of over 100 tribes that speak the

Algonquian languages. They spread across the entire country and
include tribes such as the Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Mohicans, and the
Ottawas.
 Apache - The Apaches are a group of six tribes that spoke the
Apache language.
 Iroquois - The Iroquois League was a grouping of five Native
American Nations: the Seneca, Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, and
Cayuga. The Tuscarora nation joined later. These nations were
located in the Northeastern part of the United States.
 Sioux Nation - The Great Sioux Nation is a group of peoples
generally called the Sioux. They are divided into three major groups:
Lakota, Western Dakota, and Eastern Dakota. The Sioux were Great
Plains Indians.