Early Native Americans
The Early Native Americans section explores the history of the first people that settled North America. In this section, you can learn about groups such as the mound builders who settled the United States many years before the first Europeans arrived.
Algonquian
The Algonquian language group includes includes tribes that resided along the Eastern coast of the United States. Tribes such as the Powhatans are included in this group.
Athapascan
The Athapascan Native American language group is one of the largest language groups in North America. This language group includes tribes from the middle region of the American continent. You can learn about this language group in this section.
Iroquoian
The Mowhawk and Cherokee Native Americans spoke languages that are part of the Iroquoian language group. In this section, you can learn about the Cherokees and other groups that spoke these languages.
Muskhogean
Native Americans living along the Gulf Coast of the United States spoke languages that are part of the Muskhogean language group. You can learn about these Native Americans and the languages in this section.
Important Terms
Do you know what a moccasin or a wigwam is? This Native American glossary explains the meanings of important terms used in Native American culture.
- Adobe
An Adobe was a building made of clay baked in the sun... - Calumet The calumet was a ceremonial “peace pipe” used by North American Indians...
- Medicine Man The Medicine Man was popular in writings about the North American Indians...
- Moccasin A moccasin was the most common type of footwear for the North American Indians and is a flexible and quiet.
- Pemmican A type of preserved food used by the Indians...
- Portage A portage was a land route between two waterways...
- Rain Dance The Rain Dance was an American Indian ritual dance with the intent of getting rain from the gods.
- Smoke Signal The smoke signal was a method of communication used by the Indians...
- Sun Dance The sun dance was a religious festival at the start of the hunting season used by the Plains Indians.
- Tomahawk A popular weapon used by the North American Indians...
- Totem Totem is a particular object associated with a group of people or clan. North American Indians often used "totem poles"...
- Wampum Wampum are certain types of beads made for ceremonial purposes...
- Wigwam A wigwam was a type of dwelling used by primarily the Algonquian Indians.
- Other Terms
Biographies
Native Americans, such as Sitting Bull and Squanto, were important figures in American history. Here you can learn about Native Americans who have left a lasting impression in our history.
- 10 Famous Native Americans America's history begins with the Native Americans and the English settlers they encountered. Read our list of Native American leaders and heroes, inluding Sequoyah, Geronimo, and Crazy Horse.
- Black Hawk Black Hawk was a leader of the Sac and Fox Indians.
- Cochise Cochise was a chief of an Apache tribe. He is one of the most famous Indian chiefs in American Indian history.
- Crazy Horse Crazy Horse was a famous chief of a Sioux tribe.
- Geronimo Geronimo was a warrior of the Apache Indians.
- John Ross John Ross was an American Indian chief for the Cherokee nation even though he was only one-eighth Indian.
- Osceola Osceola was a leader of Indians in the Second Seminole War.
- Pocahontas Pocahontas was an Indian woman who befriended the Virginia colonists.
- Sacajawea Sacajawea was a Shoshoni Indian woman who was a guide and interpreter for Lewis and Clark.
- Samoset Samoset was an Abnaki Indian chief who befriended the Pilgrims.
- Sequoya Sequoya was a Cherokee Indian leader and scholar.
- Sitting Bull Sitting Bull was a Sioux chief, warrior, and medicine man.
- Tecumseh Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian chief who attempted to unify the Indians to protect their land.
- Other Native American Biographies
Indian-Anglo Relations
The history of the relationship between Native Americans and Europeans includes many conflicts that developed as the United States expanded. This section contains information about the history of Native American and European relations.
- Battles & Wars The Battle of Wounded Knee was one of the major battles between Native Americans and the United States government. You can learn more about important Native American conflicts and battles in this section.
- The Albany Congress The Albany Congress was a conference held in Albany, New York to prepare a colonial defense against the French and their Indian allies.
- Buffalo Bill William Cody was a United States scout and showman, known as "Buffalo Bill." His romanticized the West with his Wild West shows.
- Fort Dearborn Fort Dearborn was a military fort. Its location became the location of downtown Chicago.
- George Catlin A famous American painter and author whose writings and paintings recorded American Indian life.
- The Song of Hiawatha The Song of Hiawatha was an epic poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
- Indian Territory Indian Territory was a section of unorganized territory set aside by the United States government for moving Indian Tribes.
- Squanto Squanto was a Wampanoag Indian who aided the Pilgrims.
- William Weatherford William Weatherford, or Red Eagle, was a chief of the Creek Indians in the war against the United States.
- Other People and Interactions
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Shapwailutan
The Shapwailutan language group includes languages that were used by people in the Washington region of the United States. You can learn about these languages and the people who spoke them in this section.
Shoshonean
A wide range of groups and tribes spoke languages that were part of the Soshonean language family. Here you can learn about some of these groups and the languages that make up this language group.
Siouan
The Siouan language group includes languages spoken by tribes, such as the Monacan Native Americans. Here you can explore the history of these languages and the people that used them.
Other Language Groups
Smaller groups of Native American languages are found in our Other Native American Language Groups section. Here you can learn about some of these languages and the groups of people that used them.
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