Algonquin Indians
At the time of the first European settlements in North America, Algonquian Indians numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
Historically, these peoples were prominent along the Atlantic Coast and into the interior along the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes. This grouping consists of peoples who speak Algonquian languages.
They occupied New Brunswick, and much of Canada east of the Rocky Mountains; what is now New England, New Jersey, southeastern New York, Delaware and down the Atlantic Coast through the Upper South; and around the Great Lakes in present-day Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.
They were most concentrated in the New England region. The homeland of the Algonquian peoples is not known.
For about two centuries, Algonquians provided the main obstacles to the spread of Euro-American settlers, who concluded hundreds of peace treaties with them, most of which were later broken.
There is often confusion between the terms Algonkin, Algonquin, and Algonquian. The first two terms refer to the people while the latter refers to their language group.
Many present day tribes were once part of the great Algonquin Nation and later splintered off to form separate tribes.
Canada Algonquin
The French and later English encountered the Maliseet of present-day Maine, Quebec and New Brunswick; and the Mi’kmaq tribes of the Canadian Maritime provinces lived primarily on fishing.
Further north are the Betsiamites, Atikamekw, Algonquin or Anishinabe people and Montagnais/Naskapi (Innu).
The Beothuk people of Newfoundland are also believed to have been Algonquian, but their last known speaker died in the early 19th century. Few records of their language or culture remain.
New England area Algonquin
Colonists in the Massachusetts Bay area first encountered the Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nipmuck, Pennacook, Passamaquoddy, and Quinnipiac.
The Mohegan, Pequot, Pocumtuc, Tunxis, and Narragansett were based in southern New England. The Abenaki tribe is located in Maine and eastern Quebec. These tribes practiced some agriculture.
Mid- and south-Atlantic area Algonquin
The Lenape, also called Delaware, were (Munsee) and Unami speakers that were in what is now known as the eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, lower Hudson Valley and western Long Island areas in New York.
They encountered the European explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in what is now New York Harbor in 1524. Branches of the Pequot occupied eastern Long Island.
Further south were the traditional homes of the Powhatan, a loose group of tribes numbering into the tens of thousands, who were among the first to encounter English colonists in the Chesapeake Bay.
Historic tribes also included the Nanticoke, Wicocomico, and Chickahominy peoples.
Midwest Algonquin
The French encountered Algonquian peoples in this area through their trade and limited colonization of New France along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.
The historic peoples were the Shawnee, Illiniwek, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, and Sauk and Fox, also known as the Sac and Fox Tribe and later known as the Meskwaki Indians, who lived throughout the present-day Midwest of the United States.
During the nineteenth century, many were displaced over great distances through the United States enforcement of Indian removal west of the Mississippi River, to what is now Oklahoma.
Upper west Algonquin
Ojibwe/Chippewa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and a variety of Cree groups lived in Upper Michigan, Western Ontario, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Canadian Prairies. The Arapaho, Blackfeet and Cheyenne developed as indigenous to the Great Plains.
Western area Algonquin
Algonquian people in the present states of Wyoming, Colorado, southwestern Nebraska and northwestern Kansas were ancestors to Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes.
Arctic | California | Northeast | Great Basin | Great Plains
NW Coast | Plateau | Southeast | Southwest | Sub Arctic
Article Index:
This article contains a list of links to more information on each of the tribes included in the Algonquian language group.
Many people mistakenly believe that Algonquian is the name of a specific tribe. While there is a loose confederation of Algonquin Nations in Canada, algonquian is actually a language group which includes many tribes who speak a related language which contains several dialects and many variations that stemmed from one once common language.
The languages which originated in this language group now have their own tribal names and are distinct languages which are variations of the original group. These new languages have some words which are common among many tribes, while other words are distinctive to just one tribe and are not understood by speakers of another language that originated in this language group.
Algonquian Nations |
Algonquian Sub Nations |
Abitibi (Abitibiwinni, Pikogan)
Barriere Lake (Lac Rapide, Rapid Lake)
Bonnechere
Dumoine
Hunter’s Point
Kipawa
Lac des Quinze
Mainwawaki (Mainwaki)
Mitchitamou
Ouachegami
Outchatarounounga
Outimagami
Outurbi
Tadoussac
Temagami
Timiskamin (Timiskaming, Temiskaming, Timiscimi)
Barriere Lake (Lac Rapide, Rapid Lake)
Abitibiwinni (Dominion Abitibi, Pikogan)
Eagle Village (Kebaowek, Kipawa)
Kitcisakik (Grand Lake Victoria, Grand Lac Victoria)
Kitigan Zibi (Maniwaki, River Desert)
Lac-Simon
Timiskaming (Timiscamigue, Notre Dame du Nord, Ville Marie)
Winneway (Long Point First Nation)
Wolf Lake (Hunter’s Point)
Golden Lake (Pikwakanagan)
Abenaki Ottawa – The name Ottawa is derived from the Algonquian adawe, meaning ‘to trade,’ an apt name for the tribe, who had an active trading relationship with the related Chippewa and Potawatomi as well as other tribes of the region. Like the Chippewa, they built birch bark canoes and harvested wild rice. Ottawa Chief Pontiac rose by 1755 as one of the most important Indian leaders of the era Pequot Tête de Boule (Atikamekw, Attikamekw, Attikamek, Atikamek) – Were part of the Montagnais or Cree. Tête de Boule is a French phrase that means “Ball Heads.” Wampanoag |
Iroquet – Known to the Huron as the Atonontrataronon or Ononchataronon, they lived along Ontario’s South Nation River. There is also a famous chief of the same name.
Kichesipirini (meaning: “people of the great river”) – Largest and most powerful group of Algonkin. Known variously as: Algoumequins de l’Isle, Allumette, Big River People, Gens d l’Isle, Honkeronon (Huron), Island Algonkin, Island Indians, Island Nation, Kichesippiriniwek, Nation de l’Isle, Nation of the Isle, and Savages de l’Isle. Main village was on Morrison’s (Allumette) Island. Kinounchepirini (Keinouche, Kinonche, Pickerel, Pike) – sometimes listed as an Algonkin band, but after 1650 associated with the Ottawa. Originally found along the lower Ottawa River below Allumette Island. Matouweskarini (Madawaska, Madwaska, Matouchkarine, Matouashita, Mataouchkarini, Matouechkariniwek, Matouescarini). Lived on the Madawaska River in the Upper Ottawa Valley. Nibachis – Muskrat Lake near present-day Cobden, Ontario. Otaguottaouemin (Kotakoutouemi, Outaoukotwemiwek). Upper Ottawa River above Allumette Island. Otaguottaouemin (Kotakoutouemi, Outaoukotwemiwek) Quenongebin Sagaiguninini (Saghiganirini) Saginitaouigama (Sagachiganiriniwek) Weskarini(Algonkin Proper, La Petite Nation, Little Nation, Ouaouechkairini, Ouassouarini, Ouescharini, Ouionontateronon [Huron],Petite Nation) – North side of the Ottawa River along the Lievre and the Rouge Rivers in Quebec. |
Later Algonquian |
Algonquian Now |