Overview of Native American Tribes: History, Homelands, Languages, and Living Traditions

This page offers a concise, respectful overview of several Native American and Indigenous nations. Each community has its own history, language(s), homelands, and contemporary government. The summaries below highlight key context to help readers begin learning and encourage deeper exploration through each nation’s official resources.

Note: Names and spellings follow commonly used English forms; many nations prefer their own original name. Where possible, both are referenced.

Apache Tribes

“Apache” refers to several closely related Southern Athabaskan-speaking peoples, including the Western Apache, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan, and others. Their traditional homelands span what is now Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico. Known historically for mobility, homeland defense, and rich ceremonial life, Apache nations today maintain distinct governments and communities such as the White Mountain Apache Tribe, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Mescalero Apache Tribe, and Jicarilla Apache Nation.

Blackfeet

The Blackfeet Tribes (Amskapi Piikani) are part of the larger Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksikaitsitapi). Their U.S. homeland centers in northern Montana, with related nations in Canada, where they are called Blackfoot. Blackfeet culture features deep connections to the plains, buffalo traditions, and a strong contemporary government based on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation near Browning, Montana.

Cherokee

The Cherokee Nation (Aniyvwiya) traditionally lived in the southern Appalachian region. Three federally recognized tribes are the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Cherokee culture includes the Cherokee syllabary created by Sequoyah, resilient town-based traditions, and present-day governments in Oklahoma and North Carolina.

Cheyenne

The Cheyenne Indian Tribe (Tsėhéstáno) is a Plains nation historically allied with the Arapaho. Two contemporary communities are the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana and the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma. Cheyenne lifeways emphasize seasonal cycles, ceremonies such as the Sun Dance, and an Algonquian language with ongoing revitalization efforts.

Chippewa / Ojibwe

The Chippewa, known as Ojibwe or Anishinaabe, are peoples who had homelands around the Great Lakes and Northern Woodlands. Communities include many bands across the United States and Canada. Ojibwemowin (the Ojibwe language), wild rice harvesting, and clan-based cultural teachings remain vital, alongside modern tribal governments and treaty-protected rights.

Choctaw

The Choctaw Nation is Indigenous to the Southeastern United States. Today, major communities include the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians. Choctaw contributions range from sophisticated agricultural towns to World War I and II code talkers; language and cultural renewal continue across these nations.

Comanche

The Comanche Indians (Numunu) are a Uto-Aztecan-speaking Plains people whose skill with horses shaped a powerful regional presence. Their homelands extend across the southern plains of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and beyond. The Comanche Nation, headquartered in Lawton, Oklahoma, leads contemporary government, cultural programs, and community services.

Crow

The Crow Nation (Apsáalooke) homelands encompass the Yellowstone and Bighorn river regions of present-day Montana and Wyoming. Traditionally matrilineal, Crow society includes strong clan relationships, renowned horsemanship, and important gatherings like the Crow Fair. Today, the Crow Nation maintains a large reservation and active cultural revitalization initiatives.

Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy—Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and later Tuscarora—is known for the Great Law of Peace and the longhouse as a cultural symbol. The Iroquois Nation homelands are in what is now New York and across Ontario and Quebec. Haudenosaunee nations sustain their own governments, ceremonies, lacrosse traditions, and language revitalization programs.

Kiowa

The Kiowa Indians are a Plains nation with deep artistic and ceremonial traditions, including Sun Dance histories and celebrated ledger art. Historically allied with Comanche and Plains Apache, the Kiowa language is part of the Kiowa-Tanoan family. Today, the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma supports cultural education, arts, and community well-being.

Lumbee

The Lumbee Nation is rooted in southeastern North Carolina, especially around Robeson County. With a multicultural Indigenous history, the Lumbee maintain a strong regional identity, community institutions, and cultural practices. The tribe has pursued full federal recognition of services for decades while continuing to strengthen language, arts, and heritage programs.

Muscogee (Creek)

The Muscogee Creek Nation (Mvskoke) peoples formed a large confederacy of towns across the Southeast. Today, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama are among the recognized governments. Mvskoke language, stomp dance traditions, and town-based governance remain central to cultural life.

Navajo

The Navajo Nation (Diné) spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and is one of the largest Indigenous nations in the U.S. Diné culture centers on Hózhó (balance/beauty), matrilineal clans, weaving, silversmithing, and the Diné language. Modern government, schools, and cultural programs anchor a vibrant, sovereign nation.

Nez Perce

The Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) are a Plateau nation of the Columbia River Basin with homelands in present-day Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Known for horsemanship, salmon stewardship, and Niimiipuutímt (a Sahaptian language), the Nez Perce Tribe today leads fisheries, cultural, and educational initiatives grounded in sovereignty and treaty rights.

Osage

The Osage Nation (Wazhazhe) homelands historically included the Ohio and Mississippi valleys and the plains of present-day Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The Osage Nation is headquartered in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Osage cultural life features complex ceremonial societies, a revitalizing language program, and a strong emphasis on sovereignty and community wellness.

Potawatomi

The Potawatomi Indians are Anishinaabe people closely related to Ojibwe and Odawa, historically forming the Council of Three Fires. Modern communities include Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, Pokagon Band, Nottawaseppi Huron Band, and Hannahville, among others, with related communities in Canada. Language renewal and cultural education are priorities across these governments.

Pueblo

The Pueblo Indians refer to many distinct farming and village-based nations of the Southwest, notably the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico and related communities such as Hopi and Zuni. Pueblo peoples speak diverse languages (including Keres, Tanoan languages, Zuni, and Hopi) and are renowned for pottery, weaving, architecture, and ceremonial life. Each Pueblo is a sovereign nation with its own government and traditions.

Sioux (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota)

Often called Sioux Tribes, these are related nations who self-identify as Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota. The Sioux are a large group of Native American tribes traditionally located in the Great Plains region, including present-day North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

Composed of the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota divisions, the Sioux are known for their rich cultural traditions, buffalo hunting, warrior societies, and resistance during the 19th-century conflicts with the U.S. government. Today, Sioux tribes maintain strong cultural heritage and sovereignty across multiple reservations.

Shawnee

The Shawnee Tribe traditionally lived in the Ohio Valley region, though they migrated widely due to conflict and displacement. Known for their leadership under figures like Tecumseh, the Shawnee played a central role in resisting colonial and U.S. expansion during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, Shawnee tribes are federally recognized in Oklahoma, where they continue to preserve their language, crafts, and traditions.

Seminole

The Seminole Tribes originally formed in Florida during the 18th century from groups of Creek people, escaped African Americans, and other displaced tribes. They became known for their fierce resistance during the Seminole Wars, refusing to surrender to U.S. forces. Today, Seminole communities thrive in Florida and Oklahoma, where they are recognized for cultural resilience, economic enterprises, and preservation of their distinct identity.

Ute

The Ute Tribes are indigenous to the Rocky Mountain region, particularly in present-day Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. They were traditionally hunter-gatherers, skilled in mountain survival and horse culture. The Ute people signed several treaties with the U.S., though many faced relocation to reservations. Today, the Ute tribes maintain strong traditions and operate successful enterprises while protecting their ancestral lands and heritage.

Yaqui

The Yaqui Tribe, or Yoeme, are a Native people originally from the Rio Yaqui Valley in northern Mexico, with many communities now also established in Arizona. Known for their rich ceremonial traditions, including the famous Deer Dance, the Yaqui have maintained a strong cultural and spiritual identity despite centuries of colonial pressure. Today, Yaqui communities continue to preserve their language, customs, and tribal sovereignty.

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