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Native American Facts for Kids
Resources on American Indians for Children and Teachers
Welcome to Native Languages of the Americas! We are a non-profit organization working to preserve and promote American
Indian languages. We encourage students, especially older kids, to look through our main information on
American Indian tribes
to get the best feel for the cultures they are studying. This "Facts For Kids" section was designed to provide simple online information
about American Indians in an easy-to-read question and answer format.
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Native Americans are not extinct. As of the year 2000, there are more than three million Native American people in Canada and the US
combined--including more than a million children. Native American kids have real-life hopes and real-life problems, just like other kids do.
They may take part in traditional Indian dances, or they may be Britney Spears fans, or both. They probably don't live in tepees,
any more than non-native kids live in log cabins. And sometimes, they have to do their homework on the Internet. You are sharing this
website with each other. Please be respectful neighbors.
Wado (thank you, in the Cherokee language),
Orrin Lewis and Laura Redish
Native Languages of the Americas
American Indian Tribes
Fact sheets about American Indians in general
American Indians Kids FAQ
Questions and answers about Native Americans in the past and present.
Native American Homes
Pictures and descriptions of ten different types of American Indian houses.
Native American Cradleboards
Pictures and facts about Native American child carriers in different tribes.
Native American Weapons
Pictures and descriptions of many different types of American Indian weapons.
Native American Hairstyles
Pictures and descriptions of traditional hairstyles in many different Native American tribes.
American Indian Clothes
Photographs of Native American Indian clothing and regalia, including special pages on
Indian loincloths
and headdresses.
American Indian Food
A brief introduction to Native Indian hunting, gathering, farming, and fishing techniques,
with links to recipes.
Native American State Names
The Native American origins and meanings of the names of US states.
Algonquian Indian Tribes
Questions and answers about the Algonquian tribes.
Fact sheets about specific American Indian tribes
Abenakis
The Abenaki Indians have been native New Englanders for thousands of years,
but are still looking for recognition from their neighbors.
Achumawis and Atsugewis
Known as the Pit River tribes, these two closely related cultures
are native people of Northern California.
Ahtnas
The Ahtna are a traditional Athabaskan Indian tribe of Alaska.
Alabamas
The Native Americans who gave their name to the state of Alabama, the Alabamas have merged
politically with their allies the Coushattas.
Aleuts
Native people of the Aleutian Islands, the Aleuts are known for their swift seafaring kayaks.
Algonquins
Often confused with other American Indian tribes known as "Algonquians," the Algonquins
live in the modern Ontario/Quebec area of Canada.
Alutiiq
Relatives of the Inuit, the Alutiiq are Native Alaskan people renowned for their skill as fishermen.
Anishinaabe
The Anishinabe are one of the largest native groups in North America and have played and important role
in both American and Canadian history.
Apaches
Relatives 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.
Apalachees
Original people of northern Florida, the Apalachee Indians were driven west and
their descendants live in Louisiana today.
Arapahos
The 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.
Arawaks
Native Americans of the Caribbean, the Arawakan peoples were the first to meet Columbus.
Arikaras
Devastated by epidemics, the Arikara tribe has merged with their neighbors the Mandans and Hidatsas.
Assiniboines
Relatives of the Sioux tribes, the Assiniboines were known as big game hunters and expert traders.
Atakapas
An American Indian tribe of the Gulf Coast, the Atakapas are known today for their contributions
to zydeco music.
Atikameks
The Atikamekw are a small, traditional Native American tribe that still speaks their native language
and lives off the land.
Bannocks
Native Americans of the Great Basin, the Bannocks share a reservation with the Shoshone today.
Beavers
The Beavers are a traditional Athabascan Indian tribe of Northern Canada.
Beothuks
The Beothuks or "Red Indians" were the original inhabitants of Newfoundland, Canada.
Tragically, they died out in the 1800's.
Biloxis
Native Americans of Alabama and Mississippi, the Biloxis moved west after the smallpox epidemics.
Blackfoot
Four tribes make up this powerful Plains Indian nation: the Blackfoot (Blackfeet) in
Montana and the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai in Canada.
Caddos
Native Americans of Texas and the Southern Plains, the Caddo Indians were
farming people known for their pottery art.
Cahtos
The Cahto are an Athabaskan Indian tribe of Northern California, known for their basketry.
Cahuillas
So-called "Mission Indians," the Cahuilla Indians are desert people of Southern California.
Calusas
Although the Calusa Indians of southern Florida were not agricultural people, they built
technologically advanced cities with windbreaks, seawalls, piers, and canal systems.
Caribs
American Indians of the Caribbean, the Carib people have a warlike history but also
a sophisticated society.
Carriers
The Carriers are a traditional Athabascan Indian tribe of Northern Canada.
Catawbas
The 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.
Cayugas
Members of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Cayuga tribe are Native Americans
of upstate New York.
Chemehuevi
Originally an offshoot of the Paiute Indian culture, the Chemehuevis are native people of
southern California.
Cherokees
Original people of the American Southeast, most Cherokees were forcibly deported to
Oklahoma along the infamous Trail of Tears.
Cheyennes
Plains Indians who depended on the buffalo for survival, the Cheyennes have survived
several American massacres.
Chickasaws
The Chickasaws were one of several Southeast Indian tribes forced to move to Oklahoma
along the Trail of Tears.
Chinooks
A Native American tribe of the Pacific Northwest, the Chinook Indians were well-known as expert traders.
Chippewas
Also known as the Ojibway, Ojibwe, or Ojibwe, the Chippewa tribe are one of the largest
and most powerful nations.
Chumash
Native Indians of southern California, the Chumash were fishing people known
for their unusual plank canoes.
Choctaws
Despite 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.
Cocopas
The Cocopa or Cocopah Indians are native people of the Sonoran desert.
Coeur d'Alene
American Indians of the Great Plateau, the Coeur d'Alenes were master fishermen and traders.
Comanches
Kinfolk of the Shoshone, the Comanche Indians split off from the Shoshones long ago and
migrated to the Southern Plains.
Coushattas
Also known as the Koasatis, the Coushattas have merged politically with their allies
the Alabamas.
Creeks
Also 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.
Crees
The Cree are one of the largest native groups in North America and have had a major impact
on Canadian history.
Crows
The Crow are a northern Plains tribe, famous for their expert horsemanship and especially long hair.
Cupenos
One of several California tribes known as "Mission Indians," the Cupeno people made flour and bread
from acorns.
Dakotas
The Dakota tribe are one of the largest and best-known Native American nations of the Great Plains.
Deg Hitan
The Deg Hitan are a traditional Athabaskan Indian tribe of Alaska.
Dene
Also known as the Chipewyans, the Dene are an Athabascan Indian tribe of Northern Canada.
Dogribs
Native American Indians of Northern Canada, the Dogribs still live in traditional communities today.
Gros Ventres
The Gros Ventre were kinfolk of the Arapaho, and called themselves A'aninin, the White Clay People.
Gwich'in
Traditional Athabascan people of Alaska and the Yukon, the Gwich'in have always relied on the caribou.
Haidas
Native Americans of the Northwest Coast, the Haida tribe is known for their huge seafaring canoes.
Havasupais
The Havasupai tribe are original people of the Grand Canyon region.
Hidatsas
Devastated by epidemics, the Hidatsa tribe has merged with their neighbors the Mandans and Arikaras.
Hochunks/Winnebagos
Unlike other Siouan tribes, the Hochunks never gave up their farming villages in favor of a migratory life.
Hopis
Known as the Peaceful People, the Hopi Indians were expert farmers and artists.
Hualapais
Also known as the Walapais, the Hualapais are original people of the Grand Canyon area.
Hupas
An American Indian tribe of Northern California, the Hupa are known for their beautiful baskets.
Hurons/Wyandots
The Wyandots, who lived on both sides of the modern US-Canadian border, were an important
trading tribe.
Illini
The state of Illinois was named after the Illini Indians, who were nearly wiped out by war in the 1700's.
Innus
The Montagnais and Naskapi have different tribal names but consider themselves part of the same
Native American culture, the Innu.
Ioways
Together with their cousins the Otoe and Missouri Native Americans, the Ioways are Plains Indians
who once hunted the great buffalo herds.
Iroquois
The 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.
Karuks
Native Americans of Northern California, the Karok are known for their beautiful basket arts.
Kaskas
Native American Indians of Northern Canada, the Kaska still live in traditional communities today.
Kickapoos
Fiercely independant, many Kickapoo people fled all the way to Mexico rather than surrender to
the Americans.
Kiowas
Plains Indian people, the Kiowa migrated frequently to follow the buffalo herds they depended on.
Klamath Indians
The Klamath are Native American people of the California-Oregon border, whose traditional lifestyle
is based on the river that shares their name.
Koyukon
The Koyukon are a traditional Athabaskan Indian tribe of Alaska.
Kwakiutl
Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the Kwakiutl tribe is known for their tall totem poles.
Lakotas
The Lakota tribe are one of the largest and best-known Native American nations of the Great Plains.
Lenni Lenape
The Lenape or Delawares are considered by many Indians to be the eldest Algonquian tribe.
Luisenos
So-called "Mission Indians," the Luiseno tribe made flour and bread from acorns.
Lumbees
The Lumbees are the descendants of the Carolina Indians who helped the Roanoake Colony.
Maidus
Native American people of Northern California, the Maidu are known for their beautiful basket arts.
Makah
Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the Makah Indians were well-known as expert whalers.
Maliseets
The Maliseet people are original residents of the Canadian Maritimes. They are renowned
for their beadwork and artistry.
Mandans
The Mandans were primarily farming people, but like other Plains tribes, followed the buffalo
herds on seasonal hunts.
Maricopas
American Indians of the Southwest deserts, the Maricopas were agricultural people known for their
elaborate tattoos.
Menominees
Original people of Wisconsin, the Menominee tribe is named after their staple food, wild rice.
Miamis
The Miami Indians lived not in Florida, but in the Midwest: Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.
Miccosukees
One 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.
Micmacs
The 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.
Missouris
Together with their cousins the Ioway and Otoe Native Americans, the Missouria are Plains Indians
who once hunted the great buffalo herds.
Miwoks
American Indians of Northern California, the Miwok are known for their elaborate dance festivals.
Modocs
Known to their Native American neighbors as powerful warriors, the Modocs also fought fiercely against
American troops trying to relocate their tribe.
Mojaves
American Indians of the Southwestern desert, the Mojaves were farming people known for their
elaborate tattoos.
Mohawks
Members of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Mohawk tribe are Native Americans
of upstate New York.
Mohegans
Frequently 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.
Mohicans
Frequently confused with the Mohegans due to a poorly-researched literary classic, the Mohican
tribe was not driven to extinction, merely exiled to Wisconsin.
Montauk
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Indians from southern New England.
Munsee
The Munsee people were original inhabitants of Long Island and New York State, but were
driven to Wisconsin and Ontario by colonial expansion.
Nanticokes
The Nanticoke people were known for their sympathy to escaped slaves, many of whom they sheltered.
Narragansett
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
Navajos
The 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 Perce
The Nez Perce were originally a fishing culture, but once they acquired horses, they began
following the buffalo herds.
Niantic
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
Nipmuc
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
Okanagan
Interior Salish people, the Okanagans were salmon fishermen and traders.
Omahas
The Omahas are Plains Indians of the prairie, who once relied on the buffalo herds for food.
Oneidas
Members of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Oneida tribe are Native Americans of upstate
New York.
Onondagas
Members of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Onondaga are Native American Indians of upstate
New York.
Osage
The Osage are Plains Indians of the prairie, known for their intricate tribal tattoos
(which only distinguished warriors and their female relatives could wear.)
Otoes
Together with their cousins the Ioway and Missouri Native Americans, the Otoe are Plains Indians
who once hunted the great buffalo herds.
Ottawas
The native nation Canada's capital city was named for, the Ottawas are kinfolk of the Ojibways.
Papagos
Native people of the American Southwest, the Papago tribe is famous for their beautiful basket art.
Passamaquoddies
The Passamaquoddy people are original residents of Maine, where they still live today.
Pawnees
The Pawnee Indians were known as scouts and allies of the Americans.
Pennacook
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from New England.
Penobscot
The Penobscot people are original residents of Maine, where they still live today.
Pequot
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
Pimas
Native people of Mexico and the American Southwest, the Pima tribe is famous for their basket art.
Pocumtuck
A subtribe of the Mohican American Indians, the Pocumtuc tribe had distinct leadership and
a unique history.
Pomos
American Indians of Northern California, the Pomo are known for their fine basket arts.
Poncas
The Poncas are Plains Indians of the prairie, who once relied on the buffalo herds for food.
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi were traditionally the fire-keepers in the powerful Three Fires alliance of Indians.
Powhatans
The Powhatan Confederacy is most famous for being the tribe of the real Pocahontas,
but they were also a powerful empire controlling most of Virginia.
Pueblos
Named after their sophisticated adobe housing complexes, the Pueblo Indians are native people
of New Mexico.
Quapaw
The Quapaw Indian tribe were better-known to white Americans as the Akansea,
and that's where the name of the state Arkansas came from.
Quechan
Also known as the Yuma, the Quechans are an American Indian culture known for their artistic
beadwork and basketry.
Quileute
The real Quileute Indians are not werewolves, but they do consider wolves their tribal ancestors.
Sac and Fox
These two Native 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.
Seminoles
The Seminole Nation was originally a confederation of several different American Indian cultures of
the Southeast, and were also influenced by the many escaped African slaves who joined them for
protection. Today the Seminoles are a united tribe.
Senecas
Members of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, the Seneca are Native American Indians of
upstate New York.
Shastas
American Indians of Northern California, the Shasta are river people who hold the salmon in reverence.
Shawnees
The 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.
Shinnecock
One of many small tribes of Algonquian Native Americans from southern New England.
Shoshonis
The Shoshone tribe ranged across a vast territory in the west, and different bands
had different traditional lifestyles.
Sioux
The Sioux Indians, who call themselves "Lakota" or "Dakota," are one of the largest and
best-known Native American tribes of the Great Plains.
Dene Tha
Native American Indians of Northern Canada, the Dene Tha still live in traditional communities today.
Tananas and Tanainas
These two similarly named tribes are traditional Athabaskan Indian people of Alaska.
Tlingits
American Indians of the Northwest Coast, the Tlingit tribe is known for their intricate cedar-bark weavings.
Tolowas
The Tolowa are a small Athabaskan tribe of Oregon and Northern California, known for their basketry.
Tongva
Also known as Gabrielinos, the Tongva are American Native people of the Los Angeles area.
Tonkawas
The Tonkawa were originally Native American Indians of Texas, but were forced to move
to Oklahoma along with many other Texas Indians.
Tsimshians
Native American Indians of the Northwest Coast, the Tsimshian tribe is known for their beautiful Chilkat blankets.
Tuscaroras
Originally from the American Southeast, the Tuscaroras moved north after the British took over
to join the powerful Iroquois Confederacy.
Utes
The Ute Indians are Native Americans of the Great Basin area between the Rocky
Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.
Wabanakis
The Wabanaki Confederacy was a powerful alliance of east-coast American Indians.
Wailaki Indians
The Wailakis are an Athabaskan Indian tribe of Northern California, known for their basketry.
Wampanoag
The Native Americans who shared in the first Thanksgiving feast, the Wampanoag tribe
met a sad fate at the hands of the English.
Wappingers
A subtribe of the Mohican American Indians, the Wappinger tribe had distinct leadership and
a unique history.
Wichitas
The Wichita were originally Native Americans of Texas, but were forced to move
to Oklahoma along with many other Texas Indians.
Wintus
American Indian people of Northern California, the Wintu are known for their basket arts.
Wiyots
The 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.
Yakama
Native Americans of the Great Plateau, the Yakamas were master fishermen and traders.
Yaquis
Original people of Mexico, many Yaqui Indians fled to what is now Arizona after attacks by early
Mexican colonists.
Yavapais
Allies of the Apache, the Yavapai Indian people were known as strong warriors.
Yuchis
Though 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.
Yukis
This small Native American tribe of Northern California is known for their basketry and their
traditional dance regalia.
Yup'ik
Kinfolk of the Inuit, the Yupik have settlements both in Alaska and in Russia.
Yuroks
Kinfolk of the Wiyot, the two peoples have nearly merged after ethnic violence against them in the 1800's.
Zunis
American Indians of New Mexico, the Zunis speak a different language and have some different
customs than the other Pueblos.
Our resource pages about Native Americans
Native American Books
See our reading list of books (and a few movies) by, for, and about American Indians.
Native American Cultures
See our original cultures homepage, with a broader selection of Native American links than this one.
Native American Art
See photographs, history, and links about many different American Indian arts and crafts.
Native American Legends
Read folklore and traditional stories of American Indians from many tribes.
Native American Picture Dictionaries
Learn the names of animals in various American Indian languages.
Contact Us
We answer questions from kids every week!
Sponsored Links
Recommended Books of Native American information
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Atlas of the North American Indian:
Book of maps showing where Native American people lived in the past and today.
Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes:
Information about Native American Indian culture and history for kids.
Native American Games and Stories:
Information on American Indian children's pastimes by two Native authors.
A Native American Encyclopedia:
Facts about Native Americans in different tribes and regions.
Native Tribes of North America:
Illustrated reference book on the Native American history and culture.
Encyclopedia of North American Indians: Native American History, Culture, and Life:
Collection of essays on Native American life in the past and present.
500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians:
Thorough textbook on Native American Indian history.
Native Americans Today: A Biographical Dictionary:
Biographies of contemporary Native American people.
Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America:
Children's picture book by an Abenaki author, depicting the diversity of Native American culture.
American Indian Children's Books:
A list of books about Native Americans for kids.
Native American Links For Kids
We have visited all of these websites about American Indian culture and to the best of our knowledge they are informative, respectful,
and safe for kids. Please let us know if you find
inappropriate material on any of them.
Aboriginal Kids' Stop:
Website for kids in Canada features First Nations facts, stories, and activities.
American Indian Children's Games:
Online games for kid
s to play and interesting Native Indian toys for sale.
Native American Kids' Crafts:
How to make cornhusk dolls, with illustrations.
Learn About Native American Cultures:
Clickable US map with information about the American Indians of each region.
Native American Flags:
Pictures of flags used by Native American Indian tribes.
Native American Technology:
Traditional arts, crafts, weaponry, and tools, also Native American kid's links.
Native American Children's Literature:
Reading recommendations for kids of all ages by the native organization Oyate.
Native American Toys:
Photographs of traditional toys and games from several American Indian cultures.
Native American Children:
Article by a Gros Ventre woman on traditional native child rearing and family life.
Indigenous Chiefs and Leaders:
Biographies and facts about the Native Americans' political, military, and religious leaders.
Native Celebs:
Fan pages, photos, and information about American Indian actors and celebrities.
Canku Ota Stories:
Native American website of native myths and legends.
Encyclopedia of North American Indians:
Free online articles on many aspects of Native American life .
Native Americans Children's Sites:
Indexed information on American Indians for kids and teens.
Native American Kids' Links:
List of American Indian websites for children and teachers.
Native Americans Kids Links:
List of Native American websites for children, also with resources for parents.
American Indians: Children's Homework Help:
Links and information about the Native Americans for kids.
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