US Native American Peoples

Current Status of Native American Groups Encountered in the Current United States Territory

Northeastern Woodlands (New England & Mid-Atlantic)
  1. Wampanoag – Massachusetts (Mashpee & Aquinnah Wampanoag reservations) – Federally recognized (2 tribes)
  2. Massachusett – Eastern Massachusetts – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  3. Narragansett – Rhode Island – Federally recognized
  4. Pequot – Connecticut – Federally recognized (Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation)
  5. Mohegan – Connecticut – Federally recognized
  6. Lenape (Delaware) – Originally from Delaware River valley (NJ, DE, PA); now federally recognized in Oklahoma (2 tribes)
  7. Powhatan – Eastern Virginia – State recognized tribes (Pamunkey, Mattaponi, etc.); some federally recognized
  8. Susquehannock – Pennsylvania/Maryland – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  9. Iroquois (Haudenosaunee Confederacy) – New York; includes:
    • Mohawk – Federally recognized (St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, NY)
    • Oneida – Federally recognized (tribes in NY and WI)
    • Onondaga – Federally recognized (Onondaga Reservation, NY)
    • Cayuga – Federally recognized (NY)
    • Seneca – Federally recognized (NY)
    • Tuscarora – Originally from NC, now federally recognized in NY
  10. Abenaki – Northern New England – State recognized in Vermont; Federally recognized in Canada
  11. Penobscot – Maine – Federally recognized
  12. Passamaquoddy – Maine – Federally recognized (2 tribes)
  13. Mahican (Mohican) – Originally NY/MA; now federally recognized in WI (Stockbridge-Munsee Band)
  14. Wyandot (Huron) – Originally Ontario/NY; now federally recognized in Oklahoma (Wyandotte Nation)
Southeastern Woodlands (American South)
  1. Cherokee – Originally from southern Appalachians (NC, TN, GA, SC, AL); now federally recognized (3 tribes: Cherokee Nation & UKB in OK, EBCI in NC)
  2. Muscogee (Creek) – Originally from GA/AL; now federally recognized in OK and AL
  3. Chickasaw – Originally from MS/AL; now federally recognized in OK
  4. Choctaw – Originally from MS/AL; now federally recognized in OK and MS
  5. Seminole – Originally from FL; now federally recognized in OK and FL
  6. Catawba – Originally from NC/SC; now federally recognized in SC
  7. Lumbee – North Carolina – State recognized, seeking federal recognition
  8. Yamasee – Coastal SC/GA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  9. Guale – Coastal Georgia – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  10. Timucua – Northern FL/GA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  11. Calusa – Southwest Florida – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  12. Natchez – MS/LA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  13. Tunica – Louisiana – Federally recognized (Tunica-Biloxi Tribe)
  14. Houma – Louisiana – State recognized
  15. Alabama (Alibamu) – Originally AL; now federally recognized in TX and OK
  16. Koasati (Coushatta) – Originally AL; now federally recognized in LA and TX
Great Lakes & Midwest
  1. Ojibwe (Chippewa) – Great Lakes region – Federally recognized in MI, WI, MN, ND, and Canada
  2. Odawa (Ottawa) – Great Lakes region – Federally recognized in MI and OK
  3. Potawatomi – Great Lakes region – Federally recognized in KS, OK, and WI
  4. Menominee – Wisconsin – Federally recognized (Menominee Reservation)
  5. Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) – Originally WI/IL; now federally recognized in WI and NE
  6. Miami – Originally IN/OH; now federally recognized in OK; State recognized in IN
  7. Shawnee – Originally OH/KY; now federally recognized in OK (3 tribes)
  8. Kickapoo – Originally IN/IL; now federally recognized in OK, KS, and TX
  9. Illini (Illinois Confederation) – Originally IL/MO/IA; now federally recognized in OK (Peoria Tribe)
  10. Fox (Meskwaki) and Sauk (Sac) – Originally Great Lakes region; now federally recognized in IA, OK, and KS
  11. Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (Three Affiliated Tribes) – ND – Federally recognized
  12. Pawnee – Originally NE/KS; now federally recognized in OK
  13. Ponca – Originally NE/SD; now federally recognized in NE and OK
  14. Omaha – NE – Federally recognized
  15. Osage – Originally MO/AR; now federally recognized in OK
  16. Kaw (Kansa) – Originally KS; now federally recognized in OK
  17. Iowa (Ioway) – Originally IA/MO; now federally recognized in KS, NE, and OK
  18. Otoe-Missouria – Originally MO/IA; now federally recognized in OK
Plains
  1. Lakota (Teton Sioux) – Northern Great Plains (Dakotas, Montana) – Federally recognized (multiple tribes)
  2. Dakota (Eastern Sioux) – Upper Mississippi Valley – Federally recognized in NE, SD, MN
  3. Nakota (Assiniboine) – Northern Plains (Montana, North Dakota) – Federally recognized
  4. Cheyenne – Great Plains (Northern and Southern) – Federally recognized in MT and OK
  5. Arapaho – Great Plains (Wyoming, Oklahoma) – Federally recognized
  6. Crow (Apsáalooke) – Montana – Federally recognized
  7. Blackfeet (Siksika) – Northern Montana – Federally recognized
  8. Mandan – North Dakota – Federally recognized
  9. Hidatsa – North Dakota – Federally recognized
  10. Arikara (Sahnish) – North Dakota – Federally recognized
  11. Pawnee – Nebraska/Kansas – Federally recognized in OK
  12. Ponca – Nebraska/South Dakota – Federally recognized in NE and OK
  13. Omaha – Nebraska – Federally recognized
  14. Osage – Missouri/Arkansas – Federally recognized in OK
  15. Kaw (Kansa) – Kansas – Federally recognized in OK
  16. Iowa (Ioway) – Iowa/Missouri – Federally recognized in KS, NE, OK
  17. Otoe-Missouria – Missouri/Iowa – Federally recognized in OK
  18. Kiowa – Southern Plains (Oklahoma, Texas) – Federally recognized
  19. Comanche – Southern Plains – Federally recognized
  20. Apache (Plains Apache/Kiowa-Apache) – Southern Plains – Federally recognized
  21. Wichita – Southern Plains – Federally recognized
  22. Tonkawa – Southern Plains – Federally recognized
Southwest
  1. Navajo (Diné) – Arizona/New Mexico/Utah – Federally recognized (Navajo Nation)
  2. Apache (Western, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan) – AZ, NM, TX, OK – Federally recognized
  3. Hopi – Arizona – Federally recognized
  4. Pueblo Tribes (19 separate Pueblos including Zuni, Acoma, Taos, Laguna, Santa Clara, etc.) – NM/AZ – Federally recognized
  5. Zuni – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  6. Ute – Colorado/Utah – Federally recognized (3 tribes)
  7. Paiute – Nevada/Utah/California/Arizona – Federally recognized (multiple tribes)
  8. Shoshone – Great Basin – Federally recognized
  9. Havasupai – Grand Canyon, Arizona – Federally recognized
  10. Hualapai – Arizona – Federally recognized
  11. Yaqui – Arizona – Federally recognized (Pascua Yaqui Tribe)
  12. Pima (Akimel O’odham) – Arizona – Federally recognized
  13. Tohono O’odham – Arizona – Federally recognized
California
  1. Chumash – Southern California – Federally recognized
  2. Tongva (Gabrielino) – Los Angeles area – Unrecognized
  3. Luiseno – Southern California – Federally recognized (multiple tribes)
  4. Cahuilla – Southern California – Federally recognized (multiple tribes)
  5. Kumeyaay (Diegueño) – Southern California – Federally recognized (12 tribes)
  6. Miwok – Central California – Federally recognized (multiple rancherias)
  7. Maidu – Northern California – Federally recognized
  8. Yokuts – Central Valley, California – Federally recognized
  9. Pomo – Northern California – Federally recognized (multiple rancherias)
  10. Ohlone (Costanoan) – San Francisco Bay Area – Unrecognized
  11. Yurok – Northwest California – Federally recognized
  12. Karuk – Northwest California – Federally recognized
  13. Hupa – Northwest California – Federally recognized
  14. Quechan (Yuma) – California/Arizona – Federally recognized
  15. Washoe – California/Nevada – Federally recognized
Pacific Northwest
  1. Nez Perce – Idaho – Federally recognized
  2. Yakama – Washington – Federally recognized
  3. Coast Salish Tribes (e.g. Lummi, Tulalip, Suquamish, etc.) – Washington – Federally recognized
  4. Makah – Washington – Federally recognized
  5. Chinook – Washington/Oregon – Unrecognized
  6. Spokane – Washington – Federally recognized
  7. Flathead (Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille) – Montana – Federally recognized
  8. Kalispel – Washington – Federally recognized
  9. Coeur d’Alene – Idaho – Federally recognized
  10. Umatilla, Cayuse, Walla Walla – Oregon – Federally recognized
  11. Warm Springs – Oregon – Federally recognized
  12. Tillamook – Oregon – Federally recognized
  13. Grand Ronde Tribes – Oregon – Federally recognized
  14. Duwamish – Washington – Unrecognized
  15. Snoqualmie – Washington – Federally recognized
  16. Tlingit – Alaska – Federally recognized
  17. Haida – Alaska – Federally recognized
  18. Tsimshian – Alaska – Federally recognized
Alaska Native Groups
  1. Inupiat (Inuit) – Northern Alaska – Federally recognized
  2. Yup’ik and Cup’ik – Western Alaska – Federally recognized
  3. Aleut (Unangan) – Aleutian Islands – Federally recognized
  4. Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) – South-central Alaska – Federally recognized
  5. Athabascan (Dene) Peoples – Interior Alaska – Federally recognized (multiple villages)
  6. Eyak – South-central Alaska – Extinct as a distinct tribe

Extinct Native American Groups and Reasons for Extinction
  1. Massachusett – Eastern Massachusetts – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Decimated by European diseases, including smallpox and measles
    • Loss of land due to colonial expansion
    • Assimilation into surrounding populations
  2. Susquehannock – Pennsylvania/Maryland – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • War and conflict with Iroquois Confederacy
    • Epidemics of smallpox and other diseases
    • Forced displacement and absorption into other tribes
  3. Yamasee – Coastal SC/GA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Destroyed after the Yamasee War (1715-1717) against British colonists
    • Many survivors were absorbed into other Southeastern tribes
  4. Guale – Coastal Georgia – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Conflict with Spanish and English settlers
    • Devastation from European diseases
    • Cultural assimilation into other tribes
  5. Timucua – Northern FL/GA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • European diseases, primarily smallpox, decimated the population
    • Enslavement and forced relocation under Spanish rule
    • Last known full-blooded Timucua disappeared by the late 18th century
  6. Calusa – Southwest Florida – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Spanish conquest and slave raids reduced population
    • Epidemics of European diseases
    • Survivors fled to Cuba or merged with other Indigenous groups
  7. Natchez – MS/LA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Defeated in war with the French in the early 18th century
    • Many survivors were enslaved or absorbed into the Creek and Cherokee nations
  8. Eyak – South-central Alaska – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Declining population due to disease and intermarriage
    • Cultural and linguistic assimilation into neighboring tribes
    • Last fluent Eyak speaker passed away in 2008
Groups That Became Extinct Due to Encounters with the Spaniards
  1. Guale – Coastal Georgia – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Conflict with Spanish and English settlers
    • Spanish mission system led to forced assimilation
    • Epidemics from European diseases devastated the population
    • Cultural assimilation into other tribes
  2. Timucua – Northern FL/GA – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • European diseases, primarily smallpox, decimated the population
    • Enslavement and forced relocation under Spanish rule
    • Spanish forced them into labor within missions, leading to population decline
    • Last known full-blooded Timucua disappeared by the late 18th century
  3. Calusa – Southwest Florida – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Spanish conquest and slave raids reduced population
    • Epidemics of European diseases
    • Resistance against Spanish rule weakened their numbers
    • Survivors fled to Cuba or merged with other Indigenous groups
  4. Jumanos – West Texas/New Mexico – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Contact with Spanish missionaries led to disease outbreaks
    • Enslavement and forced labor in Spanish missions
    • Cultural assimilation into Apache and Pueblo groups
  5. Karankawa – Texas Gulf Coast – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Initial Spanish contact brought disease and conflict
    • Later warfare with Spanish and Anglo settlers led to their decline
    • Some survivors were absorbed into other tribes, but as a distinct group, they disappeared by the 19th century
  6. Quivira (Wichita-related tribe) – Kansas/Oklahoma – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition in 1541 marked their first European contact
    • Disease, warfare, and displacement by Spanish expansion led to their disappearance
    • Absorbed into the larger Wichita tribe
​Extinct Native American Groups in the Southwest, Northwest, and West Coast
  1. Esselen – Central California – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Spanish mission system led to forced assimilation
    • Epidemics from European diseases devastated the population
    • Cultural blending with neighboring tribes led to loss of identity
  2. Salinan – Central California – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Spanish missionization resulted in cultural erosion
    • Disease and forced labor reduced the population
    • Absorbed into other regional Indigenous groups
  3. Coast Yuki – Northern California – Extinct as a distinct tribe
    • Decimated by European diseases and conflicts with settlers
    • Forced into reservations and absorbed into larger tribal groups
  4. Takelma – Oregon – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  • Forced removal following the Rogue River Wars (1855-1856)
  • Survivors were relocated to the Siletz Reservation, where they merged with other tribes
  1. Chasta – Oregon – Extinct as a distinct tribe
  • Removed from their ancestral lands after conflicts with settlers
  • Integrated into the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
  1. Klamath-Modoc (some bands) – Oregon/California – Partially extinct
  • Some bands were terminated by the U.S. government in the 1950s but later reinstated
  • Many Modoc were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma after the Modoc War (1872-1873)

Native American Groups Removed by the U.S. Government
  1. Cherokee – Southeastern U.S. (GA, TN, NC, AL) → Removed to Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Indian Removal Act (1830) and the Trail of Tears (1838-1839)
    • Outcome: Thousands died during forced relocation to Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
  2. Choctaw – Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana → Removed to Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (1830) forced removal
    • Outcome: Many perished along the journey, while some remained in Mississippi
  3. Chickasaw – Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee → Removed to Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Treaty of Pontotoc Creek (1832)
    • Outcome: Sold their land and relocated voluntarily with fewer deaths
  4. Creek (Muscogee) – Georgia, Alabama → Removed to Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Treaty of Indian Springs (1825), forced removals by U.S. military
    • Outcome: Many perished from disease and starvation en route
  5. Seminole – Florida → Removed to Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Seminole Wars (1817-1858) led to forced removal
    • Outcome: Some Seminoles resisted and remained in Florida, others were relocated
  6. Sac and Fox – Illinois, Iowa → Removed to Kansas and Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Black Hawk War (1832) and Treaty of Fort Armstrong (1832)
    • Outcome: Forced displacement led to loss of land and cultural disintegration
  7. Potawatomi – Michigan, Indiana, Illinois → Removed to Kansas and Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Treaty of Chicago (1833) led to the Trail of Death (1838)
    • Outcome: Hundreds died during the forced march westward
  8. Delaware (Lenape) – Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware → Removed to Oklahoma
    • Circumstance: Treaty of Fort Pitt (1778) and later forced relocations
    • Outcome: Originally settled in Ohio, later pushed to Oklahoma
  9. Kickapoo – Indiana, Illinois → Removed to Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico
    • Circumstance: U.S. expansion and forced treaties
    • Outcome: Some fled to Mexico, others settled in Oklahoma
  10. Osage – Missouri, Arkansas → Removed to Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Treaty of 1825 ceded their lands to the U.S.
  • Outcome: Moved to reservations in Oklahoma
  1. Wyandot (Huron) – Ohio, Michigan → Removed to Kansas and Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Treaty of 1842 forced relocation
  • Outcome: Relocated first to Kansas, later to Oklahoma
  1. Shawnee – Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania → Removed to Kansas and Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Treaty of Greenville (1795) and later forced removals
  • Outcome: Pushed westward into Kansas and Oklahoma
  1. Iowa (Ioway) – Iowa, Missouri → Removed to Kansas and Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Treaty of 1836 forced removal
  • Outcome: Some remained in Kansas, others moved to Oklahoma
  1. Otoe-Missouria – Missouri, Iowa → Removed to Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Treaty of 1854
  • Outcome: Moved to reservations in Oklahoma
  1. Pawnee – Nebraska, Kansas → Removed to Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: U.S. government pressure and loss of land
  • Outcome: Relocated to Oklahoma reservations
  1. Ponca – Nebraska, South Dakota → Removed to Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Treaty of 1868 mistakenly included their land in Sioux territory
  • Outcome: Forced relocation caused starvation and suffering
  1. Modoc – Northern California → Removed to Oklahoma
  • Circumstance: Modoc War (1872-1873) led to exile
  • Outcome: Survivors sent to Oklahoma, some later returned to Oregon
  1. Navajo (Diné) – Arizona, New Mexico, Utah → Forced to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico
  • Circumstance: The Long Walk of the Navajo (1864), in which the U.S. Army forcibly relocated the Navajo to Bosque Redondo Reservation.
  • Outcome: Harsh conditions, disease, and starvation led to the deaths of many Navajo. In 1868, they signed a treaty allowing them to return to their homeland, establishing the modern Navajo Nation.
 
The Comanche were not formally removed in the same way as many Eastern tribes under the Indian Removal Act, but they were forcibly confined to reservations due to military campaigns and U.S. expansion.
  • Location: Southern Plains (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico)
  • Circumstance: The Comanche fiercely resisted U.S. expansion and engaged in conflicts known as the Comanche Wars (1850s-1875). After devastating battles, loss of buffalo herds (their primary resource), and a harsh winter campaign led by the U.S. Army, the Comanche surrendered in 1875.
  • Outcome: The Comanche were forced onto the Fort Sill Reservation in Oklahoma. Over time, they adapted to reservation life and later regained a degree of self-governance.

​Southwest Native American Groups
  1. Navajo (Diné) – Arizona/New Mexico/Utah – Federally recognized
  2. Apache (Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan, Western, Plains Apache) – Southwest U.S. – Federally recognized
  3. Hopi – Arizona – Federally recognized
  4. Zuni – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  5. Pueblo Tribes (Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia) – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  6. Ute – Colorado/Utah – Federally recognized (3 tribes)
  7. Yaqui – Arizona – Federally recognized (Pascua Yaqui Tribe)
  8. Pima (Akimel O’odham, Tohono O’odham) – Arizona – Federally recognized
  9. Havasupai – Grand Canyon, Arizona – Federally recognized
  10. Hualapai – Arizona – Federally recognized

Northwest Native American Groups
  1. Nez Perce – Idaho – Federally recognized
  2. Yakama – Washington – Federally recognized
  3. Coast Salish Tribes (e.g., Lummi, Tulalip, Suquamish, Duwamish, Snoqualmie, etc.) – Washington – Federally recognized
  4. Makah – Washington – Federally recognized
  5. Spokane – Washington – Federally recognized
  6. Flathead (Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille) – Montana – Federally recognized
  7. Kalispel – Washington – Federally recognized
  8. Coeur d’Alene – Idaho – Federally recognized
  9. Umatilla, Cayuse, Walla Walla – Oregon – Federally recognized
  10. Warm Springs – Oregon – Federally recognized
  11. Tillamook – Oregon – Federally recognized
  12. Grand Ronde Tribes – Oregon – Federally recognized
  13. Tlingit – Alaska – Federally recognized
  14. Haida – Alaska – Federally recognized
  15. Tsimshian – Alaska – Federally recognized

West Coast Native American Groups
  1. Chumash – Southern California – Federally recognized
  2. Tongva (Gabrielino) – Los Angeles area – Unrecognized
  3. Luiseno – Southern California – Federally recognized (multiple tribes)
  4. Cahuilla – Southern California – Federally recognized (multiple tribes)
  5. Kumeyaay (Diegueño) – Southern California – Federally recognized (12 tribes)
  6. Miwok – Central California – Federally recognized (multiple rancherias)
  7. Maidu – Northern California – Federally recognized
  8. Yokuts – Central Valley, California – Federally recognized
  9. Pomo – Northern California – Federally recognized (multiple rancherias)
  10. Ohlone (Costanoan) – San Francisco Bay Area – Unrecognized
  11. Yurok – Northwest California – Federally recognized
  12. Karuk – Northwest California – Federally recognized
  13. Hupa – Northwest California – Federally recognized
  14. Quechan (Yuma) – California/Arizona – Federally recognized
  15. Washoe – California/Nevada – Federally recognized
Pueblo Tribes
  1. Acoma Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  2. Cochiti Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  3. Isleta Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  4. Jemez Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  5. Laguna Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  6. Nambe Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  7. Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan Pueblo) – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  8. Picuris Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  9. Pojoaque Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  10. Sandia Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  11. San Felipe Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  12. San Ildefonso Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  13. Santa Ana Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  14. Santa Clara Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  15. Santo Domingo Pueblo (Kewa Pueblo) – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  16. Taos Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  17. Tesuque Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  18. Zia Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
  19. Zuni Pueblo – New Mexico – Federally recognized
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