30 TRIBES OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND THEIR CUSTOMS - HISTORY - 2025

The American Indian tribes are made up of numerous distinct ethnic groups and bands, many of which survive as sovereign and intact nations.

Thousands of years before Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Guanahani, the nomadic ancestors of Native Americans discovered America by crossing the land bridge between Asia and Alaska more than 12 thousand years ago.

In fact, it is estimated that some 50 million indigenous people already inhabited the American continent when the Europeans arrived and approximately 10 million inhabited the territory that today is known as the United States of America.

Here we leave you information about the American Indian tribes, their customs, lifestyle, their famous warriors and chiefs.

General characteristics

Native Americans have inhabited California for 19,000 years and may have inhabited those lands long before. These first inhabitants crossed a land bridge across the Bering Strait from Asia to Alaska until they reached the south, now called California.

The oldest human skeleton discovered in California (and possibly North America) is around 13,000 years old. The skeleton, named "the Arlington Springs Man," was discovered on Santa Rosa Island.

Due to an excellent food supply and a temperate climate, the indigenous population flourished in California and it is estimated that before the arrival of Europeans, 300,000 indigenous people lived there.

The Indian tribes located in California were isolated tribes from other regions and even from the same tribes within California. This isolation was due to landforms such as high mountain ranges and long deserts.

California generally has a mild climate and therefore the Indians who lived there wore very little clothing. In some colder areas they used fur in the winter. Epidemics such as malaria devastated California's indigenous population. Its population dropped from about 200,000 in 1800 to about 15,000 in 1900.

California Native American Tribes

1- Yana Tribe

Ishi, last Indian Yana

Yana, means "People" in their Hokan language. In the early 1800s, the Yana lived in the upper Sacramento River Valley and the adjacent eastern foothills. The elevation of its territory ranged from 300 to 10,000 feet.

The Yana Aboriginal population probably numbered less than 2,000 individuals. The last wild Indian in America of the Yana tribe was Ishi, who wandered out of his ancestral homeland near Oroville, California back in 1911.

The Yana tribe carried out rituals to bring good luck to hunters or to celebrate boys and girls entering adulthood, but little else is known about their customs.

2- Yuki Tribe

Yuki tribe cultivators

They settled in northwestern California and their language was Yukian. In 1770 it is estimated that they had a population of 2,000 Indians and by 1910 there were only 100 left. The Yuki were the largest tribe of four tribes united by the family of the Yukian language, a language spoken only by them.

The culture of the Yuki was different from that of the rest of the northwestern tribes and also different from the culture of the larger groups to the south and east, who considered the Yuki to be rough mountain people. Yuki territory was located in the Mountains of the Coast Range, a rugged land.

It included the area along the upper Eel River above the North Fork, except for the part of the South Eel River occupied by Huchnom. They fed mainly on deer, acorns and salmon, which they hunted with spears, nets and with their hands.

The Yuki considered the ceremonies to be important and had many special customs that had to do with young people reaching adulthood. In January and May the Acorn Sing was held, a very joyous ceremony that was performed to please Taikomol, the creator of the Yuki world, so that there would be a good acorn harvest.

On special occasions, Yuki men and women danced together, wearing special feather capes and dance skirts. Before each battle, the Yuki would perform a war dance and celebrate victory with another dance.

3- The Paiute

Paiute woman

They settled on the central border of northeast and eastern California (eastern Modoc, Lassen, and Mono counties). Their language was from the Uto-Azteca family. Its population, according to the censuses of 1770 and 1910, could not be registered.

Their territory was on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, placing the Paiute tribe between the desert and great basin cultures of the Nevada area. Only a small percentage of the total number of Paiutes lived in what is now California.

Pine nuts were the primary food of the Paiutes, their settlements depending on the supply of this seed. The seeds of Indian rice, wild rye and chia were also important food sources for the Paiutes.

The Paiutes, who lived near Mono Lake and in the Owens Valley had friendly contact with other indigenous groups in California, traveled through the Sierra Nevada mountains and negotiated with indigenous people from the Yokuts, Miwok, and Tubatulabal tribes.

The Paiutes traded pine nuts for acorns that grew on the western side of the mountains. Strings of pearls originally from the people who lived along the coast were used as money.

They celebrated the harvest together, all dancing in a circle, where the singers and dancers wore special costumes for the occasion. The dances were held in the open air.

Many groups of Paiutes settled in the Owens Valley gathered each year for the mourning ceremony, or "weeping ceremony," to remember all those who had died in the past year.

4- The Miwok

Miwok House

They settled in central California (Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, northern Madera and San Joaquin counties, and southern Sacramento county). Their language was from the Penutian family.

Its approximate population, according to the 1770 census, was 9,000 and, according to the 1910 census, 670 people.

The Miwok lived mainly along the foothills of the mountains. The Miwok of the highlands depended on deer as their main source of meat. For the Miwok of the plains, elk and antelope were the easiest foods to get. They also fed on smaller animals such as rabbits, beavers, squirrels and but never on coyotes, skunks, owls, snakes or frogs.

The Plains Miwok also fed on salmon and sturgeon from the waters of the Sacramento Delta. Fish and meat were cooked over an open fire or roasted in the ashes of the fire.

They also had stone-heated earth ovens that were used for baking and steaming food. Most of the Miwok ceremonies were related to religious practices. For these celebrations, they wore special tunics and feather headdresses.

Many other dances and celebrations were done just for fun and entertainment. Some Miwok dances included clowns called Wo'ochi that represented coyotes. The Miwok also celebrated the Uzumati or grizzly bear ceremony, where the main dancer pretended to be a bear.

5- The Hupa

Hunter Hupa

They settled in Northwest California (Humboldt County). Their language was from the Athapaskan language family. Its estimated population was 1,000 in the 1770 census and 500 in the 1910 census.

The Hupa were close to the Chilula tribe and the Whilkut tribe, their neighbors to the west. These three groups differed in dialect from other California Athapaskans tribes.

Their main foods were acorns and salmon and they also ate other fish such as trout and sturgeon. The Hupa did business with the Yurok who lived along the coast near the mouth of the Klamath River. From the Yurok Indians they got canoes, salt (made from dried seaweed), and saltwater fish.

The Hupa had two main ceremonies to celebrate the new year and the harvest. The most elaborate ceremonies of the Hupa were the Dance of the White Deer and the Dance of the Jump. Each of these dances lasted 10 days.

In the white deerskin dance, the dancers held the white deerskins as they danced. Before each dance, there was a long recital of sacred words that recounted the origins of the ceremony.

Northwest Coast Tribes

The American Indians of the Northwest Coast lived in clans and had a native population of about 250,000. These American Indians lived along the Pacific coast.

The region they inhabited stretched from southern Alaska to northern California and up the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. This area also includes some notable islands such as Queen Charlotte Islands and Vancouver Island.

6- The Chinook

Chinook couple

The Chinook Indians were several groups of native tribes on the northwestern coast of America, which spoke Chinookan. These American Indians traditionally lived along the Columbia River in what is now Oregon and Washington State.

They were great fishermen and merchants, they fed on the products of the river and the ocean and built their houses of plank, as well as they built canoes from the red cedars.

Many items of his clothing were also made from the bark of cedar trees. The Chinooks used tattoos to decorate their skins and heads in accordance with the customs of their people, and this physical aspect earned them the nickname "Flatheads" or flat heads.

The Chinooks were a friendly, harmless, and naturally curious people. The Chinooks erected totems, which were carved with animals that symbolized their guardian spirits.

7- The Nootka

Nuu-chah-nulth woman

The Nootka, also known as Nuu-chah-nulth, were North American Indians who lived along the coastal coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, and the Washington State Peninsula. Together with the Kwakiutl, they formed the Wakashan language family.

The Nootka's staple diet included salmon, walnuts, roots, ferns, lupins, and berries. In the summer months, they moved to the open beaches and engaged in sea fishing.

For them, fish oil served 3 purposes: It signifies abundance, it acted as a very valuable commercial item, and they ate it with each piece of food before being consumed.

Whaling was also a common form of hunting in the early summer months. The potlatch was the great ceremony of this tribe and it focused mainly on two aspects: the validation of the individuals of the tribe through inheritance and the distribution of gifts.

Each individual who was to receive a gift at the potlatch had to sit in an order arranged according to social status and hereditary right. The Nootka had very little interest in celestial bodies.

There was absolutely no "god" cult within the Nootka tribe, yet they had beliefs and rituals to ensure good luck, as well as rituals to cure the sick.

8- The Makah

Young makah

The Makah were a Native American tribe that resided in the extreme northwest of Washington State, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Along with the Nuu-chah-nulth tribes of Vancouver Island, Canada, the Makah form the Nootkan subgroup of the native cultures of the Northwest Coast.

The first recorded European contact was in 1790 with the Spanish ship Princesa Real. The Neah Bay treaty of 1855 established the reservation, preserving hunting and fishing rights in the "usual and customary" areas of this tribe.

The Aboriginal population of perhaps 2,000, dwindled to 654 in 1861, largely through epidemics such as smallpox. Whales and whaling characterize this tribe and many rituals around whales were practiced by the Makah.

The Makah Indians believed in various mythological figures from the natural world. Hohoeapbess, translated as the "two men who made things," are said to be the brothers of the sun and the moon who transformed people, animals, and landscapes from a condition different from a previously existing one.

9- The Haida

Haida totem

The Haidas were a seafaring people, excellent fishermen and hunters found in the Haida Gwaii archipelago in northern British Columbia. The Haida tribe lived off the products of the Pacific Ocean and built their plank houses and canoes of cedar wood.

The Haida were one of the northwestern tribes who erected totems, which symbolized their guardian spirits who watched over their families, clan, or tribe. The mythical thunderbird is usually found on top of totem poles.

Legend has it that this powerful bird captured a whale with its claws in exchange for a prestigious position among the totems. The people of the tribe spoke the Haida language, called "Xaayda Kil."

10- The Tlinglit

Tlingit woman with her children

The Tlingit Indians are the Native American Indians of the southern coast of Alaska in the United States and British Columbia and the Yukon in Canada. The name Tlingit is derived from the word these Indians use for "the people."

In Canada there are two Tlingit tribes (called "First Nation"). Both tribes have their own reservation. Tlingit Indians residing in Alaska live in indigenous villages, not reservations. The Tlingit Indians used canoes made of hollow logs made of spruce and cedars.

They traveled the entire northwestern coast, up rivers and also sailed the lakes to fish, hunt, and trade. They also used canoes for war.

Some of their canoes used for war are up to 18 meters long. Traditionally, Tlingit women were responsible for caring for children, cooking, and gathering plants to eat.

The traditional role of men was hunting and fishing. The men were also the warriors. The chief of the tribes was always male, however men and women could be clan leaders.

The Tlingit people traded with many other American tribes on the Northwest Coast. Their blankets or "Chilkat" were highly valued in the other tribes. The first contacts of this tribe with the Europeans was in 1741 with the Russian explorers.

Between 1836 and 1840, about half of the Tlingit were killed by diseases introduced by Europeans, including smallpox and flu.

The Tlingit were very spiritual and believed that their shamans had magical powers to cure diseases, divine the future, and control time.

Tribes of the American Southwest

• Languages: Siouan, Algonquian, Caddoan, Uto-Aztecan and Athabaskan.
• Geography: Dry and rocky lands with cacti. Hot and arid climate. Little rains.
• Animals: desert animals such as reptiles and snakes.
• Livestock: Sheep and goats.
• Natural Resources: Corn, beans, pumpkin, sunflower seeds.
• Culture and lifestyle adopted: They were farmers and some nomadic hunters like the Navajo.
• Types of houses, homes or shelters: Farmers lived in adobe houses. The hunters lived in Hogans or wickiups.

11- The Hopi

Hopis members serving time at Alcatraz

The Hopi tribe were a peace-loving tribe that have kept their culture intact due in large part to living in isolated areas of northeastern Arizona.

The names of the most famous chiefs of the Hopi included Chief Dan and Chief Tuba. The Hopi tribe is famous for their beliefs that encompassed the Kachina dolls and the Hopi Prophecy.

The Hopi were peasants and farmers. Their villages were located on the high plateaus of northern Arizona. The name Hopi means "peaceful" or "people of peace" in their Uto-Aztec language.

The religion and beliefs of the Hopi tribe are based on Animism that encompassed the spiritual or religious idea that the universe and all natural objects, animals, plants, trees, rivers, mountains, rocks, etc., have souls.

The Hopi tribe is strongly associated with the Kachina dolls. The Kachinas represent powerful spirits of deities, animals or natural elements that can use their magical powers for the well-being of the tribe, bringing rain, healing, fertility and protection.

12- The Navajo

Navajo woman with her baby

The Navajo tribe, also known as Diné, was a semi-nomadic people who lived in the desert regions of the Southwest in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.

The Navajo tribe fiercely resisted the invasion of their territories. The most famous chiefs of the Navajo tribe included Chief Barboncito and Chief Manuelito. The men were in charge of hunting and protecting the camp and the women were in charge of taking care of the house and land.

Navajo men kept sheep and goats and women made yarn and wove wool into cloth. The Navajo tribe spoke Na-Dené, a language also known as Diné bizaad.

The religion and beliefs of the Navajo tribe were based on Animism which encompassed the spiritual idea that the Universe and all natural objects, animals, plants, trees, rivers, mountains, rocks, etc., have souls or spirits.

The Navajos believed that the Yei Spirit mediated between humans and the Great Spirit and believed that it controlled rain, snow, wind, and sun, as well as night and day.

13- The Apache

Apache fortress

The Apache tribe was a fierce, strong, and warlike tribe that roamed the arid desert lands of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The Apache tribe bravely resisted the invasion of the Spanish, the Mexicans, and finally the invasion of the Americans.

The most famous warchiefs of the Apache tribe included Cochise, Geronimo, and Victorio. They had their own language also called Apache. The rabbit was a staple of their diet, along with corn, sheep, and goats, which were often traded with the agricultural native Indians living in the Southwest.

Other foods in their diet were beans, sunflower seeds, and squash. The Apache brewed a beer made from corn called tiswin. The religion and beliefs of the Apache tribe was based on Animism.

The Gila monster was important to them and its symbol signified preservation and survival. The Apache tribe believed that their breath could kill a man.

14- The Acoma

Members of the Acoma tribe

The Acoma, or "people of the white rock," are one of the many tribes of the southwestern people. Her town is in west central New Mexico. They inhabited multi-family adobe houses.

The Acoma people have lived for more than 800 years on the top of a 350-foot-steep mesa, which was carved out of a massive plateau thousands of years ago by river water.

Its positioning provided natural defenses against enemies trying to steal the corn, and this arid land is home to a host of small, burrowing plants and animals that were the Acoma food source.

Each year, the Acoma held festivals with dances in honor of rain and corn, in gratitude for the blessings of the gods.

Non-Indian individuals are not allowed in their sacred spaces. The Acoma culture exists today despite the fact that half the population was wiped out in 1599 by a Spanish explorer who did so to avenge the death of a brother who had been murdered in the area.

The Acoma did not exercise resistance and, although there was some conversion to Christianity and missionary work, they continued to work hard to produce crops and handicrafts that were later sold in Europe and Mexico for large amounts of money that went to the coffers of the Spanish conquerors.

15- The Laguna town

Laguna Village Couple

The name of this tribe originates from a large pond that was near the town. The Laguna Pueblo is made up of six major tribes in central New Mexico, 42 miles west of Albuquerque. Its population was about 330 people who lived in the village in 1700.

In 1990, 3,600 Lagunas lived on the reserve. Its people spoke a Keresan dialect. In their culture, religion and life are inseparable. The sun is seen as the representative of the Creator.

The sacred mountains in every direction, plus the sun above and the land below, define and balance the world of the Laguna People. Many religious ceremonies revolve around the weather and are dedicated to ensuring rain.

To this end, the Laguna Pueblo Indians evoke the power of katsinas, sacred beings that live in the mountains and other holy places.

16- The Maricopa

Maricopa male

The Maricopa are an American Indian group whose 200 members live with members of the Pima tribe near the Gila River Indian Reservation and the Salt River Indian Reservation in Arizona.

In the late 1700s, the Maricopa tribe numbered about 3,000 and were located along the Gila River in south-central Arizona.

The tribal government of the Maricopa consists of a popularly elected tribal council with 17 members governed by a constitution adopted and approved in accordance with the India Reorganization Act of 1934.

The Maricopa language is classified in the Yuman group of the Hokan language family. Tribal income came primarily from agricultural and commercial leases and from the tribe's agricultural operations.

They grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton, gathered beans, nuts, and berries, fished, and hunted rabbits in communal units.

Clans were patrilineal, clan exogamy was practiced, and polygyny, particularly of the sororal type, was permitted. The tribe was headed by a chief who lived in the village and whose position was sometimes inherited through the male line.

According to custom, the dead were cremated and a horse was killed to allow the deceased to ride west to the land of the dead.

17- The Mojave

Mojave woman portrait

The Mojave (Mohave) tribe consisted of fierce native hunters, fishermen, and farmers. They communicated in the Yuman language. The Mojave tribe was distinguished by the tattoos that adorned their bodies.

The names of the most famous chiefs of the Mojave tribe included Chief Iretaba and Chief Hobelia. The tattoos of the Mojave tribe were made with the ink of a blue cactus. These tattoos were performed at puberty as an important rite of passage into adulthood.

Both the women and men of the tribe wore tattoos on their bodies and were believed to bring good fortune.

There were also protective tattoos that Mojave warriors made when preparing to enter battle, they believed that in addition to protecting them from death, they instilled fear in their enemies.

18- The Pima

Pima Girls

The Pima tribe were peaceful farmers who lived in southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. The Pima tribe were descendants of the ancient North American Indians called Hohokam.

The names of the most famous chiefs of the Pima tribe included Chief Ursuth, Chief Antonio, and Chief Antonito. The Pima tribe spoke the Uto-Aztec language and called themselves "People of the River."

They fed on rabbits, ducks, and river fish and planted corn, squash, and sunflower seeds. The beliefs of this tribe were based on Animism, being their main god "Earthmaker" (The creator of the Earth). Furthermore, among the other spirits they revered, the most notable deity was known as the “Big Brother”.

19- The San Ildefonso

Batteries in the town of San Ildefonso

San Ildefonso was the name of the Spanish mission established in 1617. The indigenous name of this tribe was also Powhoge, which means "where the water runs."

They settled about 14 miles northwest of Santa Fe. In 1990, approximately 350 Indians still lived in the town, out of a population believed to be 1,500 indigenous.

The San Ildefonso tribe spoke a dialect of Tewa, the Kiowa-Tanoana language. The ceremonies of the San Ildefonso tribe revolve around the weather and they did dances to attract rain. They evoked the power of katsinas, holy beings that of the mountains and other holy places.

20- Tribe of Santa Clara de Asís

Santa Clara town

The Tewa name for the town of Santa Clara de Asís is Capo. This tribe was located in the town of Santa Clara, on the banks of the Rio Grande, about 25 kilometers north of Santa Fe.

Its population was approximately 650 Indians in 1780 and perhaps several thousand in 1500. In 1990, 1,245 Indians still lived in Santa Clara. The Native Americans of Santa Clara spoke a dialect of Tewa.

They believed in the Sun as a representative of the creator God and their rites were always associated with the weather, their dances were to call the rain.

The governments of the indigenous peoples of Santa Clara came from two traditions: the cacique, as the chief or head of the People, and the war captains.

In Santa Clara, the summer and winter caciques "ruled" by consensus among the village leaders, having the last word on all matters.

Tribes of the American plains of Mississippi

The American Indians who inhabited the territory of the present state of Mississippi led a Stone Age lifestyle: they had only stone tools and rudimentary weapons, they had never seen a horse and had no knowledge of the wheel.

21- The Sioux

Engraving depicting a Sioux funeral

The Sioux tribe was a tribe of natives who fiercely resisted the invasion of the whites. The names of the most famous chiefs who led the Sioux tribe into battle were: Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Gall, Crazy Horse, Rain in the Face, and Kicking Bear (Kicking bear).

Famous conflicts included the Sioux Wars (1854 - 1890), the War of the Red Cloud (1865-1868), the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, and the Phantom Dance upheaval in 1890.

The Sioux tribe was famous for its culture of hunting and warfare. They communicated in the Siouan language. Their main weapons were bows and arrows, axes, large stones, and knives.

The religion and beliefs of the Sioux tribe was based on animism. In Lakota Sioux mythology, Chapa is the beaver spirit and symbolizes domesticity, work, and grooming. The Sioux believed in Manitou, the Great Spirit.

22- The Comanche

Different portraits of Comanche personalities

The Comanche tribe was a very friendly Indian tribe located in the southern areas of the great plains. They were known to be excellent horsemen. They fiercely fought against the enemy tribes and resisted the white invasion of their lands on the great plains.

The names of the most glorious chiefs of the Comanche tribe included Chief El Sordo, Chief Buffalo Hump, Quanah Parker, and Chief White Eagle.

They communicated in the Uto-Aztec language. They fed on the meat of all the animals that were available in their lands: buffalo, deer, elk, bear and wild turkey.

These protein-rich foods were accompanied by wild roots and vegetables such as spinach, prairie turnips, and potatoes and flavored their meals with wild herbs.

They also ate berries and wild fruits. When animals for food were scarce, the tribe ate dried buffalo meat, called pemmican. Their beliefs were animists, they believed in Manitou, the Great Spirit.

23- The Arapahoes

Pretty Nose, Araphoe Warrior

The Arapaho tribe was a people that had secret warrior societies. The Arapahoes bravely resisted the white invasion of the Great Plains along with their allies the Cheyenne and Sioux. The names of the most reputable chiefs of the tribe were Chief Left Hand, Little Raven, and Chief Sharp Nose (Chief Pointed Nose).

Like the Comanches, they fed on the meat of all the animals that were available in their lands: buffalo, deer, elk, bears, and wild turkeys. They also ate berries and wild fruits and when animals were scarce, the tribe ate meat. dried buffalo, called pemmican.

Their beliefs were animists like the tribes of that area of ​​Mississippi, they believed in Manitou, the Great Spirit.

24- The black feet

Men of the Blackfoot tribe

The Blackfoot tribe, also known as Siksika, was a cruel and warlike Indian nation that was involved in many inter-tribal conflicts in North Dakota and South Dakota.

The Blackfoot tribe gallantly resisted the white invasion of their lands on the Great Plains. The names of the better-known chiefs of the Blackfoot or Blackfoot tribe included the morning owl chief, the red crow chief, the yellow horse chief, the red feather chief, and the ordinary rabbit chief.

The Blackfoot tribe were nomadic hunter-gatherers who live on tepees and hunted buffalo, deer, elk, and mountain sheep. The only plant cultivated by the Blackfoot tribe was tobacco.

The men were in charge of hunting for food and protecting the camp and the women were in charge of the house. The wide range of the tribe stretched from the Missouri River north to Saskatchewan and west to the Rockies.

They spoke in the Algonquian language. They believed in Manitou, the Great Spirit. And the name of the Indians of the blackfoot tribe called their supreme being "Apistotoke."

The northern forest tribes

The northern forest region is a region with a wide variety of trees and plants and a diversity of lakes, rivers and streams. The climate is based on four seasons, with very marked winters.

25- The Iroquois

Iroquois women

The Iroquois Indians are the Native Americans who lived in the northeastern US in the eastern forest area that encompasses New York State and the immediate surrounding areas.

The Iroquois originally called themselves Kanonsionni, which means "people of the Longhouse" (the name of the refuge they lived in), but today they call themselves Haudenosaunee.

Originally five tribes formed this group, but in 1722 a sixth tribe joined the Iroquois nation and became known as the Six Nations.

They were hunters and gatherers, farmers and fishermen, but the staples of their diet came from agriculture. The Iroquois are well known for their masks that they used strictly for religious purposes. The masks were considered sacred and could be seen by someone who was not a member of this tribe.

26- The Algonkin

Algonkin dance-ritual

The Algonquian peoples were an extensive network of tribes, assembled mainly by the family of the language they spoke: the Algonquian. The Algonquins were patriarchal, which means that the tribe was a society ruled and led by men.

The hunting territory passed from father to son. Chiefs inherited their titles from their parents. Although it was a tribe with different chiefs, the final decision was born from a consensus of opinions. The Algonquins believed that all living things deserved respect.

They firmly believed in respecting the cycle of life, whether it was observing seasonal changes or establishing new hunting grounds to allow old soil to regenerate.

Dreams and visions were of great importance to them, so their culture had shamans (men who could "see" things that others could not).

27- The Chippewa or Ojibwa tribe

Ojibwa family

The Chippewa tribe is also known as the Ojibwa, in Canada. The Chippewa (Objiwa) tribe originally occupied a vast stretch of land around Lake Huron and Lake Superior and to the south in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. They were hunters, fishermen, and farmers.

Their inhumane and bellicose reputation and huge numbers made the Chippewa one of the most feared tribes. The Chippewa tribe spoke a related dialect of the Algonquian language. "Chippewa" means "the original man" in their language.

The Chippewa men were skilled fishermen and boat builders. The Chippewa who had lived around the Great Lakes built canoes for hunting and trading expeditions and for transporting their warriors.

For the Chippewa or Ojibwas, the supernatural world had a multitude of spirit beings and forces. Some of these beings were the Sun, the Moon, the four Winds, the Thunder and Lightning, who were benign Gods.

For them, dreams and visions were given great importance and the power obtained through dreams could be used to manipulate natural and supernatural environments and were used for good or bad ends.

Southern Forest Tribes

The Southeastern Indians were considered members of the Forest Indians. 4000 years ago, there were many indigenous tribes in these forests, the majority being farmers, hunters and gatherers. Each had a structured government and spoke different languages ​​and dialects.

These native tribes were great artists and were considered highly intelligent. They created very colorful artistic manifestations using natural dyes.

They were great storytellers and knowledgeable about healing herbs and natural medicines. Their knowledge was passed on orally from one generation to the next.

28- The Cherokee

Cherokee representatives

The Cherokee were a large and powerful tribe that originally moved from the Great Lakes region to the southern Appalachian mountains and lived in a massive area now distributed between the western states of North Carolina and South Carolina, Alabama., Mississippi, and western Florida.

The Cherokee people were a people of hunters and farmers who grew corn, beans, and squash. The Cherokee tribe spoke their own dialect of the Iroquois language family.

The Cherokee were famous for their masks, which were carved with exaggerated features and depicted non-Indian people, as well as animals.

The traditional Cherokee had a special regard for owls and cougars as they believed that these two animals were the only ones that could stay awake during the seven nights of creation, while the others had fallen asleep.

In their everyday life, the Cherokee included spirit beings. Despite the fact that these beings were different from people and animals, they were not considered "supernatural," but were for them part of the natural, real world.

Most Cherokee at some point in their lives claimed to have had personal experiences with these spirit beings.

29- The Seminoles

Seminole family

The Seminole people descended from the ancient mound builders located in the Mississippi River Valley. They settled in Alabama and Georgia but made their way further south into Florida territory.

Prominent chiefs and leaders of the Seminoles included Osceola and Billy Bowlegs. The Seminole tribe spoke various dialects of the Muskogean language family. They refer to themselves as "Red People."

The Seminoles fed on wild turkeys, rabbits, deer (deer), fish, turtles, and alligators. Their staple foods were corn, squash and beans which they accompanied with wild rice, mushrooms and plants.

As time passed, the Seminoles began to raise cattle and pigs that they acquired from European conquerors.

It was a mestizo people made up of Indians who fled from whites and black slaves who also fled from whites. They were animists and had shamans who healed with medicinal herbs and predicted the future.

30- The chickaasw

Chickasaw Warrior

The Chickasaw tribe of northeastern Mississippi was known for their courageous, warlike, and independent disposition. They were regarded as the most formidable warriors in the southeast and are known as the "unconquered."

The Chickasaws were farmers, fishermen, and hunter-gatherers who went on long excursions throughout the Mississippi Valley region. The Chickasaw tribe spoke various dialects related to the Muskogean language.

They fed on beans, corn, and squash. Chickasaw men were hunters of deer, bears, wild turkeys, and fish caught on long excursions through the Mississippi Valley region.

Some even traveled to the plains to hunt buffalo. His diet was also supplemented with a variety of nuts, fruits, and herbs. The Chickasaw Indians believed that they, as well as other neighboring tribes, emerged from the land through the "Productive Mountain."

They also believed that the sun was the ultimate spiritual power as it created and sustained life. They also believed in lesser spirits of clouds, sky, witches, and evil spirits.

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