Native American Tribes

Sioux

The Sioux were one of the most prominent of Native American tribes. They were a fierce people who practiced a nomadic hunter lifestyle. When white settlers started arriving on their lands, they resented them as the white men took over their lands.

The Sioux fought a number of wars to secure their lands and resist the white settlers as well as the U.S. army. These wars included the Red Cloud’s War in 1866 as well as the Great Sioux War in 1876. Famous Native Americans of the Sioux tribe include Sitting, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse.

Apache

Apache were another major Native American tribe. They also lived as hunters and gatherers while maintaining a nomadic lifestyle. Historically, the Apache lived in the American Southwest. When the U.S. army tried to forcibly relocate them from their ancestral lands, some Apache warriors decided to resist.

This led to Apache Wars which were fought between U.S. army and Apache people from 1850 to 1885. One of the most prominent leaders of the Apache tribe was Geronimo who led his people to escape from government reservations and raid on white settlements.

Cheyenne

Cheyenne were another Native American tribe that gained prominence in the U.S. history. Cheyenne historically lived in the Great Plains area and were buffalo hunters.

In the first half of the 19th century, white settlers from east started arriving in the Great Plains area. They encroached upon the lands which traditionally belonged to the Cheyenne. They also brought diseases like cholera which devastated the Cheyenne population.

The Cheyenne fought many battles against the U.S. army and took part in the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn. By the late 19th century, they had been defeated and exhausted. So they accepted peace and were relocated to Oklahoma.

Cherokee

Cherokee tribe was one of the ‘Five Civilized Tribes’ among Native Americans. They were called so because they were agrarian, lived in permanent homes and adopted many aspects of European civilization such as a writing system. They were also the first Native American tribe to become U.S. citizens.

In the 19th century, the U.S. government under President Andrew Jackson decided to relocate the Cherokee to the west of the Mississippi river. The Cherokee were forced to undertake a march of thousands of miles to their reservation site in the west. This became known as the Trail of Tears. Thousands of Cherokee people died along the way.

Cherokee Indian Reservation Native American Indians

Lakota

The Lakota were a Native American tribe related to the Dakota and Nakota tribes. They adopted the use of the horse from Cheyenne people in the early 18th century and started relying on buffalo hunting for food.

In late 18th century, they pushed the Cheyenne people from the Black Hills and made the area their new home. In the 19th century, white settlers started arriving in Lakota territory which sparked conflict.

The Lakota participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn and destroyed the small U.S. army under Lieutenant Colonel Custer. Later, gold was discovered in the Black Hills.

The U.S. government violated a previous treaty and white settlers started pouring into Black Hills. This ultimately resulted in armed conflict between U.S. army and the Lakota.

In 1890, a large number of Lakota people were killed at the Wounded Knee Massacre. Later in the 19th century, Lakota were forcibly relocated to government reservation sites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpn4Z65JNvc

Shoshone

Shoshone were a Native American tribe that lived over a large area. The Shoshone people were spread over the modern-day areas of Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Montana.

The Shoshone were hunter gatherers with a nomadic lifestyle. They relied heavily on buffalo hunting for food and other needs. They lived in homes called tipis which were cone-shaped and made from buffalo hide.

In the 19th century, the Shoshone fought the Snake War and the Bannock War against United States. In 1893, the Shoshone suffered heavily at the Bear River Massacre. At this incident, more than 400 Shoshone people were killed by the U.S. troops. The Shoshone were later moved to federal reservation sites.

Pawnee

Pawnee were one of the largest Native American tribes in the American west. They were both hunters and farmers. By the 19th century, they had given up farming and adopted the hunter lifestyle fully.

They were often at war with other Native American tribes such as the Cheyenne, Arapaho and the Sioux. Due to various wars with the enemy tribes as well as the diseases introduced by the white settlers, Pawnee population reduced drastically. It went down from 10,000 to around 2500 within a few decades.

Towards the late 19th century, a large number of Pawnee people joined U.S. army as scouts. They helped the army fight against their traditional enemy tribes such as the Cheyenne and the Sioux.

Pawnee Indians Sharitarish Wicked Chief Native American Indians

Navajo

Navajo were a Native American tribe that lived in the Southwestern United States. They lived in houses shaped like domes called hogans. They were primarily agricultural farmers and later started farming sheep and goats as well.

Navajo lived in an area which was initially under Mexican control. They had to face a lot of hardships from the Mexican who attacked and killed them in large numbers.

Then their ancestral lands came under the control of the U.S. army. The U.S. forces also killed a number of Navajo which forced them to agree to the army’s terms and live at a reservation site.

Nez Perce

Nez Perce were a tribe of Native Americans who lived in the Pacific Northwest. They live in small villages and temporary dwelling during summers when they hunted bison. In winters, they moved to permanent houses called longhouses.

In the second half of the 19th century, the U.S. government tried to forcibly relocate them. This led to the Nez Perce War led by their famous leader Chief Joseph. The Nez Perce lost the war and agreed to live at a government reservation site.