Indian Tribes of North America Collections – Page 7 of 17

Pennsylvania Indian Tribes

Pedee Indians

Pedee Tribe: Meaning unknown, but Speck (1935) suggests from Catawba pi’ri, “something good,” or pi’here, “smart,” “expert,” “capable.” Pedee Connections. No words of the language have survived but there is every reason to suppose that it was a dialect of the Siouan linguistic family. Pedee Location. On Great Pee Dee River, particularly its middle course. Pedee Village. No village names are known apart from the tribal name, which was sometimes applied to specific settlements. Pedee History. The Pedee are first mentioned by the colonists of South Carolina. In 1716 a place in or near their country called Sankey (perhaps Socatee) … Read more

Pawokti Indians

Pawokti Tribe. Meaning unknown. Pawokti Connections. They were probably affiliated either with the Tawasa or the Alabama. In any case there is no reason to doubt that they spoke a Muskhogean dialect, using Muskhogean in the extended sense. Pawokti Location. The earliest known location of the Pawokti seems to have been west of Choctawhatchee River, not far from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. (See also Alabama) Pawokti History. Lamhatty (in Bushnell, 1908) assigns the Pawokti the above location before they were driven away by northern Indians, evidently Creeks, in 1706-7. Although the name does not appear in any … Read more

Pawnee Indians

Pawnee Indians. The name is derived by some from the native word pariki, “a horn,” a term said to be used to designate their peculiar manner of dressing the scalp lock; but Lesser and Weltfish (1932) consider it more likely that it is from parisu, “hunter,” as claimed by themselves. They were also called Padani and Panana by various tribes. Also known as: Ahihinin, Arapaho name, meaning “wolf people.” Awahi, Caddo and Wichita Dame. Awahu, Arikara name. Awó, Tonkawa name, originally used by the Wichita. Chahiksichahiks, meaning “men of men,” applied to themselves but also to all other tribes whom … Read more

Patwin Indians

Patwin Indian Tribe

Pascagoula Indians

Pascagoula Tribe: “Bread people.” Also called: Mfskigula, Biloxi name. Pascagoula Connections. They were probably Muskhogeans although closely associated with the Siouan Biloxi. Pascagoula Location. Their earliest known location was on the river which still bears their name, about 16 French leagues from its mouth. (See also Louisiana and Texas.) Pascagoula Villages. Unknown, but see Biloxi. Pascagoula History. Iberville heard of the Pascagoula in 1699 when he made the first permanent settlement in Louisiana. That summer his brother Bienville visited them, and the following winter another brother, Sauvolle, who had been left in charge of the post, received several Pascagoula visitors. … Read more

Papago Indians

Papago Indians. Signifying “bean people,” from the native words paphh, “beans,” and óotam, “people.” Also called: Saikinne, Si’-ke-na, Apache name for Pima, Papago, and Maricopa. Táh’ba, Yavapai name. Teχpamais, Maricopa name. Tóno-oōhtam, own name, signifying “people of the desert.” Vidshi itikapa, Tonto name. Papago Connections The Papago belong to the Piman branch of the Uto-Aztecan linguistic stock and stand very close to the Pima. Papago Location In the territory south and southeast of the Gila River, especially south of Tucson; in the main and tributary valleys of the Santa Cruz River; and extending west and southwest across the desert waste … Read more

Pamlico Indians

Pamlico Tribe: Meaning unknown. Pamlico Connections. The Pamlico belonged to the Algonquian linguistic stock. Pamlico Location. On Pamlico River. Pamlico History. The Pamlico are mentioned by the Raleigh colonists in 1585-86 under the name Pomouik. In 1696 they were almost destroyed by smallpox. In 1701 Lawson recorded a vocabulary from them which shows their affiliations to have been as given above (Lawson, 1860). In 1710 they lived in a single small village. They took part in the Tuscarora war, and at its close that part of the Tuscarora under treaty with the English agreed to destroy them. A remnant of … Read more

Oto Indians

Oto Indians. From Wat’ota, meaning “lechers.” It often appears in a lengthened form such as Hoctatas or Octoctatas. Also called: Che-wae-rae, own name. Matokatági, Shawnee name. Motfitatak, Fox name. Wacútada, Omaha and Ponca name. Wadótata, Kansa name. Watohtata, Dakota name. Watútata, Osage name. Oto Connections. The Oto formed, with the Iowa and Missouri, the Chiwere group of the Siouan linguistic family and were closely connected with the Winnebago. Oto Location. The Oto moved many times, but their usual location in the historic period was on the lower course of the Platte or the neighboring banks of the Missouri. (See also … Read more

Osochi Indians

Osochi Tribe: Meaning unknown. Osochi Connections. Within recent times the closest connections of this tribe have been with the Chiaha, though their language is said to have been Muskhogean, but there is some reason to think that they may have been originally a part of the Timucua. (See below.) Osochi Location. Their best known historic seat was in the great bend of Chattahoochee River, Russell County, Alabama, near the Chiaha. (See also Georgia and Florida.) Osochi Villages. The town of Hotalgi-huyana was populated in part from this tribe and in part from the Chiaha. The census of 1832 gives two … Read more

Osage Indians

Osage Indians. A corruption of their own name Wazhazhe, which in turn is probably an extension of the name of one of the three bands of which the tribe is composed. Also called: Anahou, a name used by the French, perhaps the Caddo name. Bone Indians, given by Schoolcraft. The Osage were the most important tribe of the division of the Siouan linguistic stock called by J. O. Dorsey (1897) Dhegiha, which included also the Omaha, Ponka, Kansa, and Quapaw. Osage Locations The greater part of this tribe was anciently on Osage River, Mo., but from a very early period … Read more

Oregon Indian Tribes

The history of the Oregon Indians was similar to that of the Indians of Washington. The coast tribes seem to have been affected little or not at all by the settlements of the Spaniards in California, and those of the interior were influenced only in slightly greater measure by them through the introduction of the horse. Nor were these tribes reached so extensively by the employees of the great fur companies. Contact with such advance agents of civilization was principally along the valley of the Columbia River, and Astoria will always be remembered as bearing witness to the transient attempts … Read more

Opelousa Indians

Opelousa Tribe: Probably from Mobilian and Choctaw Aba lusa, “black above,” and meaning “black headed” or “black haired.” Opelousa Connections. No words of the Opelousa language have survived, but the greater number of the earlier references to them speak as if they were allied with the Atakapa, and it is probable that they belonged to the Atakapan group of tribes. Opelousa Location. In the neighborhood of the present Opelousas. Opelousa History. The Opelousa seem to have been mentioned first by Bienville in an unpublished report on the Indians of the Mississippi and Gulf regions. They were few in numbers and … Read more

Onatheaqua Indians

Onatheaqua Tribe. In the narratives of Laudonniére and Le Moyne this appears as one of the two main Timucua tribes in the northwestern part of Florida, the other being the Hostaqua (or Yustaga). Elsewhere I have suggested that it may have covered the Indians afterward gathered into the missions of Santa Cruz de Tarihica, San Juan de Guacara, Santa Catalina, and Ajoica, where there were 230 Indians in 1675, but that is uncertain. (See Utina)

Omaha Indians

Omaha Indians. Meaning “those going against the wind or current”; sometimes shortened to Maha. Also called: Ho’-măn’-hăn, Winnebago name. Hu-úmiûi, Cheyenne Dame. Onǐ’hä°, Cheyenne name, meaning “drum beaters” (?). Pŭk-tǐs, Pawnee name. U’-aha, Pawnee name. Connections. The Omaha belonged to that section of the Siouan linguistic stock which included also the Ponca, Kansa, Osage, and Quapaw, and which was called by J. O. Dorsey (1897) Dhegiha. Location. Their principal home in historic times was in northeastern Nebraska, on the Missouri River. (See also Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and South Dakota.) History. According to strong and circumstantial traditions, the Omaha and others … Read more

Okmulgee Indians

Okmulgee Tribe. Signifying in the Hitchiti language, “where water boils up” and referring probably to the big springs in Butts County, Ga., called Indian Springs. Also called: Waiki łako, “Big Spring,” Muskogee name. Okmulgee Connections. The Okmulgee belonged to the Muskhogean linguistic stock and the Atsik-hata group. (See Apalachicola) Okmulgee Location. In the great bend of the Chattahoochee River, Russell County, Ala.; earlier, about the present Macon, Ga. (See also Alabama and Oklahoma.) Okmulgee History. The Okmulgee probably separated from the Hitchiti or one of their cognate towns when these towns were on Okmulgee River and settled at the point … Read more

Oklahoma Indian Tribes

The following Oklahoma Indian Tribes at one time are recorded in history as having resided within the present state of Oklahoma. If the tribe name is in bold, then Oklahoma is the primary location known for this tribe, otherwise we provide the tribes specifics as it pertains to Oklahoma and then provide a link to the main tribal page.

Okelousa Indians

Okelousa Tribe: Meaning “black water.” Okelousa Connections. The associations of this tribe were mainly with Muskhogean peoples and this fact, coupled with the Muskhogean name, indicates their linguistic affiliations with a fair degree of certainty. Okelousa Location. The Okelousa moved about considerably. The best determined location is the one mentioned by Le Page du Pratz (1758), on the west side of the Mississippi back of and above Pointe Coupee. (See Mississippi.) Okelousa History. After De Soto reached the principal Chickasaw town, the head chief came to him, January 3, 1541, “and promptly gave the Christians guides and interpreters to go … Read more

Okanagon Indians

Okanagon Indians. The Oknagon Indians were located on Okanagan River above the mouth of the Similkameen to the Canadian border and in British Columbia along the shores of Okanagan Lake and in the surrounding country; in later times they have displaced an Athapascan tribe and part of the Ntlakyapamuk from the Similkameen Valley.