Native American

The list of items below have been tagged as part of the Native American historical collection here at AccessGenealogy.

Canarsee Tribe

Canarsee Indians. Formerly one of the leading tribes on Long Island, New York, occupying most of what is now Kings County and the shores of Jamaica Bay, with their center near Flatlands. According to Ruttenber they were subject to or connected with the Montauk; however, is doubtful, as the Indians of the west end of the island appear to have been paying tribute, at the time of the Dutch settlement of New York, to the Iroquois. Their principal village, of the same name, was probably as Canarsee, near Flatlands, in addition to which they had others at Maspeth and apparently … Read more

Tsimshian Tribe

Tsimshian Indians, Tsimshian  People, Tsimshian First Nation (‘people of Skeena river’). The most important of the three main divisions of the Chimmesyan linguistic family, and that which gives it its name. In the strictest sense it designates the following closely related tribes or divisions living between Nass and Skeena rivers, north British Columbia: Kilutsai, Kinagingeeg, Kinuhtoiah, Kishpachlaots, Kitlani, Kitsalthlal, Kitunto, Kitwilgioks, Kitwilksheba, and Kitzeesh. To these are sometimes added the Kitzilas and Kitzimgaylum, who live farther up Skeena river, near the canyon, but speak the same dialect. The appellation has also been extended to cover all other tribes speaking this … Read more

Kitksan Tribe

Kitksan Indians, Kitksan People, Kitksan First Nation (‘people of Seena [Ksian] river’) One of the three dialectic divisions of the Chimmesyan stock, affiliated more closely with the Naska than with the Tsimshian proper.  The people speaking the dialect live along the upper waters of Skeena river, British Columbia.  Dorsey enumerates the following towns; Kauldaw, Kishgagass, Kishpiyeoux, Kitanmaiksh, Kitwingach, Kitwinskole, and Kitzegukla.  To these must be added the modern mission town of Meamskinisht.  A division is known as the Glen-Vowell Band.  Population 1,120 in 1904.

Bellabella Tribe

Bellabella Indians, Bellabella People, Bellabella First Nation (an Indian corruption of Milbank taken back into English). The popular mame of an important Kwakiutl tribe living on Milbank sound., British Cololumbia. Their septs or subtribes are Kokaitk Oetlitk Oealitk The following clans are given: Wikoktenok (Eagle) Koetenok (Raven) Halhaiktenole (Killerwhale) Pop. 330 in 1901. The language spoken by this tribe and shared also by the Kitamat, Kitlope, China Hat, and Wikeno Indians is a peculiar dialect of Kwakiutl, called Heiltsuk from the native name of the Bellabella. These tribes resemble each other furthermore in having a system of clans with descent … Read more

Nakotchokutchin Tribe

Nakotchokutchin Indians, Nakotchokutchin People, Nakotchokutchin First Nation. A Kutchin tribe dwelling on the lower Mackenzie river, north of the Kawchodinneh, in lat. 68° north, lon. 133° west Their hunting grounds are east of the Mackenzie as far as Anderson River, and their chief game is the caribou. In former days they waged intermittent warfare against the Eskimo of Mackenzie river, with whom, however, they have always traded. Their men numbered 50 in 1866.

Nootka Tribe

Nootka Indians, Nootka People, Nootka First Nations. A name originally applied to the Mooachaht of Nootka sound, west coast of Vancouver Island, and to their principal town, Yuquot, but subsequently extended to all the tribes speaking a similar language. These extend from Cook Creek to the north to beyond Port San Juan, and include the Makah of Flattery Creek, Washington. Sometimes the term has been used as to exclude the last named tribe. The Nootka form one branch of the great Wakashan family and their relationship to the second or Kwakiutl branch is apparent only on close examination. In 1906 … Read more

Nanaimo Tribe

Nanaimo Indians, Nanaimo People, Nanaimo First Nation (contraction of Snanaímux). A Salish tribe, speaking the Cowichan dialect, living about Nanaimo Harbor, on the east coast of Vancouver Island and on Nanaimo Lake, British Columbia.  Population 161 in 1906. Their gentes are Anuenes, Koltsiowotl, Ksalokul, Tewethen, and Yesheken.

Nahane Tribe

Nahane Indians, Nahane People, Nahane First Nation (‘people of the west.’). An Athapascan division occupying the region of British Columbia and Yukon Territory between the Coast range and the Rocky mountains, from the north border of the Sekani, about 57° north, to that of the Kutchin tribes, about 65° north. It comprises the Tahltan and Takutine tribes forming the Taliltan division, the Titshotina and Etagottine tribes forming the Kaska division, and the Esbataottine and Abbatotine (considered by Petitot to be the same tribe), Sazeutina, Ettchaottine, Etagottine, Kraylongottine, Klokegottine, and perhaps Lakuyip and Tsetsant. They correspond with Petitot’s Montagnard group, except … Read more

Appomattoc Tribe

Appomattoc Indians. A tribe of the Powhatan confederacy formerly living on lower Appomattox River, Virginia. They had 60 warriors in 1608, and were of some importance as late as 1671, but were extinct by 1722. Their principal village, which bore the same name was on the site of Bermuda Hundred, Prince George County, was burned by the English in 1611.  Appomatox was also one of the terms applied to the Matchotic, a later combination of remnants of the same confederacy.

Chickahominy Tribe

Chickahominy Indians (from K’chick-ahän-min’-nough, ‘course-pounded corn people.’ ‘hominy people’ Tooker; or from Tshi-ke(jäme(n, a place name meaning ‘swept,’ “cleared,’ and implying a clearing—Gerard). A tribe of the Powhatan confederacy, formerly living on Chickahominy River, Virginia. It was one of the most important tribes in Virginia, numbering 250 warriors, or perhaps 900 souls, in 1608, and was not so directly under the control of Powhatan as the other tribes over which he ruled. In 1613 they entered into an alliance with the English and assumed the name of Tassautessus (sic), or “Englishmen.” In 1669 they were still estimated at 60 warriors, … Read more

Arosaguntacook Tribe

Arosaguntacook Indians: A tribe of the Abnaki confederacy, formerly living in Androscoggin County, Maine. Their village, which bore the same name, was on Androscoggin River, probably near Lewiston. The various names used indiscriminately for the tribe and the river may be resolved into the forms Ammoscoggin and Arosaguntacook, which have received different interpretations, all seeming to refer to the presence of fish in the stream . The name seems to have been used only for the part of the river in Androscoggin County between the falls near Jay and those near Lewiston. The present name was obtained by changing the … Read more

Kainah Tribe

Kainah First Nation, Kainah Indians, Blood Indians (Ah-kai-nah, ‘many chiefs,’ from a-kai-im many , ni´-nah chiefs ). A division of the Siksika, or Blackfeet, now living on a reservation under the Blood agency in Alberta, Canada, between Belly and St Mary Rivers. The subtribes or bands are Ahkaiksumiks, Ahkaipokaks, Ahkptashiks, Ahkwonistsists, Anepo, Apikaiyiks, Aputpsikainah, Inuhksoyistamiks, Isisokasimiks, Istsikainah, Mameoya, Nitikskiks, Saksinahmahyiks, Siksahpuniks, and Siksinokaks. According to the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1858, there were then 300 tipis and 2,400 persons. In 1904 there were 1,196 persons on the reservation, of whom 958 were classed as pagans. Alternate … Read more

Temiscaming Tribe

Temiscaming Indians (from Nipissing Timikaming, with intrusive s due to Canadian French; sig. ‘in the deep water ‘, from timiw ‘it is deep’ , gaming ‘in the water’ ). A band of Algonkin, closely related to the Abittibi, formerly living about Temiscaming Lake, Quebec. They were friendly to the French, and rendered them valuable service during the attack of the English under Peter Schuyler in 1691. There were 205 in 1903 and 245 in 1910, two-thirds of them half-breeds, on a reservation at the head of Lake Temiscaming, in Pontiac District, Quebec. Alternate Spellings: Outemiskamegs. Bacqueville de la Potherie, Hist … Read more

Siksika Tribe

Siksika Indians. A tribe of the Siksika confederacy (see below). They now (1905) live on a reservation in Alberta, Canada, on upper Bow River, and are officially known as the Running Rabbit and Yellow Horse bands. They were divided into the following subtribes or bands: Aisikstukiks, Apikaiyiks, Emi-tahpahksaiyiks, Motahtosiks, Puhksinahmahyiks, Saiyiks, Siksinokaks,Tsiniktsistsoyiks. Pop. 942 in 1902, 795 in 1909. Siksika Confederacy Siksika Confederacy, (‘black feet’, from siksinam ‘black’, ka the root of ogkatsh ‘foot’. The origin of the name is disputed, but it is commonly believed to have reference to the discoloring of their moccasins by the ashes of the … Read more

Malecite Tribe

Malecite Indians. Various explanations of this name have been given. According to Chamberlain it is from their Micmac name Malisit, broken talkers ; Tanner gives the form as Mahnesheets, meaning ‘slow tongues’; Baraga derives it through the Cree from mayisit or malisit, the ‘disfigured or ugly foot’; Lacombe agrees with Baraga and gives the etymology as mayi or –mal, deformed, and sit, foot. Maurault’s explanation is radically different from all, as he says it is from Maroudit or Molouidit, ‘those who are of Saint Malo.’ Vetromile says it “comes from malike, which in old Abnaki and also in Delaware means … Read more

Aucocisco

The name of the territory about Casco Bay and Presumpscot River, in the area now included in Cumberland County, Maine. It was also sometimes applied to those Abnaki Indians by whom it was occupied. Since the section was settled at an early date by the whites, the name soon dropped out of use as applied to the Indians, or rather it was changed to “Casco,” but this was a mere local designation, not a tribal distinction, as the Indians referred to were Abnaki. The proper form of the word is given by Willis as Uh-kos-is-co, ‘crane’ or ‘heron,’ the first … Read more

Attacapan Family

Attacapan Family. A linguistic family consisting solely of the Attacapa tribe, although there is linguistic evidence of at least 2 dialects. Under this name were formerly comprised several bands settled in south Louisiana and northeast Texas. Although this designation was given them by their Choctaw neighbors on the east, these bands with one or two exceptions, do not appear in history under any other general name. Formerly the Karankawa and several other tribes were included with the Attacapa, but the vocabularies of Martin Duralde and of Gatschet show that the Attacapa language is distinct from all others. Investigations by Gatschet … Read more

Armouchiquois Tribe

Armouchiquois Indians (apparently a French corruption of Alemousiski, ‘land of the little dog,’ from allum ‘dog’ ousis deminutive, ac or auk ‘land’, “for there wer many little dogs in the prairies of this territory.” –Maurault). The name given by the Abnaki to the country of the Indians of the New England coast south of Sacro river, Maine. Williamson says they were the Marechites (Malecite) of St. John’s River, but Champlain, who visited the Armouchiquois country, says that it lies beyond, that is south of Choüacoet (Sokoki), and that the language differed from that of the Souriquois (Micmac) and the Etchimin. … Read more

Allakaweah Tribe

Allakaweah Indians (Al-la-ká’-we-áh, ‘Paunch Indians’) The name applied by a tribe which Lewis and Clark located on Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers, Montana, with 800 warriors and 2,300 souls. This is exactly the country occupied at the same time by the Crows, and although these latter are mentioned as distinct, it is probably that they were meant, or perhaps a Crow band, more particularly as the Crows are known to their cousins, the Hidatsa, q. v., as the “people who refused the paunch.” The name seems not to have reference to the Gros Ventres.

Agawam Tribe

Agawam Indians (Agawom) (fish-curing [place]), Hewitt. A name of frequent occurrence in south New England and on the Long Island, and by which was designated at least 3 Indian villages or tribes in Massachusetts. The most important was at Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. The site was sold by the chief in 1638. Its jurisdiction included the land on Newbury River, and the tribe was a part of the Pennacook confederacy. It was almost extinct in 1658, but as late as 1726 there were still 3 families living near Wigwam hill. The second tribe or band of that name had its … Read more