Indian Tribes of North America

Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 145. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office. 1953.

Catawba Indians

Catawba Tribe: Significance unknown though the name was probably native to the tribe. Also called: Ani’ta’guă, Cherokee name. Iswa or Issa, signifying “river,” and specifically the Catawba River; originally probably an independent band which united early with the Catawba proper. Oyadagahrcenes, Tadirighrones, Iroquois names. Usherys, from iswahere, “river down here”; see Issa. Catawba Connections. The

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Caparaz Indians

Caparaz Tribe. A small tribe or band placed in 1674 in connection with a doctrina called San Luis on the Apalachee coast along with two other bands called Amacano and Chine. Possibly they may have been survivors of the Capachequi encountered by De Soto in 1540. The three bands were estimated to contain 300 people.

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Calusa Indians

Calusa Tribe. Said by a Spaniard, Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, who was a captive among them for many years, to mean “fierce people,” but it is perhaps more probable that, since it often appears in the form Carlos, it was, as others assert, adopted by the Calusa chief from the name of the Emperor Charles

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Biloxi Indians

Biloxi Tribe: Apparently a corruption of their own name Taneks anya, “first people,” filtered over the tongues of other Indians. Also called: Ananis Anaxis Annocchy, early French spellings intended for Taneks Polu’ksalgi, Creek name. Biloxi Connections. They belonged to the Siouan linguistic family. Biloxi Location. Their earliest historical location was on the lower course of

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Bayogoula Indians

Bayogoula Tribe: Meaning “bayou people,” either from their location or from the fact that their tribal emblem was the alligator. Bayogoula Connections. Their language was of the southern Muskhogean division, not far removed from Houma and Choctaw. Bayogoula Location. Near the present Bayou Goula, in Iberville Parish. Bayogoula History. Unless this tribe was the Pishenoa

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Bannock Indians

Bannock Indians. In historic times their main center was in southeastern Idaho, ranging into western Wyoming, between latitude 42° and 45° North and from longitude 113° West eastward to the main chain of the Rocky Mountains. At times they spread well down Snake River, and some were scattered as far north as Salmon River and even into southern Montana.

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Avoyel Indians

Avoyel Tribe: The name signifies probably “people of the rocks,” referring to flint and very likely applied because they were middlemen in supplying the Gulf coast tribes with flint. Also called: Little Taensa, so-called from their relationship to the Taensa. Tassenocogoula, name in the Mobilian trade language, meaning “flint people.” Avoyel Connections. The testimony of

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Atsina Indians

Atsina Indians. Probably from Blackfoot At-se’-na, supposed to mean “gut people.” Also called: Acapatos, by Duflot de Mofras (1844). A-re-tear-o-pan-ga, Hidatsa name. Bahwetego-weninnewug, Chippewa name, signifying “fall people.” Bot-k’in’ago, signifying “belly men.” Fall Indians, common early name. Gros Ventres des Plaines, derived from an incorrect interpretation of the tribal sign and the qualifying phrase “des

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Atakapa Indians

Atakapa Tribe: Meaning in Choctaw and Mobilian, “man eater,” because they and some of the Indians west of them at times ate the flesh of their enemies. Skunnemoke, the name of a chief, extended to the whole people. Tûk-pa’-han-yan-ya-di, Biloxi name. Yuk’hiti ishak, own name. Atakapa Connections. The Atakapa were originally placed in an independent

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Assiniboin Indians

Assiniboin Indians. From a Chippewa term signifying “one who cooks by the use of stones.” E-tans-ke-pa-se-qua, Hidatsa name, from a word signifying “long arrows” (Long, 1823). Guerriers de pierre, French name. Hohe, Dakota name, signifying “rebels.” Sioux of the Rocks, English name. Stonies, or Stone Indians, English name translated from the Indian. Tlu’tlama’eka, Kutenai name,

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Arapaho Indians

Possibly from the Pawnee tirapihu or larapihu, signifiying “trader.” Also called: Ähyä’to, Kiowa name. Ano’s-anyotskano, Kichai name. Bĕtidĕĕ, Kiowa Apache name. Detseka’yaa, Caddo name, signifying “dog eaters.” Dog Eaters. E-tah-leh, Hidatsa name, signifying “bison path Indians.” Hitänwo’ǐv, Cheyenne name, signifying “cloud men” or “sky men.” Inûna-ina, own name, signifying “our people.” Ita-Iddi, Hidatsa name (Maximilian).

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