JohnThurlow.com

Native Americans



A: Native Americans
Learn about the Native Americans in different parts of the land, and try some fun quizzes

B: Indian Cultures
A great site to explore the homes, food, clothing and interesting  facts about Native Americans

C: Five Nations
The First Americans... an interactive tour

D: Indian Tribes
A Web Page by Fourth Graders in Dalton Georgia

E: Native American Art
Photos of Baskets, Beads, Kachinas, Pottery, Rugs, Jewelry

F: Flags of Native American Tribes
A list of tribes and their flags

G: Tribes
A List of tribes with links to more info

H: Glossary
How to say the names of some tribes

























Glossary

Arikara (ah RICK ah rah) also Arickaree (ah rick ah REE): Also known simply as the Ree, this American Indian tribe lived in three villages along the upper Missouri River near the border of modern-day North and South Dakota. They got their livelihood from farming and trading. They were quite friendly to the Corps of Discovery.

Assiniboin: (ah SIN i bwan) The Assiniboin Indians lived in the northern plains regions between Canada and the United States. They got their main livelihood from buffalo hunting. Lewis and Clark met members of the Assiniboin tribes while wintering with the Mandans in 1804-05.

Atsina (at SEEN ah) also Gros Ventre (Grow VAHN): A group of American Indians living on the Upper Missouri River at the time of Lewis and Clark. Gros Ventre, meaning "Big Belly," was a name given to them by the French.

Blackfeet: An American Indian tribe living on the high plains of the Northwest. Allied with the British, the Blackfeet were a powerful nation at the time of Lewis and Clark. Captain Lewis and three of his men had a chance encounter with several Blackfeet warriors on the return journey. During an uneasy meeting between the two groups, a fight erupted and two Blackfeet were killed. This is the only incident between Indians and Corps members that ended in violence.

Cathlapotle: (Cath LAH pa til) American Indian tribe living in the Columbia River Valley
at the time of Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Chinook: (Shi NUK or chi NUK) A collective name for various American Indian tribes living on the Northwest coast (near the Columbia River) at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They lived in houses made of wooden planks. Salmon fishing and hunting was their main subsistence pattern.

Clatsop: (CLAT sop) A group of Chinookan Indians living near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. They were friendly and helpful to the Corps of Discovery, and Lewis and Clark named their winter fort in honor of them.

Delaware: American Indians who once lived in the present day states of Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia. They farmed for a living and lived in long houses with arched roofs. The great numbers of Euro-Americans who settled in their homelands forced them westward. At the time of Lewis and Clark, there were Delaware villages in Missouri.

Echelut also Wishram-Wasco: (ESH uh loot / WISH ram - WASS co) American Indian tribe living in the Columbia River Valley at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood.

Kickapoo: (KICK a poo) An American Indian tribe living in southern Illinois at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They hunted and raised crops for their livelihood. The Kickapoo lived in houses made of bark, thatch, or hides.

Lakota Sioux (La KO tah SOO) also Teton: (TEE ton) At the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Sioux Indian nation consisted of a large group of tribes inhabiting the prairies and plains of the upper Midwest. There were many divisions among the Sioux depending largely upon their location and language. Although a basic language (Siouan) was spoken in all divisions, there were many dialects (versions) of it. Teton was the dialect of the westernmost group of Sioux. In their own dialect, they called themselves Lakota, meaning "allies."
The powerful Lakota or Teton Sioux controlled the trade on the upper Missouri River. The Corps of Discovery had some very anxious moments when Teton warriors refused to let their boats pass. When the captains would not back down, a Teton chief, Black Buffalo, intervened, and the event ended peaceably.

Mandan-Hidatsa: (MAN dan-i DAT sah) Two Indian societies living in close proximity on the Missouri River in North Dakota. They survived by farming and hunting buffalo. Both groups lived in large dome-shaped dwellings made of logs and covered with earth. Lewis and Clark built a small fort near their villages where they spent the winter of 1804-05. The Mandan-Hidsata people were very friendly and helpful to the explorers during the long, cold winter.

Missouri: (Ma ZOO ree or Ma ZOOR ah) American Indian tribe living in the present-day states of Iowa and Nebraska at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They are closely related to the Oto tribe (O toe). The Missouri Indians farmed and hunted game for their subsistence. They lived in dwellings made of hides, bark, or thatch.

Nez Perce: (Nez PERCE) American Indian tribe living in the mountains and meadows of Idaho, eastern Washington, and Oregon at the time of Lewis and Clark. Nez Perce is a French name meaning "pierced nose." The name was given to them by French explorers who noticed tribal members wearing decorations through pierced holes in their noses. The Nez Perce were very helpful to the Corps of Discovery on both the outward and return journeys.

Omaha: (OH ma ha) At the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, this American Indian tribe was living on the plains and prairies of the present-day state of Nebraska. They farmed and hunted.

Osage: (OH sage or o SAGE) American Indian tribe who lived in southwestern Missouri where they raised corn and lived in pole-framed houses covered with woven mats or hides. Besides raising corn, the Osage periodically went on buffalo hunts farther west. Their principal means of subsistence was through fur-trapping and trading with the French in St. Louis.

Oto: (OH toe) This American Indian tribe is closely related to the Missouri Indians. At the time of Lewis and Clark, the Oto Indians lived on the prairies in the Kansas-Nebraska areas. They made their living by hunting buffalo and raising crops, particularly maize (corn).

Palouse: (pa LOOSE) American Indian tribe living in the Great Basin area of eastern Washington at the time of Lewis and Clark. Besides hunting and fishing for a living, they raised Appaloosa horses and traded them to other tribes.

Pawnee: (paw NEE) American Indian tribe living in prairie earth lodges similar to those of the Mandan Indians. At the time of Lewis and Clark, they were situated in the present-day state of Nebraska. They farmed and hunted buffalo for their livelihood.

Salish: (SAL ish) American Indian tribe living in western Montana at the time of Lewis and Clark. Their principal subsistence came from hunting buffalo and other game. The Salish are also known as Flathead Indians. This nickname came from a practice used by some neighboring tribes in which the heads of infants were deformed so that they appeared to have sloped foreheads. The Flatheads (Salish) did not do this, however, so their heads were "flat" by comparison. The Salish were friendly toward the Corps of Discovery and even supplied them with horses when they met on the trail.

Shawnee: (shaw NEE) An American Indian tribe living in the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys. At the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, they had migrated to Missouri. Bitterly opposed to white expansion, the Shawnee were frequently engaged in frontier skirmishes with United States forces. Under the leadership of the Shawnee warrior Tecumseh and his twin brother called The Prophet, the Shawnee became a force to be reckoned with. They allied themselves with the British in the War of 1812. Tecumseh was killed in battle in 1813 and both the British and the Shawnee were eventually defeated.

Shoshone: (sho SHO nee or sho SHONE) An Indian society located in the Great Basin/Plains area of the west. Sacagawea was a Shoshone, but she was kidnapped by Hidatsa raiders and taken to their villages when still a child. The Shoshone were invaluable to the expedition because it was from them (with the help of Sacagawea) that horses were obtained to cross the Rocky Mountains.

Skilloot: (skill OOT) American Indian tribe living in the Columbia River Valley at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood.

Tillamook: (TILL a mook) An American Indian tribe living near the mouth of the Columbia River at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood along with small game hunting.

Umatilla: (oo ma TILL ah) An American Indian tribe living in eastern Washington at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood.

Walula or Walla Walla: (wa LU la / WA la WA la) American Indian tribe living in the Columbia River Valley at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood. The Walla Walla were very friendly to the Corps of Discovery, assisting them in many ways on both the outward and returning journey.

Wahkiakum: (WAHK e ah kum) American Indian tribe living in the Columbia River Valley at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood.

Watlata or Cascades: (wat LA ta / cas CADES) American Indian tribe living in the Columbia River Valley at the time of Lewis and Clark. Salmon fishing was their principal means of livelihood.

Yankton Sioux: (YANK ton SOO) A branch of the large Sioux nation living along the Missouri River in the present-day states of northeast Nebraska and South Dakota. This was the first group of Sioux encountered by the Corps of Discovery. Their meeting was cordial although the Sioux chiefs were not impressed with the presents given to them by the explorers. Similar to other Siouan tribes, the Yankton lived in tipis and hunted buffalo as their principal method of subsistence.