Native Americans

Cochise
Cochise was one of several important Apache leaders who fought to save Apache land. Click on Apache to get a larger picture of the Apache resistance.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Apache Creation Story
Read the Apache's folk tale version of how the earth was created.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Apache, Pueblo, Zuni Indians
Who are these people? Where do they live? Learn about the Apache, Pueblo, and Zuni Indians!
[English: Grades 3-8]

Geronimo
Scroll past the quotes from Geronimo to read his story and to learn about the events that lead to his fame as one of the most well-known Apache warriors.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains
Look for unique collections of images from the Chippewa, Nez Perce, Sioux, Apache, and Ute tribes.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Native American Desert Peoples
The desert Southwest is home to the Hopi, Zuni, and Acoma tribes. Study the Navajo, Apache, Ute, and Cahuilla tribes of this desert region as well.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Native American Texans
The Texas tribes included Apaches, Kiowas, Kiowa-Apaches, Comanches, Wichitas, and Tonkawas. They were hunters and warriors.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Cherokee

The Fire and the Spider: A Native American Myth
How did Native Americans first discover fire? According to a Cherokee legend, they owe it all to a little spider.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Why the ‘Possum’s Tail is Bare
Enjoy this tale about a tail. This Aadizookaanag story is from the Cherokee tribe.
[English: Grades K-12]

Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears main page will link you to state park information, the National Historic Trail, a timeline of events, statistics, camping information, maps, and stories from Cherokee descendants.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Trail of Tears Map
Here is a map of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. A second map shows the other tribes—Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole—that were also forced west of the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, the same thing was happening to Indian tribes in the Northeast.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Why the Possum's Tail Is Bare
This Cherokee folktale discusses how the possum ended up with a bare tail and why the possum plays dead when it is surprised.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties
This is the original text of one volume of a 1904 work compiling a record of laws and treaties between the United States government and the Cherokee, Chikasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Sequoya
Read about this hero in Native American culture who encouraged literacy by developing the Cherokee alphabet.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Sequoyah (a.k.a. George Gist)
Read about this influential Native American who developed the Cherokee alphabet.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Pearl Mankiller is both the first woman Deputy Chief and first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Find out about the origin of her name at this site.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Rebuilding the Cherokee Nation by Wilma Mankiller
Visit this site to read a speech by Wilma Mankiller, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
[English: Grades 6-12]

John Ross
John Ross, the first elected chief of the Cherokee Nation, was known for his role in resisting Indian removal. How did Ross see his people treated by whites and how did this influence his actions as leader of the Cherokees?
[English: Grades 3-8]

Storytelling of the North Carolina Native Americans
Learn about the storytelling traditions of the Lumbee, Cherokee, and Occaneechi tribes. See videos of storytellers reciting traditional myths. Find out about the ritual that members of the Cherokee tribe must undergo before they can hear a story.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Cherokee Phoenix
Learn about the history of the first Native American newspaper. What language was it printed in? Was its staff protected by freedom of the press?
[English: Grades 3-Teacher]

The Cherokee Archival Project
Of special interest on this site are the Indian and Pioneer Interview of Oklahoma, conducted in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration, and the collection of maps dating from 1817.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Cherokee Nation Eastern Band
The government information on this site is useful for contemporary research on Native American issues.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Talking Leaves and the Cherokee Phoenix
Read about the history of the first Native American newspaper.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Cherokee Trail of Tears: National Historic Trail
Follow the journey along the Trail of Tears and learn about this important time in American history. Discover what led to this tragic event.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Texas Indians
The Site Map has a clickable index of tribes, including Caddos, Cherokees, Coahuiltecans, Comanches, Kickapoos, and Kiowas. Learn to make red dye with Cochineal bugs; follow Indian recipes; and see how to build a Wickiup. Visit Basic Anthropology and the Teacher's Page.
[English: Grades 3-Teacher]

Sequoyah
Sequoyah is credited with the development of the Cherokee alphabet. Sequoyah’s alphabet led to widespread Cherokee literacy and the creation of the first national Cherokee newspaper. Scroll down to see a Cherokee alphabet chart.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Cherokee History, Part Two
Trace Cherokee history from the Trail of Tears on into the twentieth century. Learn about the impact of white settlement on the lives and lands of the Cherokee peoples.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Cherokee History Links and Resources
Link to the Ross House, home of the first leader of the Cherokee Nation, read the Story of The Ridge Family and the Treaty Party, or study the Cherokee in eastern Georgia.
[English: Grades 6-Teacher]

The Cherokee
Read a history of the Cherokee tribe from 1540 to 2000.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Cherokee National Forest
The Cherokee National Forest is located in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Cherokee Trail Clickable Map
The Cherokee Trail took pioneers through Oklahoma and Kansas to meet up with the Santa Fe Trail to California. Click around this map to see sites along the way. Or click on Pioneering the Trail to read the story of the trail.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Official Site of the Cherokee Nation
This site offers a wealth of information and links. Learn about the Cherokee constitution, language, culture, and much more.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Cherokee History, Part One
This history of the Cherokee includes information on culture, language, sub-tribes, and villages. The account begins with what is believed to be the first contact with Europeans, in 1540, and extends up to the Trail of Tears.
[English: Grades 6-12]

History of the Cherokee
This site is dedicated to the strength and determination of the Cherokee people to survive. Study their history and the hardships they have endured.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Cherokee Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide
This chart displays the characters of the Cherokee alphabet along with the English pronunciation.
[English: Grades 3-12]

The Trail of Tears
The Cherokee Nation once called the western portion of the state of Georgia home. Eventually, early American settlers took their land and made the Cherokees march a 1,000 miles west under horrible conditions. This became known as the Trail of Tears.

Trail of Tears Map
Here is a map of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. A second map shows the other tribes? Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole that were also forced west of the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, the same thing was happening to Indian tribes in the Northeast.

Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Pearl Mankiller is both the first woman Deputy Chief and first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Find out about the origin of her name at this site.

Native American Food and Recipes
Try a traditional recipe for Pine Needle Tea, Indian Fry Bread, or Choke Cherry Pudding. You'll also find unusual recipes for Cherokee Succotash, Buffalo Stew, and Choctaw Possum.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Tribal Names and Their Meanings
Did you know Cherokee means cave people? Lakota means friend or ally. Learn other meanings of tribal names.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Trail of Tears
Read about the Trail of Tears and how it got that name. View the illustration of the Cherokee Nation as it journeys to Oklahoma in a forced resettlement.
[English: Grades 3-Teacher]

Chickasaw

The Chickasaw Nation: Legend of the Flood
Read this short passage of the Chickasaws legend of the Flood.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Indian Removal Act of 1830 Background
Check out the background of the Indian Removal Act and see how it affected each of the "Five civilized Tribes"—Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek & Seminole.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Iroquois

First Americans for Grade Schoolers
Click on Tribes for information about the Navajo, Sioux, Iroquois, Tlingit, and Creek tribes. Click on History for a timeline of Native American History. What year did Europeans arrive in the United States and how did this affect Native Americans?
[English: Grades 3-8]

American Indians and the Natural World
Explore this site to learn about the Tlingit of the Northwest Coast, the Hopi of the Southwest, the Iroquois of the Northeast, and the Lakota of the Plains.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Iroquois Confederacy or Iroquois League
Learn about this culture and political organization.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Hiawatha, Iroquois Chief (to log onto Classroom Connect's website -- username is lmagaliff and password is ssdsbergen)
Learn about this Native American peacemaker and founder of the Iroquois Confederacy.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Iroquois Constitution
The Iroquois Constitution shows the high regard in which women were held and details their rights.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Iroquois Confederacy: Tradition Culture and Political Organization
Learn about the formation and governance of this confederacy of Five Nations founded in c. 1570.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations
Read the actual constitution of this Native American culture. How does this document compare to the U.S. Constitution? What messages of peace can be found within it?
[English: Grades 3-8]

Thanksgiving Information
Here you'll find a moving and informative factual essay about Thanksgiving by Native American teacher Charles Larson. Read an Iroquois Thanksgiving prayer. Find recipes, legends, and craft activities.
[English: Grades Teacher Only]

Animals, Myths, & Legends: How the Bear Lost His Tail
This online picture book tells the Iroquois story of the vain bear and the clever fox. Read how the fox tricked the bear into losing his tail!
[English: Grades 3-12]

Hiawatha
This is an account of the Iroquois League of Five Nations. Find out about Hiawatha's legendary role in the formation of the League of Six Nations, an early democratic confederacy dedicated to maintaining peace among native tribes.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Historic Documents of the United States of North America
The documents from Colonial America presented here include the Iroquois Constitution, the Mayflower Compact, and selections from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac.
[English: Grades 6-Teacher]

Mojave

The Cahuilla of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts
Discover the Cahuilla people who live in the Mojave and Sonoran desert areas.

Navajo

Maggie Necefer, Educator
In this interview, a Classroom Connect student asks Native American scholar Maggie Necefer about both past and contemporary Navajo life and culture.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Hogan
The hogan is a sacred home for the Diné (Navajo) people who practice traditional religion. Every family -- even if they live most of the time in a newer home -- must have the traditional hogan for ceremonies, and to keep themselves in balance. Learn more about how these homes are constructed.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Cyberguide: Annie and the Old One
Annie and the Old One is a poignant story of Annie and her Navajo grandmother. When told that her grandmother will die when the rug that she is weaving is finished, Annie secretly unweaves the rug.
[English: Grades Teacher Only]

Ketoh
This picture of a decorative wrist guard worn by Navajo archers actually served a purpose. Read more to discover more about the ketoh.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Dine Creation
Learn how two ears of corn are transformed into the first man and woman in this Navajo story.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Native American Reports
Third graders have put together reports on selected Indian tribes. Among them are the Hopi, Anasazi, Apache, and the Navajo.
[English: Grades K-5]

Flight Over Four Corners
View beautiful landscape images of the Navajo Nation. These photos were captured by a pilot as he flew over the four corners region.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Coyote Myth
In Navajo mythology, the Milky Way was created by the mischievous God, Coyote. To learn more about this story, visit this site.
[English: Grades K-12]

Navajo Sandpainting Exhibit
Did you know that the Navajo Indians made sand pictures out of the rocks and stones? The Navajo used these paintings for centuries in religious rituals including healing ceremonies done by medicine men. Check out a few of these incredible examples.
[English: Grades K-12]

Navajo Hogan
Here is a photograph of a Navajo family in front of a hogan.
[English: Grades K-Teacher]

The Navajo Code Talkers
Find out the detail about the important role Navajo code talkers played as part of the U.S. forces during World War II.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Navajo Code Talkers
Read how Native American warriors used their languages to encrypt and relay important messages during World War I and World War II. The Navajo are well known for their contributions, but warriors of other tribes displayed bravery as well.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Spider Woman
Spider Woman was an important deity for the Navajo people. This article tells more about her role in Navajo mythology.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Navajo Rug Design
This site is great for math or folk art teachers who are interested in teaching symmetry through studying rug design.
[English: Grades Teacher Only]

Navajo Rug
How many diamond shapes can you find in this Navajo rug? A diamond is also called a rhombus.

Native American Website for Children
Learn more about Native American tribes including Inuit, Kwakiutl, Navajo, and Cheyenne.

Rock Art
Visit Canyon de Chelly and the Painted Cave located in Navajo National Monument.

Native Americans of the Southwest
Learn more about the lives of the Native Americans of the Southwest including their homes, clothing, animals, plants, and stories.

The Petrified Forest
Discovered in the mid 1800's by Army surveyors, the forests were declared protected in 1906 after sightseers began exhausting the supply of petrified trees. Petrified Forest National Park is located in northcentral Arizona, about 18 miles west of Navajo, Arizona.

Nez Perce

Historical Nez Perce Archive Photography
Browse photographs from the Smithsonian Institution that cover history about Nez Perce.

Emuseum: Native North America
Investigate U.S. and Canadian tribes and their traditions. Cultures include: Anasazi, Apache, Arapaho, Arikara, Choctaw, Chumash, Comanche, Coos, Cree, Narragansett, Natchez, Navajo, Nez Perce, Seminole, Shoshone, Sioux, Pawnee, Copper Eskimo, Haida, Huron, and Innu.

American Indians In the Pacific Northwest
This site features original photographs and documents about the Northwest Coast and Plateau Indian cultures, along with essays written by anthropologists, historians, and teachers. Tribes include Alaskan Tlingit and Tsimshian; Coeur d'Alene; Lushootseed; Makah; and Nez Perce.

Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce
Chief Joseph's Native American name means "thunder coming up over the land from the water." Find out more interesting facts.

Lewis and Clark in Idaho: Native American Perspectives
How much did Lewis and Clark rely on others to discover routes across America? Get a different perspective from two members of the Nez Perce tribe about the contributions of their ancestors on these expeditions. [English: Grades 3-Teacher]

Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce
Learn about the life of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. In 1863, Joseph refused to sign away his homeland and never recognized the validity of a treaty with the U.S. government.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Chief Joseph (Hinmaton-Yalaktit)
This Indian became chief of the "non-treaty" Nez Perce in 1873. Chief Joseph devoted his life to helping his people learn peaceful ways.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Big Hole National Battlefield
The Big Hole National Battlefield page contains photographs, battlefield facts, and links to the history of the conflict between the Nez Percé Indians and the United States.
[English: Grades 6-Teacher]

Plains Indians

Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains - Online Image Database
A searchable online photograph database created with grant support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant Program to broaden access by providing students, researchers, and the general public with direct access to important primary source material on the Plains Indian cultures currently only available by travel to Montana. The overall organization of the database is by tribe, including: Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Salish (Flathead), Kutenai, Chippewa-Cree, Gros Ventres (Atsina), and Assiniboine. The collection consists primarily of images, but includes some text to give context. Most of the images are photographs, but there are also stereographs, ledger drawings, and other sketches. Maintained by Montana State University. (added 7/28/03, reviewed 7/28/03)

Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains
Look for unique collections of images from the Chippewa, Nez Perce, Sioux, Apache, and Ute tribes.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Buffalo and the Plains Indians
Plains Indians fought not only for their lands, but also for the herds of American buffalo, or bison, that they depended upon. At this site Native historians, story-tellers, rodeo riders, and artists tell what the buffalo means to them.

Native Americans of the Plains
Learn interesting facts about bison, horses, wildlife, and the people who settled first in the plains.

Native American Women
This site presents a photographic essay of the role of Native American from the plains and the desert southwest. Browse images dwellings, children, and daily life.

Black Kettle
Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle believed in a peaceful coexistence between white society and plains tribes. He held onto this unique vision despite repeated attacks and broken promises by white leaders.

Native American Shelters
Click on a region of the U.S. map to learn about tribal housing in the Southwest, Plains, Northeast, Great Basin, Subarctic, and West Coast.

Shawnee

The Shawnee Murals
Visit the town of Shawnee, Ohio, where kids from a youth summer camp worked to create this mural. Hear about the creation of the mural.

Indians in Texas
Learn about the Native American cultures that existed in Texas when the first Europeans arrived.

The Shawnee Prophet and Tecumseh
Tecumseh studied the bible and world history. Learn how he used his knowledge among natives and whites.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Tecumseh’s Speech of 1810
Tecumseh is remembered for his skills as an orator, a warrior, and a leader of the Shawnee. He delivered this speech to Governor George Harrison, expressing his anger about the U.S. government taking land from his people.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Tecumseh
Click here to read the teachings of the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh.
[English: Grades 3-8]

First Americans: Tecumseh
Read about this famous Shawnee Indian.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Tecumseh
Tecumseh is remembered for his exceptional skills as an orator, warrior, and leader of the Shawnee. Click on Speech of 1810 to read the speech he made in an attempt to save Native American territory from being sold to the United States.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Shoshone

Shoshone Indians
Read a description of the Shoshone, a Native American tribe.

Land of the Still-Proud Shoshones
Gold prospectors traveled through the land of the Shoshone on their journey west. This parade of pioneers forever changed the Shoshone. (San Francisco Chronicle)
[English: Grades 3-8]

Sacagawea Dollars
The new golden dollar coin honors Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian woman who helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition across the American West. (Numis Media)
[English: Grades 3-12]

Sioux

National Archives and Records Administration: Sioux
The Black Hills of Dakota are very special to the Sioux Indians. Check out the 1868 treaty that promised the land to the Sioux. What do you think happened once gold was discovered?
[English: Grades 3-12]

A Guide to the Great Sioux Nation
The Sioux, known as "Lakota" or "people" among themselves, belonged to the tribe of the legendary Sitting Bull. Known for defeating General Custer in his famous Last Stand, the Sioux were a proud people with a rich heritage.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Winter Count of the Lakota Sioux
Take a field trip through time with the Lakota Sioux and see how their fight for the Black Hills shaped part of their tribal story. Investigate modern American Indian political movements.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Lakota Sioux
Study this Indian tribe with summaries of the Sioux History, Tribes, Legends, Points of Interest, Organizations, Art, Music, and Dance, Maps, and Language.
[English: Grades 3-12]

50 Years Later, Sculptor Family Prepares to Dedicate Face of Sioux Chief Crazy Horse
Ziolkowski began work on a sculpture of Chief Crazy Horse in the Black Hills of South Dakota 50 years ago. Ziolkowski’s family continues his work on the largest sculpture in the world. Watch a movie of a blast that cleared out 100 tons of rock. (CNN)
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Dakota (Sioux) War
Dakota chose to battle for their land and freedom at the same time African-Americans are about to gain emancipation.
[English: Grades 9-12]

Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains
Look for unique collections of images from the Chippewa, Nez Perce, Sioux, Apache, and Ute tribes.
[English: Grades 3-12]

National Anthropological Archives
Online Exhibits include Camping With the Sioux, Fieldwork Diary of Alice Cunningham Fletcher; Henry Wood Elliot, An American Artist in Alaska; and Tichkematse, A Cheyenne at the Smithsonian.
[English: Grades 6-12]

Native American Legends, Folk Tales, and Stories
Here are stories from the Sioux and other Native American tribes.
[English: Grades 3-Teacher]

The Legend of the Flute
This updated Brule Sioux tale was told by Henry Crow Dog in New York City in 1967. As you read, click on the word "song" to hear the sound of the flute.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Buffalo Population
As more and more people moved West, another resident of the Black Hills was pushed off the land—the buffalo. Click on the timeline to see how many buffalo were left by the last Sioux buffalo hunt in 1882.
[English: Grades 3-12]

A March to Protect Bison
The Lakota Sioux and other Native Americans marched 507 miles to protest against the killing of bison. (Time for Kids)
[English: Grades 3-12]

Ghost Dance Songs
This MSNBC Time and Again piece explores the origin of the Ghost Dance, the Massacre of 1890, and the Siege of 1973. There are also lyrics to the Sioux, Kiowa, and the Paiute versions of the Ghost Dance. (CNBC)
[English: Grades 3-12]

Black Elk
This site discusses the Life of Black Elk, a thirteen-year-old Oglala Sioux warrior at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876).
[English: Grades 3-8]

Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull followed the traditional customs of his Sioux ancestors. He hated the whites for taking the Indian's land. Learn what happened to his tribe after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Sitting Bull
His Indian name was Tatanka Iyotake. As a member of the Sioux tribe he joined his first war party at age 14. Find out more about this warrior.
[English: Grades 3-8]

The Battle of the Little Bighorn
In 1876 Custer attacked the Sioux Indians near the Little Bighorn River, Montana. Read about the battle.
[English: Grades 3-8]

Gall
Learn details of the life of Sioux chief Gall.

Little Crow
Learn details in the life of Kaposia chief Little Crow.

Hole in the Day
Learn details in the life of Ojibway chief Hole-in-the-Day

American Horse
Learn details of the life of American Horse, a Sioux chief

Crazy Horse/Tashunkewitko
Read the account Crazy Horse Remembered by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman), a member of the Sioux nation.

Black Elk
This site discusses the Life of Black Elk, a thirteen-year-old Oglala Sioux warrior at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876).

Miscellaneous

Emuseum: Native North America
Investigate U.S. and Canadian tribes and their traditions. Cultures include: Anasazi, Apache, Arapaho, Arikara, Choctaw, Chumash, Comanche, Coos, Cree, Narragansett, Natchez, Navajo, Nez Perce, Seminole, Shoshone, Sioux, Pawnee, Copper Eskimo, Haida, Huron, and Innu.
[English: Grades 3-12]

Native American Reports
Third graders have put together reports on selected Indian tribes. Among them are the Hopi, Anasazi, Apache, and the Navajo.
[English: Grades K-5]

Native American Housing