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 Chickasaw
- Although generally the least known of the Five Civilized Tribes
(Chickasaw,
Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole), no other tribe played a more
significant role in Britain's victory over France for control of North
America. Variously described as the Unconquered and Unconquerable or the
Spartans of the lower Mississippi Valley, the Chickasaw were the most
formidable warriors of the American Southeast. British traders from the
Carolinas were quick to recognize their prowess in this area, arming the
Chickasaw, after which, the French were crippled to engaging in any
commerce along the lower Mississippi River. The tribe never lost a
battle until the sided with the Confederates during the Civil War. Even then, the Chickasaw Nation was the last Confederate government to
surrender to Union forces.
Chippewa - Also known as the Ojibway,
Ojibwe, Ojibwe,
and Anishinaabe,
the Chippewa tribe are one of the largest and most powerful nations,
having nearly 150 different bands
throughout their original homeland in
the northern United States (especially Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan)
and southern Canada (especially Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.) In
the woodlands, Ojibway people lived in villages of small round buildings
called waginogan, or wigwams. On the Great Plains, the Ojibway people lived in teepees so that could easily pick and move
following the
buffalo.
 Chinook
- A tribe of the Chinookan linguistic stock, the Chinook lived in villages
on the embankments of the Columbia River, from British Columbia, Canada to
Eastern
Washington
State, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The Chinooks were not
nomadic, but rather, lived on a diet of hunting and fishing and were
proficient whale hunters. At birth Chinookans would flatten some
children's heads by applying pressure with a board, enabling, in turn, a
social hierarchy that placed flat-headed community members above those
with round heads. They were not war-like and had little conflict with
other
Indian tribes, instead, depending heavily on trade with them. The Chinookan tribe was initially recognized in 2001, but it was revoked the
following year. Tribe members today continue to work at securing ormal
recognition of tribal status by the U.S. Federal government.
Chitimacha - Dwelling along the
delta of the Mississippi River of south-central Louisiana, the Chitmacha
lived in framed houses made of poles covered with leaves or mud, with
thatched roofs. Agriculture provided the majority of their diet. To enhance their appearance, the Chitimacha flattened the foreheads of
their male children. Socially, the Chitimacha were divided into
matrilineal (descent traced through the mother) totemic (named for an
animal) clans.
Choctaw
- This
Muskogean tribe, also known as Chakchiuma, or Chatot, traces its
roots to the Mississippi Valley and some parts of Alabama. The Choctaw
were one of the first of the five "Civilized Tribes" to reluctantly
accept expulsion from their native lands and move to
Oklahoma .
Although their history included a long alliance with the government of the
United States and they even served under then General Andrew Jackson, when
time came to move the Choctaw westward, they received no consideration
from the government. As part of the "Trail of Tears" the Choctaw
lost almost twenty five percent of their people to disease, starvation and
predatory whites during the long march.
Chumash, aka:
Santa Rosa Uslanders, Santa Barbara Indians - Historically the Chumash
inhabited mainly the southern coastal regions of
California,
in the vicinity of what is now San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and
Los Angeles counties, as well as the Channel Islands of Santa Cruz, Santa
Rosa and San Miguel. They were once one of the
largest of the Western Indian
tribes numbering an estimated 10,000, like many other tribes, severely suffered at the hands of invading
cultures. By 1900, their numbers had declined to just 200. The
Chumash were hunter-gatherers and were adept at fishing. They were also
one of the relatively few "New World" peoples who regularly navigated the
ocean. Today, the only Federally recognized tribe is the Samala,
a sub-division on the Chumash. However, there are an estimated 5,000
people who identify themselves as Chumash.
 Comanche
- A nomadic offshoot of the Eastern Shoshoni
Indians,
the Comanche
lived on the North-American Southern Great Plains during 1800-1900s. The word "Comanche"
is believed to come from from the Spanish "interpretation" of their
Ute
name "Kohmahts, "meaning: those who are against us, or want to fight us. The Comanche People call themselves "Numunuh", which means: The People. The Comanche
epitomized the mounted plains warrior. The
Texas
Rangers were organized during the 1840s primarily to fight
Comanches.
More ...
Coushatta, aka: Koasati – A
Muskogean tribe of the southern United States. They, along with other
Muskogean speaking tribes, the Creek, Hitchiti, and
Alabama, formed the Creek Confederacy. The Coushatta
were traditionally agriculturalists, growing maize and other food crops,
and supplementing their diet by hunting game. They are also known for
their skill at basketry. In the 20th century they began cultivating rice
and crawfish on tribally owned farms. Today they live primarily in Allen
Parish, Louisiana and some share a reservation near Livingston, Texas with
the Alabama tribe.
Creek -
Also called the Muskogee, was made up of
several separate tribes that occupied Georgia
and Alabama in the American Colonial Period. It is believed that the Creek
culture began as a way to guard against other larger conquering
Indian
tribes of the region. One of the Five Civilized Tribes, they formed the
Creek Confederacy with other Muskogean
speaking tribes, the Alabama, Hitchiti, and Coushatta. The Creek
Confederacy was in constant flux, its numbers and land possessions
ever-changing as small bands joined and withdrew from the alliance.
Society was organized in matrilineal, exogamous clans, each bearing the
name of its totem animal. The economy centered upon agriculture, growing
corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, melons, and sweet potatoes. When war
erupted in 1813 between the United States and the Red Stick faction of the
Creek nation, a series of raids were launched against the white
settlements. These raids culminated in the sacking of Fort Mims, in which
400 settlers were killed. General Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Sticks
at Horseshoe Bend, and exacted a disastrous cession of 23 million acres of
land from the Creeks. When Jackson became president, he forcibly
removed the Creek to what is now
Oklahoma. Today, the Creek Confederation
has its capital in Okmulgee,
Oklahoma; but there are a few surviving bands
in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Cree
- One of the largest native groups in North America, the name "Cree" comes
from "Kristineaux", or "Kri" for
short; a name given to them by French fur traders. The Cree are indegenous people from Manitoba; however, one branch moved southwest to
adopt a
buffalo culture. This group is referred to as the Plains Cree. Although warlike, the Cree were friendly to fur traders, and their history
closely follows that of the Hudson's Bay and North West fur companies. Crees intermarried with the French and later
Scots settlers to form a mixed blood people known as the Metis. The Metis
and Cree fought the Canadian government forces when the building of the
Canadian Pacific Railroad encroached upon their lands. Finally, in 1885
they were defeated. The
Cree had a major impact on Canadian history and its language continues to
be one the most widely used
Indian
languages in many communities across Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, and Alberta, Canada. Today they are one of the larger
Canadian tribes with another group living in
Montana.
Crow
- In their own language, the Crow tribe of
southeastern
Montana call themselves Absaroka, or the "bird people." To the early
French explorers and voyageurs, the Crow were
called the "handsome men" because of their beautifully worked garments and
the long flowing black hair that sometimes reached all the way to the
ground. The name "Crow" came from crudely
translating the term "Absaroka" into "Crow people" instead of "bird
people" More
...
Dakota
-Also called the Santee
Sioux,
the
Dakota,
along with the
Nakota
(Yankton), formed the eastern
Sioux
tribes.
Dakota
translates to "Allies" or "Confederates," expressing their intimate
relationship with the
Nakota
and
Lakota.
They lived for centuries in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. They
were semi-nomadic, hunting the buffalo herds in large bands at certain
times of the year. They often dwelt in hide teepees, but more permanent
sites were occupied in teepees made of bark. Their main enemies were the
Anishinaabe, with whom they
fought without relentlessly. They also had battles with the
Sauk and Fox. They fought
a bloody war with the whites in 1862 which nearly destroyed them.
Delaware - The Delaware
Indian
tribe, also known as Lenape, of the Algonkin linguistic stock, lived along
the Delaware River in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They are called
"Grandfathers" by other Algonquin Nations due to the fact that they are
believed to have originated the language. Like other First Nations, the
Delaware were forced from their homes by European settlers. For years,
alliances were made, broken, and the Delaware always seemed to be on the
losing end. Ultimately, they wound up living on a reservation in
Kansas.
Continued
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