Ten Facts About the Indigenous Nations

Ten Facts About the Indigenous Nations

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  • There are 574 federally recognized Indigenous Nations (variously called tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities and native villages) in the United States.
  • Did you know? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 4.5 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives in the United States today. That’s about 1.5 percent of the population.
  • The term “Indian” originated with Christopher Columbus who thought he had landed in the East Indies. He called the indigenous people “Indians.”
  • Half of the names of U.S. states are derived from Amerindian words, such as Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri.
  • In the early 1600s, five tribes who were former enemies formed the Iroquois Confederacy. An all-male council who was elected for life made decisions; however, women had the right to fire any councilor.
  • Native Americans have been living on the American continent since about 12,000 B.C. They were not a single nation but a rich variety of cultures, peoples, and languages. Some historians believe people have been living in South America for more than 30,000 years.
  • Benjamin Franklin, coauthor of the Constitution, thought the idea of a government like the Iroquois Confederacy could be used by the English colonies. The eagle on the U.S. shield is the Iroquois bald eagle—also a symbol for the Iroquois.
  • Most scientists believe that the ancestors of today’s Native Americans migrated from Asia to North America. It is purported that as many as 20,000 years ago, they walked across a land bridge that existed at today’s Bering Strait.
  • The Ghost Dance was a late addition to Native American belief systems, appearing around 1890. It was believed that the ritual dance would help restore the old way of life before the arrival of the Europeans. The dance promised the return of the buffalo and communication with the spirits of the dead. Although the Ghost Dance was peaceful, army authorities outlawed its performance.
  • “Illinois” is the French spelling of the term iliniwok, which means “superior men” or “warriors” in the Illinois and Peoria languages and is the name of the confederacy of the Algonquian tribes.