Native Americans – Indigenous Peoples of the United States

Native Americans (also called American Indians or Indigenous Americans) are the original peoples of what is now the United States. They are not one group but hundreds of distinct nations and tribes – such as the Navajo, Cherokee, Sioux and Apache – each with its own language, government and traditions.

Before European contact

For thousands of years, Native peoples built complex societies, from farming communities to large trading networks. Ways of life varied enormously across the continent, shaped by very different landscapes. …