The many nations of Native America: pre-Columbian life, displacement and the Trail of Tears, reservations, tribal sovereignty and life today.
Faglig kvalitetssikret av lærere og toppstudenter · Følger læreplanen (LK20) · Sist oppdatert 2026-07-25
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.
Colonisation and displacement
European colonisation brought disease, war and the loss of vast territories. In the 1830s, the Trail of Tears saw tens of thousands of people forced west from their homelands, with many dying along the way. Native nations were pushed onto reservations, and numerous treaties signed with the US government were later broken. From the late 1800s, many children were sent to boarding schools designed to erase their language and culture.
Resistance and rights
Native peoples have continually resisted and organised. The American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1960s and 70s fought for civil rights and recognition. A key principle is tribal sovereignty: federally recognised tribes are self-governing nations within the United States.
The situation today
There are over 570 federally recognised tribes today. Many communities work to revitalise languages and traditions, hold powwows and run their own schools and businesses. Serious challenges remain around poverty, health and land and water rights, seen in protests such as those at Standing Rock. …