Indigenous Peoples of the United States Regions

United States American Indian Research  Regions

The purpose of this wiki is to guide the user to records that will assist them in finding records of individual Indians and to document their family history and genealogy.The following list is given to illustrate the possible ties and associations with other tribes of the same culture grouping. All tribes are not included.

This page compliments American Indian Cultural Groups


 * Geographical classifications may be determined by linguistics, cultural or other unique factors relating to the tribes. Geographic classification may cover a larger land mass and may include several or parts of the culture groups. Other classifications: Eastern Woodland, and California


 * Geographical Regions:


 * Northeast Region: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee
 * Southeast Region: North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
 * Mid West or Plains Region: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, and Kansas
 * Western or Great Basin Region: Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming and parts of Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Montana
 * Southwestern Region: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California
 * Northwest or Plateau Region: Washington, Oregon and Idaho
 * Alaska
 * Hawaii

Northeast Region

 * Draper, Lyman Copeland (1815-1891), Draper Manuscript Collection. (Trans-Appalachia) FHL first film 889,098
 * Holland Land Company (1792-1821) FHL film 1421412 -inventory] and FHL first film of 202: 1,414,876
 * Records of the Moravian Missions: 1739-1851 FHL first film 1,017,681

Removal: some tribes move because of encroachment, many began moving after the Revolutionary War

Southeast Region

 * Doris Duke OralHistory Collection - Oklahoma FHL first film: 1,486,555
 * Oklahoma - Indian Pioneer Papers, 1860-1935 (Oklahoma Historical Society) FHL
 * O'Donnell, James H. Southern Indians in the American Revolution. University of TN., Knoxville. FHL book 970.1 Id5s
 * Gilmer, George Rockingham, 1790-1859. Sketches of Some of the First Settlers of Upper Georgia, of the Cherokees and the Author. American, GA American Book Co., 1926. FHL book 975.8 H2g or film 897,227
 * Rand, James Hall. The North Carolina Indians. Chapel Hill, NC c 1913. FHL book 975.6 B4b vol. 12 #2
 * South, Stanley A. Indians in North Carolina. Raleigh. NC Dept. of Archives and History. C 1965. FHL 970.1 Al #79 or film 873,680 item 6
 * Coterill, R. S. The Southern Indians[FHL 970.1 C828s] Source for information about the Five Civilized Tribes before removal.
 * Eastern Cherokee Claims Files (Guion Miller Rolls), 1902-1910.
 * Enrollment for the Five Civilized Tribes and Related Records, 1896-1907. (Dawes Rolls)


 * ONLINE: Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842. Digital Library of Georgia has put documents and images online relating to the Native American population of the Southeastern United States. The searchable database contains documents that include letters, legal proceedings, military orders, financial papers, and archaeological images.
 * ONLINE: Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842. Digital Library of Georgia has put documents and images online relating to the Native American population of the Southeastern United States. The searchable database contains documents that include letters, legal proceedings, military orders, financial papers, and archaeological images.

Removal: Began with the Indian Removal Act of 1830

Mid West or Plains Region

 * Draper, Lyman Copeland. Draper Manuscript Collection. (Trans-Appalachia) Prairie Duchene-Tecumseeh Papers (Shawnee Chief 1763-1823) FHL film: 889,097
 * John Gill Pratt Papers 1834-1899 FHL first film 812,758
 * Major James McLaughlin Papers, McLaughlin, James. Major. 1855-1937. FHL first film: 541,380 - Dakotas, KY, NY, Il, IN, VA, WI, TN
 * John J. Watts Collection, 1874 -1912. - Missouri - FHL film 1,320,994 item 10 - index and FHL film 485,322
 * Doris Duke Oral History Collection FHL first film: 1,486,555
 * Jesuit Mission and College Records. 1832-1967 FHL film 590,422 and 590,423
 * State Department, Territorial Papers, Northwest of the River Ohio, 1787-1801. FHL film 1,571,572
 * Territorial Papers of US. Territory of Minnesota, 1849-1858. FHL film 1,695,152
 * Territorial Papers of US Territory of Wisconsin 1848-1856 FHL film 1,601,731


 * ONLINE: Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains - Montana State University Library has created an online searchable photograph database.
 * ONLINE: Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains - Montana State University Library has created an online searchable photograph database.

Removal: By 1825, the Sac and Fox, Winnebago, Sioux and Potawatomi had moved west of the Mississippi River. The Chippewa moved up into northern Wisconsin.

Western or Great Basin Region

 * Doris Duke Oral History Collection - Oklahoma FHL first film 1,486,555
 * State Department. Territorial Papers, Nevada 1861-1864. FHL film 1,491,200
 * Interior Department. Territorial Papers, Utah 1850-1902. FHL first film 1,602,234
 * State Department. Territorial Papers, Utah 1853-1872 FHL film 491,567
 * State Department. Territorial Papers of Wyoming. FHL film 1,602,230

Removal: as the Tribes gave way to the pressures of white migration

Southwestern Region

 * Doris Duke Oral History Collection - Oklahoma FHL first film 1,486,555
 * Newcom, W.W. The Indians of Texas.
 * Spicer, Edward H. Cycles of Conquest: The Impact of Spain, Mexico and the United States on the Indians of the Southwest, 1533-1960. Tucson, The University of Arizona Press
 * They Talked Navajo "dine'bi-zaad choz-iid". The United States Marien Corps Navajo Code Talkers or World War II. FHL 970.3 N22ytt
 * Wright, Muriel L. Guide to Indian Tribes of Oklahoma.
 * Territorial Papers of New Mexico 1834-1912. FHL film 896,539

Removal:as the Tribes gave way to the pressures of white migration

Northwest or Plateau Region

 * Carriker, Rober C. and Eleanor R. Guide to the Microfilm Collections of Pacific Northwest Tribes, Missions - Oregon. C. 1987 FHL 970.1A3cr
 * Doris Duke Oral History Collection Oklahoma FHL first film 1,486,555
 * The Pacific Northwest Tribes Missions Collections of the Oregon Province Archives of the Society of Jesus, 1853-1960. By Robert C. and Elenor R. Carriker. FHL first film 1,671,639
 * U.S.Department of State. Territorial Papers, Oregon. 1848-1858. FHL film 1,580,034
 * U.S.Department of State. Territorial Papers, Washington. 18554-1872. FHL film 1,602,231 - 1,602,232

OnLine: American Indian of the Pacific Northwest. This Library of Congress digital collection provides online access to more than 2.300 photographs and 7,700 pages of text relating to the American Indians in the Pacific Northwest. Many of these resources, including maps, and essays, link to other collections found at the University of Washington libraries and other organizations of the Pacific Northwest.

Removal: