Indigenous cultures of North America
Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The indigenous peoples of North America are the tribes and nations whose ancestors were already on the continent when European explorers and colonizers arrived.
The largest group are American Indians who arrived before 10,000 BC, inhabited most of the continent, and are closely related to the indigenous of South America and those of Mesoamerica. In the U.S. they are now usually called Native Americans, in Canada First Nations, and in Mexico indígenas. Groups that arrived later settled in less hospitable northern areas, the Inuit in Alaska, Northern Canada and Greenland, the Yupik in Alaska and the Aleuts in the Aleutian Islands.
The Métis people of Canada and the northern U.S. have a history that goes back to the days of the fur trade and a distinct culture of their own. They have both indigenous and European (mainly French and Scottish) ancestors.
Native Hawaiians are from a quite different culture and history and are not included in this guide. See Hawaii#History.
UnderstandThere have been hundreds of indigenous nations and tribes.), either from diseases brought from the Old World, by military conquest, genocides, or for other reasons.
DestinationsArtifacts have been found at a number of archeological sites, some dating back many thousands of years.
BuyNative handicrafts are sold in tourist areas of some cities.
Itineraries
RespectDue to a long history of discrimination and ill-treatment, and at times even genocides, there still exists a fair bit of mistrust between indigenous people and the white majority in the United States and Canada.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Indigenous cultures of North America" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons