Indigenous Languages Native American Cultures What's new on our site today!

Native American Tribes of Alabama

Did you know the name "Alabama" is a Muskogean Indian word? It meant "campsite" or "clearing," and became used as a name for one of the major tribes in the area, the Alabama (or Alabamee) Indians. The Alabama Indians were not the only native people of this region, however.

The original inhabitants of the area that is now Alabama included:

About Our Maps

The Alabama tribe

The Biloxi tribe

The Cherokee tribe

The Chickasaw tribe

The Choctaw tribe

The Koasati tribe

The Muskogee (Creek) tribe

See also our new Alabama, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Coushatta, and Muskogee Facts for Kids pages!

Most Native Americans were forced to leave Alabama during the Indian Removals of the 1800's. These tribes are not extinct, but except for the descendants of Alabama Indians who escaped from Removal, they do not live in Alabama anymore. They were moved to Indian reservations in Oklahoma and Texas instead. If you click on the link for each tribe, you can find more information about them.

There is one federally recognized Indian tribe in Alabama today:

Poarch Creek Indians (Muskogee):
5811 Jack Springs Road
Atmore, AL 36504
http://www.poarchcreekindians-nsn.gov/

Other Indian tribes, bands and communities remaining in Alabama today include:

Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama:
PO Box 1227
Scottsboro, AL 35768

Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama:
630 County Road 1281
Falkville, AL 35622

Machis Lower Creek Tribe:
Rt 1 708 South John St
New Brockton, AL 36351

Mowa Band of Choctaw:
1080 Red Fox Rd.
Mt. Vernon, AL 36560

Star Clan of Muskogee Creeks:
PO Box 126
Goshen, AL 36035

Other resources about American Indian history, culture and society in Alabama state:

Alabama Indian Affairs Commission: State bureau representing American Indians in Alabama.

Indian Tribes of Alabama: History and genealogy of the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Creek Indians in Alabama.

Alabama History: Indian Removal Era: History and the texts of four treaties with the Alabama Creek and Cherokee Indians.

Early Settlers of Alabama: Cherokee Indians: Article on Cherokee Indian history in Alabama.

Poarch Creek Indians of Alabama: Article on Creek Indian history and culture in Alabama.

The Creek Indian War in Alabama: Information, lesson plans, and maps showing the location of Indian villages and other settlements.

Prehistoric Alabama: Articles on ancient Alabama tribes from the Paleo-Indians through the Mound-Builders.

Southeast Indian Artifacts Guide: Photographs and descriptions of arrowheads and other Indian relics from Alabama and Georgia.

Moundville Archaeological Site: Online museum exhibit about Alabama's Indian mounds and the ancient culture that built them.

Native American Indian tribes of Alabama: Historical overview of the main Indian groups in Alabama.

Moundville Alabama Indian Festival: Pictures from Alabama's annual Native American cultural event.

Recommended books about Alabama Native Americans:

Alabama Indian Dictionary For Kids: Good overview of the Native Americans of Alabama.

Alabama Indians: Introducing Alabama's Native American history and culture to kids.

They Say The Wind Is Red: History of the Alabama Choctaw tribe.

Prehistoric Indians of the Southeast: Alabama Indian history and archaeology.

Indian Place Names in Alabama: The native etymology of present-day place-names in Alabama.

Historic Indian Towns in Alabama: Ethnography and historical geography of Alabama Native Americans.

Myths and Folktales of the Alabama-Coushatta Indians of Texas: Traditional Koasati and Alabama Indian stories for sale.

Back to the index of Native American tribes
Back to our index of Indian tribes by state
Back to our Native American FAQ for Kids

Native American Art Amarakaeri language Montauk Osage Indian tattoos

Would you like to sponsor our nonprofit work on these educational pages?