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Native American Tribes of Alabama

Welcome to our Alabama State Facts section, part of an educational project designed to provide information about indigenous people in different U.S. states. Follow the links to the right of our tribal map for more information about the language, culture and history of each Alabama tribe, or scroll below the map for Alabama Indian activities for kids including a wordsearch, fact sheets, and words from the Native American languages of Alabama. Feel free to print any of these materials out for classroom use!

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American Indians in 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 Indians (also spelled Alibamu or Alabamee.) The Alabama Indians were not the only native people of this region, however.

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

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The Alabama tribe

The Biloxi tribe

The Cherokee tribe

The Chickasaw tribe

The Choctaw tribe

The Koasati tribe

The Mobile tribe

The Muskogee (Creek) tribe (including the Abihka,
Coosa, and Tallapoosa)

Most Native Americans were forced to leave their land in Alabama and move west 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.

Here is the address of Alabama's Indian reservation:

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	.

Teaching and learning activities about Alabama Native Americans:

Feel free to print these out to use in school!

Alabama Tribes Word Search: Printable puzzle hiding the names of Alabama's Indian tribes.

Alabama Language Greetings: Learn to say "hello" in several Native Alabama languages.

Alabama Native Animals: Picture dictionary featuring the Native American names of Alabama animals.

Write Your Name In Cherokee: Directions for using the Cherokee writing system to spell English names.

Alabama Facts for Kids: Answers to frequently asked questions about the Indian tribes of Alabama.
We currently have pages for the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Coushatta, Muscogee, and Alabama Indian tribe.

Recommended books about Alabama Native Americans
(Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links)

Alabama Native Americans: Introducing the Native Americans of Alabama to kids.

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

Prehistoric Indians of the Southeast: Archaeology of Alabama and the Middle South: Ancient Alabama Indian history.

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.

The Winding Trails: Kids' book on the Alabama Coushatta tribe.

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

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

Alabama Indian Affairs Commission:
Homepage of the state bureau representing American Indians in Alabama.

Introduction to the Alabama Creeks:
Information, lesson plans, and maps showing the location of Indian villages and territories.

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:
Essay on Cherokee Indian history in Alabama.

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

The Creek Indian Wars in Alabama:
History of the Alabama Indian role in the War of 1812 and the Creek War of 1836.

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

Moundville Archaeological Site:
Online museum exhibit on Alabama's Indian mounds and the culture that built these sites.

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

Indian Chiefs of Alabama:
Biographies of famous Alabama Indian leaders and historical personalities.

Alabama Cultural Photographs:
Online museum exhibit with pictures of Alabama Native baskets, arrowheads, and other artifacts.

Moundsville Native American Festival

Poarch Creek Pow Wow:
Videos showing the music, dance, and traditional clothing of Alabama Native men and women.

Alabama Indian Tribes:

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

Back to the North American tribes homepage
Back to our index of Indian tribes by state
Back to our Native American FAQ for Schools

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