Native American Tribes of Iowa

Welcome to Native Languages of the Americas! You have reached the American Indian states section of our website, a new 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 Iowa tribe, or scroll below the map for Iowa Indian activities including a wordsearch, fact sheets for kids about each tribe, and worksheets teaching words from the different Native American languages of Iowa. Feel free to print any of these materials out for classroom use!

American Indians in Iowa

Did you know the name "Iowa" is a Siouan Indian word? It is one of the tribal names of the Ioway people, meaning "sleepy ones." The Ioway were not the only native people of this region, however.

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

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The Dakota Sioux tribe

The Illinois (Illini) tribe

The Ioway tribe

The Missouria tribe

The Otoe tribe

Other Indian tribes driven into Iowa after Europeans arrived included:

The Sac and Fox tribe (Mesquakie)

There is one federally recognized Indian tribe in Iowa today.

Here are the addresses of Iowa's Indian reservations:

1 The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi:
3137 F Avenue
Tama, IA 52339
http://www.meskwaki.org/

Teaching and learning activities about Iowa Indians:

Feel free to print these out for classroom use!

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

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

Iowa Native Animals: Learn the Native American names of Iowa animals.

Iowa Indian Facts for Kids: Answers to frequently asked questions about the tribes of Iowa.
We currently have pages for the Illini, Sioux, and Sac and Fox tribes.

Recommended books about Iowa Native Americans:

The Worlds Between Two Rivers: Essays on Iowa's Native American history written by Mesquakie, Sioux, and Iowa Indian authors.

Iowa Indian Dictionary for Kids: Book on Native Americans in Iowa for grade-school kids.

The Ioway Indians: History and traditions of the Iowa tribe.

The Illinois Confederacy of Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Oklahoma: History and culture of the Illini, written for younger readers.

Indian Artifacts of the Midwest: Collection of photographs of prehistoric paleo-Indian arrowheads and other artifacts.

Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region Handbook of herbs, food crops, and plant lore among the prairie tribes.

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

Circle of First Nations of Central Iowa: Organization promoting Iowa Native American heritage, with information on their annual powwow.

Iowa Indian History: Profiles of Native American tribes who lived in Iowa or passed through on their forced travels to Kansas and Oklahoma.

Meskwaki Indian Casino: The casino's homepage also has historical information and photos about this Indian tribe of Iowa.

Iowa Archaeology: History of the Iowa Native Americans from the Paleo-Indians through the present day.

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

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