Native Languages of the Americas: Native American Indian Legends and Folklore
This page is our collection of Native American folktales and traditional stories that can be read online.
We have indexed these stories tribe by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same
legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to
each other. As well as our collections of tribal legends and
legend archives, we also have three pages of comparative legends, first
for the stories of the Wabanaki tribes (including
the Micmac, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki tribes,) second for the
stories of the Iroquois tribes (including the
Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga tribes,) and third for the
stories of the Anishinabe tribes (including the
Chippewa, Ottawa, Algonquin, and Potawatomi tribes.) Since this page features primarily the myths and legends of
North American Indian tribes, we have also begun a separate collection of
Central and South American Indian legends
which may be interesting for purposes of comparison.
Note that since many children use this site, we have tried to avoid linking to any legends or stories which
deal explicitly with sex or contain bad language, including slur words for Native Americans. However, like
the folklore of any culture -- including European fairy tales -- there is often violence and bad behavior in American
Indian folklore, so please use discretion about sharing them with younger children.
Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Native American legend for this page or think one of the ones on here
should be removed, please contact us and let us know.
Native American cultures
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