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Native American Tribes of Oklahoma

Welcome to our Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma tribe, or scroll below the map for Oklahoma Indian activities including a wordsearch, fact sheets, and words from the Native American languages of Oklahoma. Feel free to print any of these materials out for classroom use!

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American Indians in Oklahoma

Did you know the name "Oklahoma" is a Muskogean Indian word? It comes from the Choctaw words oklah homma, which means "red nation." The Choctaw Indians were not the first native people to live in this region, however.

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

About Our Maps
 The Plains Apache tribe
The Arapaho tribe
The Caddo tribe
The Comanche tribe
The Kiowa tribe
The Osage tribe
The Wichita tribe

Many other tribes than these live in Oklahoma today, because Oklahoma was designated by the US government as "Indian territory." This was part of the American policy of Indian Removal. Some eastern and midwestern tribes signed treaties agreeing to move onto reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas in exchange for undisputed ownership of the new lands. Other tribes refused or resisted and were forcibly moved into Oklahoma by the US Army.

Indian tribes relocated into Oklahoma by the US government:

 *The Arapaho tribe
*The Cayuga tribe
*The Cherokee tribe
*The Cheyenne tribe
*The Chickasaw tribe
*The Choctaw tribe
*The Creek tribe
*The Delaware tribe
*The Ioway tribe
*The Kaw tribe
*The Kickapoo tribe
*The Miami/Peoria tribe
*The Missouria-Otoe tribe
*The Modoc tribe
*The Ottawa tribe
*The Pawnee tribe
*The Ponca tribe
*The Potawatomi tribe
*The Quapaw tribe
*The Sac and Fox tribe
*The Seneca tribe
*The Shawnee tribe
*The Wyandotte tribe
*The Tonkawa tribe
*The Yuchi tribe

Federally recognized Indian tribes in Oklahoma today include:

 Absentee Shawnee Tribe
2025 S. Gordon Cooper Dr
Shawnee, OK 74801

Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 1220
Anadarko, OK 73005

Caddo Indian Tribe
PO Box 487
Binger, OK 73009

Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
PO Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
http://www.cherokee.org/

Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
PO Box 38
Concho, OK 73002
http://www.cheyenne-arapaho.org/

Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma
PO Box 1548
Ada, OK 74820
http://www.chickasaw.net/

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
PO Drawer 1210
Durant, OK 74702-1210
http://www.choctawnation.com/

Citizen Potawatomi Nation
1901 S. Gordon Cooper Dr
Shawnee, OK 74801
http://www.potawatomi.org/

Comanche Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
HC 32 Box 1720
Lawton, OK 73502

Creek Nation of Oklahoma
PO Box 580
Okmulgee, OK 74447

Delaware Tribe of Indians
220 N.W. Virginia Avenue
Bartlesville, OK 74003
http://www.delawaretribeofindians.nsn.us/

Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma
PO Box 825
Anadarko, OK 73005

Fort Sill Apache Tribe
Route 2, PO Box 121
Apache, OK 73006

Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Route 1, PO Box 721
Perkins, OK 74059
http://www.iowanation.org/

Kaw Nation of Oklahoma
Drawer 50
Kaw City, OK 74641
http://www.kawnation.com/

Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 70
McLoud, OK 74851

Kiowa Tribe
PO Box 369
Carnegie, OK 73015

Loyal Shawnee Tribe
PO Box 893
Tahlequah, OK 74465

Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 1326
Miami, OK 74355
http://www.miamination.com/

Modoc Tribe
PO Box 939
Miami, OK 74354

Osage Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 1539
Pawhuska, OK 74506

Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma
Route 1, PO Box 62
Red Rock, OK 74651
http://www.otoe-missouriatribe.com/

Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 110
Miami, OK 74355

Pawnee Indian Tribe
PO Box 470
Pawnee, OK 74058

Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 1527
Miami, OK 74355

Ponca Tribe
20 White Eagle Dr
Ponca City, OK 74601

Quapaw Indian Tribe
PO Box 765
Quapaw, OK 74363

Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma
Rt 2 Box 246
Stroud, OK 74079
http://www.cowboy.net/native/sacnfox.html

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
PO Box 1498
Wewoka, OK 74884

Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 1283
Miami, OK 74355

Tonkawa Indian Tribe
PO Box 70
Tonkawa, OK 74653

United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees
PO Box 746
Tahlequah, OK 74465

Wichita Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 729
Anadarko, OK 73005

Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma
PO Box 250
Wyandotte, OK 74370

Teaching and learning activities about Oklahoma Indians:

 Feel free to print these out for classroom use!

*Oklahoma Tribes Word Search: Printable puzzle hiding the names of Oklahoma's Indian tribes.
*Oklahoma Language Greetings: Learn to say "hello" in several Native Oklahoma languages.
*Oklahoma Native Animals: Learn the Native American names of Oklahoma animals.
*Oklahoma Indian Facts for Kids: Answers to frequently asked questions about the tribes of Oklahoma.
    We currently have pages for the Apache, Arapaho, Caddo, Comanche, Kiowa, Osage, and Wichita tribes.

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

*Indian Tribes of Oklahoma: A Guide: Good overview of the many different Oklahoma tribes.
*Oklahoma Indians: Introducing Oklahoma's Native American history and culture to kids.
*The Indians in Oklahoma: Book on the Native American tribes forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's.
*The Choctaws in Oklahoma: From Tribe to Nation: Interesting book on the history of the Oklahoma Choctaw.
*Myths and Legends of the Oklahoma Indians: Collection of stories from Oklahoma Indian tribes.

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

 *Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission: Oklahoma state government branch dealing with Native American issues.
*Oklahoma Indian Legal Services: Nonprofit organization assisting low-income Oklahoma Indian people.
*Oklahoma's First People: History of Oklahoma Native Americans from prehistoric times till today.
*Indian Territory: History of the Indian Removals and the resettlement of eastern tribes in Oklahoma.
*Oklahoma Languages: Interactive map of Oklahoma showing the locations of American Indian speaking groups.
*Hello Oklahoma: Online database of information about Oklahoma Indian languages.

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