Welcome to Native Languages of the Americas!
You have reached the
Native Americans State by State 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 Oklahoma tribe, or scroll below the map for Oklahoma Indian activities including a wordsearch,
fact sheets for kids about each tribe, and worksheets teaching words from the different Native American languages
of Oklahoma. Feel free to print any of these materials out for classroom use!
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 people."
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:
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:
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.
Indian Territory: History of the Indian Removals and the resettlement of eastern tribes in Oklahoma.
Hello Oklahoma: Online database of information about Oklahoma Indian languages.
Indian Nations
American Indians in Oklahoma
The Plains Apache tribe
The Arapaho tribe
Contacts and FAQ page
