Native American Tribes of West Virginia

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

American Indians in West Virginia

The original inhabitants of the area that is now West Virginia included:

About Our Maps

The Cherokee tribe

The Shawnee tribe

The Tutelo and Saponi tribes

Other Indian tribes who migrated into West Virginia after Europeans arrived included:

The Iroquois tribes (Mingo)

There are no federally recognized Indian tribes in West Virginia today.

Most Native Americans were forced to leave West Virginia during the Indian Removals of the 1800's. These tribes are not extinct, but except for the descendants of West Virginia Indians who escaped from Removal, they do not live in West Virginia anymore. They were moved to Indian reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas instead. If you click on the link for each tribe above, you can find more information about them.

Teaching and learning activities about West Virginia Native Americans:

Feel free to print these out for classroom use!

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

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

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

West Virginia Native Animals: Learn the Native American names of West Virginia animals.

West Virginia Indian Facts for Kids: Answers to frequently asked questions about the tribes of West Virginia.
We currently have pages for the Cherokee and Shawnee tribes.

Recommended books about West Virginia Native Americans:

West Virginia Indians: Introducing West Virginia's Native American history and culture to kids.

West Virginia Indian Dictionary: Native American fact book for kids.

The End of Indian West Virginia: Good history book on the Indian Removals into and out of West Virginia.

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

Guilford Native American Association: Non-profit organization serving the American Indian community in West Virginia.

History of Native Americans in West Virginia: Information about the historic and prehistoric tribes of West Virginia.

Native American Communities in West Virginia: Article on contemporary West Virginia Native American culture.

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

Native American Genealogy Native American Art Long House

Would you like to sponsor our nonprofit work on West Virginia languages?