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Native American Tribes of West Virginia

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

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American Indians in West Virginia

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

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The Cherokee Indian tribe

The Shawnee Indian 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.

Due to discrimination and the Indian Removals of the 1800's, most Native Americans in West Virginia either hid their Native heritage or were relocated to Oklahoma or other western states. There are still Shawnee and Cherokee descendants in West Virginia, but the majority of Shawnee and Cherokee people live in states other than West Virginia today. 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 to use at school!

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.

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

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

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

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

West Virginia Indians: Simple book introducing West Virginia's Native American history and culture to kids.

Indians of West Virginia: Thorough reference book on the West Virginia Indian tribes.

History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia: Historical text about the colonization of West Virginia.

All That Remains: Book about the archaeology 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.