Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, Southeastern cultures, or Southeast Indians are an

ethnographic Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

classification for Native Americans who have traditionally inhabited the area now part of the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern po ...

and the northeastern border of

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, that share common

cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tylor ...

traits. This classification is a part of the Eastern Woodlands. The concept of a southeastern cultural region was developed by anthropologists, beginning with

Otis Mason Otis Tufton Mason, Ph.D., LL.D. (April 10, 1838 – November 5, 1908) was an American ethnologist and Smithsonian Institution curator. Mason was born at Eastport, Maine, the son of John and Rachel Mason. In 1850, the Masons purchased Woodlaw ...

and

Frank Boas Franz Uri Boas (July 9, 1858 – December 21, 1942) was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the movements known as historical ...

in 1887. The boundaries of the region are defined more by shared cultural traits than by geographic distinctions.Jackson and Fogelson 3 Because the cultures gradually instead of abruptly shift into Plains, Prairie, or Northeastern Woodlands cultures, scholars do not always agree on the exact limits of the Southeastern Woodland culture region.

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

, Powhatan, Waco, Tawakoni,

Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe indigenous to present-day Oklahoma. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the federally recognized Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. ...

Karankawa The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, largely in the lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys."Karankawa." In ''Cassell's Peoples, Nations and Cultures,'' edited by John ...

Quapaw The Quapaw ( ; or Arkansas and Ugahxpa) people are a tribe of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans that coalesced in what is known as the Midwest and Ohio Valley of the present-day United States. The Dhegiha Siouan-speaking tr ...

, and Mosopelea are usually seen as marginally southeastern and their traditional lands represent the borders of the cultural region. The area was linguistically diverse, major language groups were

Caddoan The Caddoan languages are a family of languages native to the Great Plains spoken by tribal groups of the central United States, from present-day North Dakota south to Oklahoma. All Caddoan languages are critically endangered, as the number of ...

and

Muskogean Muskogean (also Muskhogean, Muskogee) is a Native American language family spoken in different areas of the Southeastern United States. Though the debate concerning their interrelationships is ongoing, the Muskogean languages are generally div ...

, besides a number of

language isolate Language isolates are languages that cannot be classified into larger language families. Korean and Basque are two of the most common examples. Other language isolates include Ainu in Asia, Sandawe in Africa, and Haida in North America. The nu ...

List of peoples

Acolapissa The Acolapissa were a small tribe of Native Americans of North America, who lived in the Southeast of what is the present-day United States. They lived along the banks of the Pearl River, between present-day Louisiana and Mississippi. They are bel ...

(Colapissa), Louisiana and MississippiSturtevant and Fogelson, 69 * Ais, eastern coastal FloridaSturtevant and Fogelson, 205 * Alafay (Alafia, Pojoy, Pohoy, Costas Alafeyes, Alafaya Costas), FloridaSturtevant and Fogelson, 214 * Amacano, Florida west coast *

Apalachee The Apalachee were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, specifically an Indigenous people of Florida, who lived in the Florida Panhandle until the early 18th century. They lived between the Aucilla River and Ochlockonee River, ...

, northwestern Florida *

Atakapa The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct ba ...

(Attacapa), Louisiana west coast and Texas southeastern coast **

Akokisa The Akokisa were the indigenous tribe that lived on Galveston Bay and the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers in Texas, primarily in the present-day Greater Houston area.Campbell, Thomas N. "Akokisa Indians.''The Handbook of Texas Online.''(ret ...

, Texas southeast coast ** Bidai, Texas southeast coast ** Deadose, eastern Texas ** Eastern Atakapa, western coastal Louisiana **

Orcoquiza The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct band ...

, southeast Texas ** Patiri, eastern Texas ** Tlacopsel, southeast Texas * Avoyel ("little Natchez"), LouisianaSturtevant and Fogelson, 81-82 * Bayogoula, southeastern Louisiana * Biloxi, Mississippi * Caddo Confederacy, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, TexasSturtevant, 617 ** Adai (Adaizan, Adaizi, Adaise, Adahi, Adaes, Adees, Atayos), Louisiana and Texas ** Cahinnio, southern Arkansas ** Doustioni, north central Louisiana ** Eyeish (Hais), eastern Texas ** Hainai, eastern Texas ** Hasinai, eastern Texas ** Kadohadacho, northeastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas, northwestern Louisiana ** Nabedache, eastern Texas ** Nabiti, eastern Texas ** Nacogdoche, eastern Texas ** Nacono, eastern Texas ** Nadaco, eastern Texas ** Nanatsoho, northeastern Texas ** Nasoni, eastern Texas ** Natchitoches, Lower: central Louisiana, Upper: northeastern Texas ** Neche, eastern Texas ** Nechaui, eastern Texas ** Ouachita, northern Louisiana ** Tula, western Arkansas ** Yatasi, northwestern Louisiana *

Calusa The Calusa ( ) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. At the time of ...

, southwestern Florida * Cape Fear Indians, North Carolina southern coast * Catawba (Esaw, Usheree, Ushery, Yssa),Folgelson, ed. (2004), p. 315 North Carolina, South Carolina *

Chacato The Chatot (also Chacato or Chactoo) were a Native American tribe who lived in the upper Apalachicola River and Chipola River basins in what is now Florida. They spoke a Muskogean language, which may have been the same as that of the Pensacola ...

, Florida panhandle and southern Alabama * Chakchiuma, Alabama and Mississippi *

Chatot people The Chatot (also Chacato or Chactoo) were a Native American tribe who lived in the upper Apalachicola River and Chipola River basins in what is now Florida. They spoke a Muskogean language, which may have been the same as that of the Pensacola p ...

(Chacato, Chactoo), west Florida * Chawasha (Washa), Louisiana *

Cheraw The Cheraw people, also known as the Saraw or Saura, were a Siouan-speaking tribe of indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, in the Piedmont area of North Carolina near the Sauratown Mountains, east of Pilot Mountain and north of the Yad ...

(Chara, Charàh), North Carolina *

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, later Georgia, northwestern South Carolina, northern Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Mexico, and currently North Carolina and OklahomaFrank, Andrew K
Indian Removal.
''Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Retrieved 10 July 2009. :* Chickamauga, eastern Tennessee * Chickanee (Chiquini), North Carolina *

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classifi ...

, Alabama and Mississippi, now Oklahoma * Chicora, coastal South Carolina * Chine, Florida * Chisca (Cisca), southwestern Virginia, northern Florida *

Chitimacha The Chitimacha ( ; or ) are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans who live in the U.S. state of Louisiana, mainly on their reservation in St. Mary Parish near Charenton on Bayou Teche. They are the only Indigenous people in the s ...

, Louisiana * Choctaw, Mississippi, Alabama, and parts of Louisiana; later Oklahoma * Chowanoc ( Chowanoke), North Carolina * Congaree (Canggaree), South CarolinaSturtevant and Fogelson, 188 * Coree, North Carolina * Croatan, North Carolina * Cusabo coastal South Carolina *

Eno Eno may refer to: Music * English National Opera, London * ''Eno'', an album by Japanese band Polysics * "Eno", a song by X-Wife from '' Rockin' Rio EP'' Organisations and businesses * Eno (company), a Chinese clothing and accessories busine ...

, North Carolina * Etiwan, South Carolina * Grigra (Gris), MississippiSturtevant and Fogelson, 598-9 * Guacata (Santalûces), eastern coastal Florida * Guacozo, Florida * Guale (Cusabo, Iguaja, Ybaja), coastal Georgia * Guazoco, southwestern Florida coast * Houma, Louisiana and Mississippi * Jaega (Jobe), eastern coastal Florida * Jaupin (Weapemoc), North Carolina *

Jororo Mayaca was the name used by the Spanish to refer to a Native American tribe in central Florida, to the principal village of that tribe and to the chief of that village in the 1560s. The Mayacas occupied an area in the upper St. Johns River valle ...

, Florida interior * Keyauwee, North Carolina *

Koasati The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the terri ...

(

Coushatta The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territ ...

), formerly eastern Tennessee, currently Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas * Koroa, Mississippi *

Luca The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; t ...

, southwestern Florida coast * Lumbee, North Carolina *

Machapunga The Machapunga are a small Algonquian language-speaking Native American tribe from coastal northeastern North Carolina. They were part of the Secotan people. They were a group from the Powhatan Confederacy who migrated from present-day Virgini ...

, North Carolina * Matecumbe (Matacumbêses, Matacumbe, Matacombe), Florida Keys * Mayaca, Florida * Mayaimi (Mayami), interior Florida * Mayajuaca, Florida *

Mikasuki The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Florida. They were part of the Seminole nation until the mid-20th century, when they organized as an independent tribe, receiving fe ...

(Miccosukee), Florida *

Mobila Mabila (also spelled Mavila, Mavilla, Maubila, or Mauvilla, as influenced by Spanish or French transliterations) was a small fortress town known to the paramount chief Tuskaloosa in 1540, in a region of present-day central Alabama. The exact loca ...

(Mobile, Movila), northwestern Florida and southern Alabama *

Mocoso Mocoso (or Mocoço) was the name of a 16th-century chiefdom located on the east side of Tampa Bay, Florida near the mouth of the Alafia River, of its chief town and of its chief. Mocoso was also the name of a 17th-century village in the province ...

, western Florida *

Mougoulacha The Mougoulacha were a Native American tribe that lived near Lake Pontchartrain. Population In 1699 Iberville said that the Bayagoula and Mougoulacha together had about 180-250 warriors and an estimated 1,250 people. Language The Mougoulacha lang ...

, Mississippi *

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southe ...

, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, later Oklahoma **

Abihka Abihka was one of the four mother towns of the Muscogee Creek confederacy. ''Abihka'' is also sometimes used to refer to all Upper Creek (or ''Muscogee'') people. History Origins The Abihka were the remnants of the 16th century "Chiefdom of Coosa." ...

, Alabama,Sturtevant and Fogelson, 374 later Oklahoma **

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

, formerly Alabama, southwestern Tennessee, and northwestern Mississippi,Sturtevant and Fogelson, ix now Oklahoma and Texas *** Pakana (Pacâni, Pagna, Pasquenan, Pak-ká-na, Pacanas), central Alabama, later Texas ** Apalachicola, Creek Confederacy, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina **

Chiaha Chiaha was a Native American chiefdom located in the lower French Broad River valley in modern East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. They lived in raised structures within boundaries of several stable villages. These overlooked ...

, Creek Confederacy, Alabama ** Eufaula tribe, Georgia, later Oklahoma ** Hitchiti, Creek Confederacy, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida *** Oconee, Georgia, Florida ** Kialegee Tribal Town, Alabama, later Oklahoma ** Osochee ( Osochi, Oswichee, Usachi, Oosécha), Creek Confederacy, Alabama ** Talapoosa, Creek Confederacy, Alabama ** Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Alabama, Georgia, later Oklahoma ** Tukabatchee, Muscogee Creek Confederacy, Alabama * Naniaba, northwestern Florida and southern Alabama * Natchez, Louisiana and Mississippi later Oklahoma * Neusiok (Newasiwac, Neuse River Indians), North Carolina * Norwood culture, Apalachee region, Florida, c. 12,000 BCE — 4500 BCE *

Ofo Ofo (), stylised as ofo, was a Beijing-based bicycle sharing company founded in 2014. It used a dockless system with a smartphone app to unlock and locate nearby bicycles, charging an hourly rate for use. In 2017, it had deployed over 10 mil ...

( Mosopelea), Arkansas and Mississippi, eastern Tennessee * Okchai (Ogchay), central Alabama * Okelousa, Louisiana *

Opelousas :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.'' Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 ...

, Louisiana * Pacara, Florida * Pamlico, formerly North Carolina * Pascagoula, Mississippi coast *

Pee Dee The Pee Dee is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It lies along the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named after the Pee Dee, a Native American tribe that historically inhabited the region. Hi ...

(Pedee), South CarolinaSturtevant and Fogelson, 302 and North Carolina *

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, Florida panhandle and southern Alabama * Potoskeet, North Carolina *

Quinipissa The Quinipissa (sometimes spelled Kinipissa in French sources) were an indigenous group living on the lower Mississippi River, in present-day Louisiana, as reported by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1682. They were joined together wit ...

, southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi * Roanoke, North Carolina * Saluda (Saludee, Saruti), South Carolina * Santee (Seretee, Sarati, Sati, Sattees), South Carolina (no relation to Santee Sioux), South Carolina *

Santa Luces Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

, Florida * Saponi, North Carolina, VirginiaSturtevant and Fogelson 293 *

Saura Saura may refer to: * Saura (Hinduism), a Hindu denomination * Saura calendar, the Vedic and medieval Indian solar calendar People * Antonio Saura, Spanish surrealist artist * Carlos Saura, Spanish film director * Enrique Saura, Spanish footb ...

, North Carolina * Sawokli (Sawakola, Sabacola, Sabacôla, Savacola), southern Alabama and Florida panhandle * Saxapahaw (Sissipahua, Shacioes), North Carolina *

Secotan The Secotans were one of several groups of American Indians dominant in the Carolina sound region, between 1584 and 1590, with which English colonists had varying degrees of contact. Secotan villages included the Secotan, Aquascogoc, Dasamong ...

, North Carolina *

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

, Florida and Oklahoma *

Sewee The Sewee or "Islanders" were a Native American tribe that lived in present-day South Carolina in North America. In 1670, the English founded the coastal town of Charleston in the Carolina Colony on land belonging to the Sewee. The town flour ...

(Suye, Joye, Xoye, Soya), South Carolina coast * Shakori, North Carolina * Shoccoree (Haw), North Carolina, possibly Virginia *

Sissipahaw The Sissipahaw or Haw were a Native American tribe of North Carolina. They are also variously recorded as ''Saxahapaw'', ''Sauxpa'', ''Sissipahaus'', etc. Their settlements were generally located in the vicinity of modern-day Saxapahaw, North ...

, North Carolina * Sugeree (Sagarees, Sugaws, Sugar, Succa), North Carolina and South Carolina * Surruque, east central Florida * Suteree (Sitteree, Sutarees, Sataree), North Carolina * Taensa, Mississippi * Tawasa, Alabama *

Tequesta The Tequesta (also Tekesta, Tegesta, Chequesta, Vizcaynos) were a Native American tribe. At the time of first European contact they occupied an area along the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida. They had infrequent contact with Europeans a ...

, southeastern coastal Florida *

Timucua The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The va ...

, Florida and Georgia ** Acuera, central FloridaHann 1996, 5-13 ** Agua Fresca (or Agua Dulce or Freshwater), interior northeast Florida ** Arapaha, north central Florida and south central Georgia? **

Cascangue The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The var ...

, coastal southeast Georgia ** Icafui (or Icafi), coastal southeast Georgia ** Mocama (or Tacatacuru), coastal northeast Florida and coastal southeast Georgia **

Northern Utina The Northern Utina, also known as the Timucua or simply Utina, were a Timucua people of northern Florida. They lived north of the Santa Fe River and east of the Suwannee River, and spoke a dialect of the Timucua language known as "Timucua prope ...

north central Florida ** Ocale, central Florida ** Oconi, interior southeast Georgia **

Potano The Potano (also Potanou or Potavou) tribe lived in north-central Florida at the time of first European contact. Their territory included what is now Alachua County, the northern half of Marion County and the western part of Putnam County. This ...

, north central Florida **

Saturiwa The Saturiwa were a Timucua chiefdom centered on the mouth of the St. Johns River in what is now Jacksonville, Florida. They were the largest and best attested chiefdom of the Timucua subgroup known as the Mocama, who spoke the Mocama dialect o ...

, northeast Florida ** Tacatacuru, coastal southeast Georgia ** Tucururu (or Tucuru), central? Florida ** Utina (or Eastern Utina), northeast central Florida ** Yufera, coastal southeast Georgia ** Yui (Ibi), coastal southeast Georgia ** Yustaga, north central Florida * Tiou ( Tioux), Mississippi * Tocaste, Florida * Tocobaga, Florida * Tohomé, northwestern Florida and southern Alabama * Tomahitan, eastern Tennessee * Topachula, Florida * Tunica, Arkansas and Mississippi * Utiza, Florida * Uzita, Tampa Bay, Florida * Vicela, Florida * Viscaynos, Florida * Waccamaw, South Carolina *

Waccamaw Siouan Waccamaw Siouan Indians are one of eight state-recognized tribes in North Carolina. They are also known as the "People of the Fallen Star." Historically Siouan-speaking, they are located predominantly in the southeastern North Carolina counties of ...

, North Carolina * Wateree (Guatari, Watterees), North Carolina * Waxhaw (Waxsaws, Wisack, Wisacky, Weesock, Flathead), North Carolina and South Carolina * Westo, Virginia and South Carolina, extinct * Winyaw, South Carolina coast * Woccon, North Carolina *

Yamasee The Yamasees (also spelled Yamassees or Yemassees) were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans who lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida. The Yama ...

, Florida, Georgia * Yazoo, southeastern tip of Arkansas, eastern Louisiana, Mississippi *

Yuchi The Yuchi people, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American tribe based in Oklahoma. In the 16th century, Yuchi people lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee. In the late 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, ...

(

Euchee The Yuchi people, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American tribe based in Oklahoma. In the 16th century, Yuchi people lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee. In the late 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, ...

), central Tennessee, then northwest Georgia, now Oklahoma

Federally recognized tribes

# Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas # Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma # Caddo Nation of Oklahoma # Catawba Indian Nation, South Carolina #

Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...

Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma The Chickasaw Nation (Chickasaw: Chikashsha I̠yaakni) is a federally recognized Native American tribe, with its headquarters located in Ada, Oklahoma in the United States. They are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, originally ...

Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana The Chitimacha ( ; or ) are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans who live in the U.S. state of Louisiana, mainly on their reservation in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, St. Mary Parish near Charent ...

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma The Choctaw Nation (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American territory covering about , occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United S ...

Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana (Coushatta: ''Kowassaatiha'') is one of three federally recognized tribes of Koasati people. They are located in Allen and Jefferson Davis Parishes, Louisiana. The tribe hosts an annual pow wow during the seco ...

# Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina # Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana # Kialegee Tribal Town, Oklahoma # Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida # Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi #

Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the Southe ...

# Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama #

Seminole Tribe of Florida The Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Seminole tribe based in the U.S. state of Florida. Together with the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, it is one of three federally recognized ...

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the largest of the three federally recognized Seminole governments, which include the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the ...

Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma Thlopthlocco Tribal Town is both a federally recognized Native American tribe and a traditional township of Muscogee Creek Indians, based in Oklahoma. The tribe's native language is Mvskoke, also called Creek. Pronunciation An item in the ''Tul ...

# Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana # United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma

History

The following section deals primarily with the history of the peoples in the lengthy period before European contact. Evidence of the preceding cultures have been found primarily in archeological artifacts, but also in major earthworks and the evidence of linguistics. In the Late Prehistoric time period in the Southeastern Woodlands, cultures increased agricultural production, developed ranked societies, increased their populations, trade networks, and intertribal warfare. Most Southeastern peoples (excepting some of the coastal peoples) were highly

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

, growing crops like

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

, squash, and beans for food. They supplemented their diet with hunting, fishing, ''Four Directions Institute.'' (retrieved 2 June 2011) and gathering wild plants and fungi. Belonging in the Lithic stage, the oldest known art in the Americas is the Vero Beach bone found in present-day Florida. It is possibly a mammoth bone, etched with a profile of walking mammoth; it dates to 11,000 BCE.

Poverty Point culture

The Poverty Point culture inhabited portions of the state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

from 2000–1000 BCE during the Archaic period. Many objects excavated at Poverty Point sites were made of materials that originated in distant places, indicating that the people were part of an extensive trading culture. Such items include chipped stone projectile points and tools; ground stone plummets, gorgets and vessels; and shell and stone beads. Stone tools found at Poverty Point were made from raw materials that can be traced to the relatively nearby Ouachita and Ozark mountains, as well as others from the more distant

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

and

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names ...

valleys. Vessels were made from

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the ...

which came from the Appalachian foothills of

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

. Hand-modeled lowly fired clay objects occur in a variety of shapes including anthropomorphic figurines and cooking balls. File:Poverty Point clay utensils HRoe 2009.jpg, File:Poverty Point female figurines HRoe 2009.jpg, File:Poverty Point gorgets atlatl weights HRoe 2009.jpg,

Mississippian culture

Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building large, ear ...

s flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and

from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally. After adopting

agriculture the Mississippian culture became fully agrarian, as opposed to the preceding Woodland cultures that supplemented hunting and gathering with limited horticulture. Mississippian peoples often built

platform mound Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system ...

s. They refined their ceramic techniques and often used ground

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, whic ...

shell as a tempering agent. Many were involved with the

Southeastern Ceremonial Complex The Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (formerly the Southern Cult), aka S.E.C.C., is the name given to the regional stylistic similarity of artifacts, iconography, ceremonies, and mythology of the Mississippian culture. It coincided with their ado ...

, a multi-regional and multi-linguistic religious and trade network that marked the southeastern part of the Mississippian Ideological Interaction Sphere. Information about Southeastern Ceremonial Complex primary comes from archaeology and the study of the elaborate artworks left behind by its participants, including elaborate

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and po ...

, conch

shell gorget Shell gorgets are a Native American art form of polished, carved shell pendants worn around the neck. The gorgets are frequently engraved, and are sometimes highlighted with pigments, or fenestrated (pierced with openings). Shell gorgets were mos ...

s and cups, stone statuary, and

Long-nosed god maskette Long-nosed god maskettes are artifacts made from bone, copper and marine shells ( Lightning whelk) associated with the Mississippian culture (800 to 1600 CE) and found in archaeological sites in the Midwestern United States and the Southeastern Un ...

s. The

peoples, of southern Florida, carved and painted wood in exquisite depictions of animals. By the time of European contact the Mississippian societies were already experiencing severe social stress. Some major centers had already been abandoned. With social upsets and diseases unknowingly introduced by Europeans many of the societies collapsed and ceased to practice a Mississippian lifestyle, with an exception being the

Natchez people The Natchez (; Natchez pronunciation ) are a Native American people who originally lived in the Natchez Bluffs area in the Lower Mississippi Valley, near the present-day city of Natchez, Mississippi in the United States. They spoke a language ...

of Mississippi and Louisiana. Other tribes descended from Mississippian cultures include the

, Biloxi, Caddo, Choctaw,

Muscogee Creek The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsTunica, and many other southeastern peoples. Image:Spiro engraved hero twins HRoe 2005.jpg, Image:Spiro ceremonial mace HRoe 2005.jpg, Image:Moundville stone pallette HRoe 2003.jpg, Image:Spiro Lucifer Pipe HRoe 2005.jpg, Image:Etowah statues HRoe 2007.jpg, Image:Calusa carved gator head on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History.jpg,

Post-European contact

During the Indian Removal era of the 1830s, most southeastern tribes were forcibly relocated to

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

west of the Mississippi River by the US federal government, as European-American settlers pushed the government to acquire their lands. Some members of the tribes chose to stay in their homelands and accept state and US citizenship; others simply hid in the mountains or swamps and sought to maintain some cultural continuity. Since the late 20th century, descendants of these people have organized as tribes; in a limited number of cases, some have achieved

federal recognition This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the Unite ...

but more have gained state recognition through legislation at the state level.

Culture

Frank Speck identified several key cultural traits of Southeastern Woodlands peoples. Social traits included having a

matrilineal Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's lineage – and which can involve the inheritance ...

kinship In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says th ...

system,

exogamous Exogamy is the social norm of marrying outside one's social group. The group defines the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. One form of exogamy is dual exogamy, in which two groups ...

marriage between clans, and organizing into settled villages and towns. Southeastern Woodlands societies were usually divided into clans; the most common from pre-contact Hopewellian times into the present include Bear, Beaver, Bird other than a raptor, Canine (e.g. Wolf), Elk, Feline (e.g. Panther), Fox, Raccoon, and Raptor. They observe strict incest taboos, including taboos against marriage within a clan. In the past, they frequently allowed

polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is marri ...

to chiefs and other men who could support multiple wives. They held puberty rites for both boys and girls. Southeastern peoples also traditionally shared similar religious beliefs, based on

animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...

. They used fish poison, and practiced purification ceremonies among their religious rituals, as well as the

Green Corn Ceremony The Green Corn Ceremony (Busk) is an annual ceremony practiced among various Native American peoples associated with the beginning of the yearly corn harvest. Busk is a term given to the ceremony by white traders, the word being a corruption of ...

. Medicine people are important spiritual healers. Many southeastern peoples engaged in mound building to create sacred or acknowledged ritual sites. Many of the religious beliefs of the

or the Southern Cult, were also shared by the Northeastern Woodlands tribes, probably spread through the dominance of the

in the 10th century. The main agricultural crops of the region were the Three Sisters : winter squash,

(corn), and climbing

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes t ...

s (usually tepary beans or

common bean ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its botanical classification, alo ...

s). Originating in

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

, these three crops were carried northward over centuries to many parts of North America. The three crops were normally planted together using a technique known as

companion planting Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, an ...

on flat-topped mounds of soil. The three crops were planted in this way as each benefits from the proximity of the others. The tall maize plants provide a structure for the beans to climb, while the beans provide

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seve ...

to the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...

that benefits the other plants. Meanwhile, the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight to prevent

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s from growing and retaining

moisture in the soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former term ...

Notes

References

*Carr, Christopher and D. Troy Case
''Gathering Hopewell: Society, Ritual, and Ritual Interaction.''
New York: Springer, 2006. . *Hann, John H. "The Mayaca and Jororo and Missions to Them", in McEwan, Bonnie G. ed. ''The Spanish Missions of "La Florida"''. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. 1993. . *Hann, John H. ''A History of the Timucua Indians and Missions.'' Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 1996. . *Hann, John H. (2003). ''Indians of Central and South Florida: 1513-1763''. University Press of Florida. * Jackson, Jason Baird and Raymond D. Fogelson. "Introduction." Sturtevant, William C., general editor and Raymond D. Fogelson, volume editor. ''Handbook of North American Indians: Southeast''. Volume 14. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution, 2004: 1-68. . * Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. . * Sturtevant, William C., general editor and Raymond D. Fogelson, volume editor. ''Handbook of North American Indians: Southeast''. Volume 14. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution, 2004. . *Roark, Elisabeth Louise
''Artists of Colonial America''.
Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southeastern Tribes Mississippian culture Eastern Woodlands Indigenous peoples in Mexico Indigenous peoples in the United States Native American tribes Southeastern United States

Southeastern Woodlands Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, Southeastern cultures, or Southeast Indians are an ethnographic classification for Native Americans who have traditionally inhabited the area now part of the Southeastern United States and the nor ...