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Peoples of the Americas

Across the Americas, Indigenous heritage, colonization, migration, and cultural exchange have produced societies of extraordinary diversity and historical depth.
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Middle American Peoples North American Peoples South American Peoples

Peoples of the Americas Encyclopedia Articles

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Featured Articles

Distribution of Northwest Coast peoples
Northwest Coast Indian
Northwest Coast Indian, member of any of the Native American peoples inhabiting a narrow belt of Pacific coastland and offshore islands from the southern border of Alaska to northwestern California. The...
Distribution of Northeast American peoples
Northeast Indian
Northeast Indian, member of any of the Native American peoples living at the time of European contact in the area roughly bounded in the north by the transition from predominantly deciduous forest to the...
Plains style
Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains
Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, Native peoples inhabiting the Great Plains of the present-day United States and Canada. This culture area comprises a vast grassland between the Mississippi River...
Barack Obama: Election night 2008
African Americans
African Americans, one of the largest of the many ethnic groups in the United States. African Americans are mainly of African ancestry, but many have non-Black ancestors as well. African Americans are...
Map of Mesoamerica showing the geographic distribution of various Indigenous peoples, with regions labeled for groups such as the Maya, Nahua, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Mazahua, Huastec, Tarasco, and others across present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. Boundaries indicate the approximate areas inhabited by each group.
Mesoamerican Indian
Mesoamerican Indian, member of any of the indigenous peoples inhabiting Mexico and Central America (roughly between latitudes 14° N and 22° N). Mesoamerican Indian cultures have a common origin in the...
Map of the southeastern United States showing the historical locations of various Indigenous peoples, with tribal names such as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, Natchez, Catawba, and Calusa labeled across the region. A red outline marks the general boundary of the Southeast cultural area, extending from eastern Texas and Louisiana through the Gulf Coast, up to the Atlantic coast and into parts of the Carolinas and Virginia. Major bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico and the Atla
Indigenous peoples of the American Southeast
Indigenous peoples of the American Southeast, any of the Native American peoples of what is now the Southeastern United States. The boundaries of this culture area are somewhat difficult to delineate,...
Map of South America and the Caribbean showing the distribution of Aboriginal cultural groups, with regions color-coded by cultural type including Andean, Central American, tropical forest, and various nomadic cultures such as aquatic nomads, forest hunters and gatherers, and shellfish gatherers. Major group names are labeled across the continent and surrounding islands.
South American forest Indian
South American forest Indian, indigenous inhabitants of the tropical forests of South America. The tribal cultures of South America are so various that they cannot be adequately summarized in a brief space....
Map of northern Mexico and the U.S. border region showing the population distribution of Indigenous peoples by main linguistic groups. Areas shaded in purple represent Uto-Aztecan language groups, such as Tarahumara, Mayo, and Tohono O'odham, while green areas represent non-Uto-Aztecan groups, including Seri, Cocopa, and Kiliwa. Major Indigenous groups and their geographic locations are labeled within the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Nayarit, and neighboring re
Northern Mexican Indian
Northern Mexican Indian, member of any of the aboriginal peoples inhabiting northern Mexico. The generally accepted ethnographic definition of northern Mexico includes that portion of the country roughly...
Map showing the distribution of Indigenous peoples and their lands in the American Southwest, with labeled areas for groups such as the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Apache, Pima, Yuma, Mojave, and others, along with major rivers and reservation boundaries.
Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest
Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest, any of the Native American peoples inhabiting the southwestern United States; some scholars also include the peoples of northwestern Mexico in this culture...
A dancer in a bright pink shawl with fringe, wearing traditional regalia adorned with blue and black accents, performs at an outdoor cultural event.
Native American
Native American, member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, although the term often connotes only those groups whose original territories were in present-day Canada and the United...

Peoples of the Americas Subcategories

Traditional Totonac music Middle American Peoples
Discover the peoples of Middle America, where Indigenous civilizations, colonial encounters, and vibrant living traditions have shaped the cultures of Central America and the Caribbean.
Articles
Distribution of American Subarctic cultures North American Peoples
From Arctic communities to great urban centers, the peoples of North America reflect deep Indigenous roots, waves of migration, and a constantly evolving cultural story.
Articles
Machu Picchu South American Peoples
The peoples of South America bring together Andean, Amazonian, Atlantic, Indigenous, African, and European influences in cultures marked by resilience, creativity, and regional distinction.
Articles
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Peoples of the Americas Encyclopedia Articles

10 -GOS
GUA-NAV
NEU-TZE
TZO-ZAP