We Are Indigenous
Native Americans are the indigenous peoples of the lands that make up the modern-day United States. With over 574 federally recognized tribal nations, they represent rich cultural diversity with deep ancestral connections to their homelands.
Montana has several large reservations for Native tribes. The Flathead Reservation in the west is over 1.3 million acres for the Salish and Kootenai tribes. The Crow Reservation in the south-central region covers 2 million acres for the Crow Nation. The Northern Cheyenne Reservation in the southeast is around 444,000 acres. The Blackfeet Reservation borders Canada and is 1.5 million acres for the Blackfeet Nation. The Fort Belknap Reservation is 637,000 acres for the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes. These reservations allow the tribes to live on and govern their ancestral lands.
New Mexico has several Native American reservations. The Navajo Nation reservation is the largest, covering over 16 million acres including the Four Corners area. Many Pueblo tribes like Zuni, Acoma, Taos and others have reservations throughout the state. The Apache tribes govern the Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache reservations. Parts of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribal lands also extend into New Mexico. These reservations allow the Native tribes to live on and maintain their ancestral lands and cultures within the state.
Prior to being forcibly removed in the early 1800s, several Native American tribes lived on the lands that are now the state of Ohio, though the state no longer has any federally recognized reservations within its boundaries. The Shawnee tribe occupied areas in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The Miami tribe’s ancestral homelands included northwest Ohio. The Delaware (Lenape) tribe lived in the Ohio River valley region in the southeast part of the state. The Wyandot (Huron) nation had major villages in north-central Ohio. Tribes like the Ottawa and Potawatomi also resided in parts of what is now Ohio before being pushed out westward. While these tribes lack reservations in the state today, their ancestral heritage and history remains tied to these lands through cultural influences and historical sites.