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Resources
Follow official resources, then explore historical context from the nations in this growing list.
Our registry currently names 457 nations. It is a growing starting point, not a complete list of the world's Indigenous peoples. See what is covered and where the gaps are. Search the broader directory of names.
These are links to the publishers' own pages. A listing does not imply a partnership. External pages open only when you follow a link.
Choose a short introduction or a longer story.
Museum education program American Indian histories and contemporary lives
A Smithsonian framework developed with Native communities and educators. Start with its themes on continuity, governance and the diversity of Native peoples.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Essential Understandings (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Documentary film, producer's page Brazilian Amazon
A documentary following Indigenous leadership and rainforest defense in Brazil. The producer's page introduces the film and its makers.
Community histories and a Mexican public catalogue United States and Mexico; distinct source categories
Start with Fort Sill and Mescalero's own histories, then read the Chiricahua Apache Nation's account of its councils. INPI's Mexican entry concerns a broader people. Related ancestry is not proof of one shared government or exclusive representation; named Mexican communities still need their own source review.
Fort Sill Apache Tribe, History (opens in a new tab), reviewed Mescalero Apache Tribe, Our Culture (opens in a new tab), reviewed Chiricahua Apache Nation, Governance (opens in a new tab), reviewed Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas, N’dee (opens in a new tab), reviewed Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas, Catalogue update, February 21, 2025 (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Each link has a different role and geographic focus.
Indigenous women-led organization Brazilian Amazon
Read about the institute's work on forest and territory protection, cultural heritage, and opportunities for women and young people.
Instituto Juma, Our work (opens in a new tab), reviewed Instituto Juma, About Us (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Tribal membership and advocacy organization United States
Use NCAI's informational Tribal Directory as a starting point for finding Tribal Nations. NCAI states that the directory is not its membership list.
National Congress of American Indians, Tribal Directory (opens in a new tab), reviewed National Congress of American Indians, About NCAI (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Nonprofit advocacy organization International
Read reporting and publications about Indigenous rights, cultures and community self-determination.
Cultural Survival, Mission and publications (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Read guidance from the organizations that publish it.
Legal advocacy organization United States
Browse publications on Native rights and Tribal legal issues. The help page explains available guides and the limits on the requests NARF can take.
Native American Rights Fund, Resources (opens in a new tab), reviewed Native American Rights Fund, Requests for Help (opens in a new tab), reviewed Native American Rights Fund, About Us (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Native-led nonprofit Tribal Nations, programs and advocates in the United States
A library of training, publications and practical resources for people working to end violence against Native women, children and communities.
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, Resource Library (opens in a new tab), reviewed National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, Who We Are (opens in a new tab), reviewed
Read statements and find the forum's regional structure.
International Indigenous climate forum International
Read the forum's climate-negotiation statements and position papers. Its regional pages explain how representatives are organized around the world.
International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change, Resources (opens in a new tab), reviewed International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change, Regions (opens in a new tab), reviewed
80 published historical facts across 76 nations are collected below. Open a name for a short starting point, historical context and sources.
381 entries have no published fact tagged as history yet. That is a gap in this collection, not a statement about their history. Some facts in other categories also describe past events.
These are excerpts, not complete histories. Dates belong to the statements they accompany; a past event does not establish the situation today. What our checks can and cannot tell you.
Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska Peninsula, outer Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound, Alaska, United States
At the Alutiiq Museum, fluent speakers, learners and linguists work together to record Sugt'stun and teach it to a new generation of speakers.
As of 2026 Source: Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, Language (opens in a new tab) Checked
Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have lived along the coasts of south-central Alaska for more than 7,800 years and descend from seafaring ancestors.
Source: Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, Alutiiq People (opens in a new tab) Checked
Sugpiaq, the people's traditional name for themselves, joins suk, meaning person, with piaq, meaning real.
Tutuila, Aunuʻu and the Manuʻa Islands of American Samoa, a United States territory in the Samoan Islands
In American Samoa, land is held communally under the guidance of village chiefs, the matai, and the national park there sits on land leased from local villages.
As of 2026 Source: U.S. National Park Service, National Park of American Samoa, History & Culture (opens in a new tab) Checked
People have lived in American Samoa for more than 3,000 years, making it one of Polynesia's oldest places of human settlement.
Fa'asamoa, the Samoan way of life, took shape over many centuries and remains the base of Samoan identity and everyday living.
Grand Ronde, Yamhill County, northwestern Oregon; ancestral ties across western Oregon, northern California and southwest Washington
A nine-member Tribal Council, elected by voting members, governs about 5,400 enrolled members of a confederation of over 30 tribes and bands.
As of 2026 Source: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, History & Culture (opens in a new tab) Checked
Grand Ronde federal recognition ended in 1954 and was restored on November 22, 1983; five years later the Tribe regained 9,811 acres of reservation land.
As of 1988 Source: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Termination & Restoration (opens in a new tab) Checked
Once at risk of disappearing, Chinuk Wawa is growing again and is actively taught and used in Grand Ronde cultural education.
As of 2026 Source: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Chinuk Wawa Language | Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (opens in a new tab) Checked
Central Oregon, stretching east from the summit of the Cascade Mountains
The Museum at Warm Springs shares the history and culture of the three tribes and welcomes visitors in Ichishkiin, Numu and Kiksht.
As of 2026 Source: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Museum at Warm Springs - Culture. History. In Living Color. (opens in a new tab) Checked
Under the 1855 treaty, the Warm Springs and Wasco tribes kept their rights to harvest fish, game and other foods in their usual and accustomed places.
As of 1855 Source: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1937 the Warm Springs, Wasco and Paiute organized as one confederated government under their own constitution and bylaws.
As of 1937 Source: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Northernmost coast of Washington State and the waters of Puget Sound, with ancestral lands reaching into southern British Columbia
Northwest Indian College, with its main campus on the Lummi Reservation, is the only accredited tribal college serving Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
As of 2026 Source: Northwest Indian College, About | Northwest Indian College | Accredited Tribal College (opens in a new tab) Checked
The college grew from the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, founded in 1973, and became accredited for bachelor's degrees in 2010.
As of 1973 Source: Northwest Indian College, About | Northwest Indian College | Accredited Tribal College (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Lhaq'temish, the Lummi People, describe themselves as fishers, hunters, gatherers and harvesters of the Puget Sound shores and waters.
Source: Lummi Nation, Lummi Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Shores of southern Puget Sound and the Puyallup River, Tacoma area, Washington
One of the most urban tribes in the United States, the Puyallup still fish, hunt and travel the waters of the Puyallup River.
As of 2026 Source: Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Puyallup Tribe of Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
Puyallup tribal members fought for fishing rights in the late 20th century, helping bring about the 1974 Boldt Decision.
As of 1974 Source: Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Puyallup Tribe of Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Tribe gives its name as puyaləpabš, meaning people at the bend at the bottom of the river.
Source: Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Puyallup Tribe of Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
Lake Tahoe region and nearby valleys of western Nevada and eastern California
Washoe teachers hold language classes for adults and youth four days a week, and immersion classes reach children in the tribe's Head Start.
The Washoe Tribe and its ancestors have made Lake Tahoe their home for at least 2,000 years.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Discover History (opens in a new tab) Checked
The name Tahoe is thought to come from Da ow ga, the Washoe word for lake.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Discover History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Southwest Oklahoma, United States; headquarters north of Lawton
The Comanche Nation's main governing body is its Tribal Council, made up of every enrolled member over age 18.
As of 2026 Source: Comanche Nation, History | Comanche Nation, Oklahoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
Comanche history records that the people were once part of the Shoshone and moved onto the northern Plains in the late 1600s and early 1700s.
Source: Comanche Nation, History | Comanche Nation, Oklahoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Comanche Nation language program works to revitalize and reclaim the Comanche language, including through online learning.
As of 2026 Source: Comanche Nation, Language | Comanche Nation, Oklahoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
Forest County, northern Wisconsin, United States
The Forest County Potawatomi Cultural Center, Library and Museum provides an important link to the community's past.
As of 2026 Source: Forest County Potawatomi Community, Forest County Potawatomi (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Forest County Potawatomi have lived in Forest County, Wisconsin, since the late 1800s, first settling near Blackwell and Wabeno around 1880.
Source: Forest County Potawatomi Community, Forest County Potawatomi (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Forest County Potawatomi Language and Culture Department works to keep the Bodwéwadmi language and traditions alive, with classes during the school year.
As of 2026 Source: Forest County Potawatomi Community, Forest County Potawatomi - Potawatomi Language (opens in a new tab) Checked
Apache and Fletcher, Oklahoma; reservation land in New Mexico, United States
The Tribe reports that its New Mexico reservation proclamation was issued in November 2011, following its efforts to regain a land base in its homeland.
As of 2011 Source: Fort Sill Apache Tribe, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Apache families who remained at Fort Sill were released in 1914 and resettled on scattered farmland near Apache and Fletcher, Oklahoma.
As of 1914 Source: Fort Sill Apache Tribe, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1894, Chiricahua Apache prisoners were moved to Oklahoma after imprisonment and exile in Florida and Alabama.
As of 1894 Source: Fort Sill Apache Tribe, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
The General Council, made up of adult tribal members, elects the Business Committee and approves the tribal operations budget.
Source: Fort Sill Apache Tribe, Tribal Government (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Fort Sill Apache Tribe comprises descendants of Chiricahua and Warm Springs Apaches displaced from the Southwest and northern Mexico.
Source: Fort Sill Apache Tribe, Fort Sill Apache Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Southwestern Oklahoma, United States
The Kiowa Tribe commits to protecting its sovereignty and to preserving and advocating for Kiowa culture and language.
As of 2026 Source: Kiowa Tribe, Kiowa Tribe - Tribe, Native American, Native, Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Kiowa history traces the people to the Kootenay region of present-day British Columbia, and later to the northern Missouri River basin.
Source: Kiowa Tribe, About us | Kiowa Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Kiowa Language Department runs a credentialed teacher training program to prepare new Kiowa language teachers.
As of 2025 Source: Kiowa Tribe, Kiowa Language Department | Kiowa Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, United States
The tribe's mission celebrates that its people still have and speak their own language, Anishinaabemowin.
As of 2026 Source: Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Home - LTBB Official Website (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Little Traverse Bay Bands were federally reaffirmed on September 21, 1994, with the signing of Public Law 103-324.
As of 1994 Source: Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Home - LTBB Official Website (opens in a new tab) Checked
The tribe is governed by a nine-member Tribal Council whose members serve staggered terms.
As of 2026 Source: Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Home - LTBB Official Website (opens in a new tab) Checked
Menominee Reservation, northeastern Wisconsin, United States
The Menominee Reservation covers about 235,524 acres in Wisconsin and holds the largest single tract of virgin timberland in the state.
As of 2026 Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Menominee Restoration Act of 1973 restored federal recognition of the tribe and laid the basis for its present tribal government.
The Menominee Tribal Legislature has nine members.
As of 2026 Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (opens in a new tab) Checked
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming, United States, shared with the Eastern Shoshone
The Northern Arapaho and the Eastern Shoshone share a 2.2 million acre reservation in Wyoming, between the Wind River Range and the Owl Creek Mountains.
As of 2026 Source: Northern Arapaho Tribe, About | Northern Arapaho Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Northern Arapaho are one of four Arapaho groups whose homeland was at the headwaters of the Arkansas and Platte rivers.
Source: Northern Arapaho Tribe, About | Northern Arapaho Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Arapaho Flag was created in 1936 to honor and remember Arapaho war veterans.
Source: Northern Arapaho Tribe, About | Northern Arapaho Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Oneida Reservation, Brown and Outagamie counties, northeast Wisconsin, United States
The Oneida Nation is governed by an elected Business Committee of nine members, which makes decisions by majority rule.
As of 2026 Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Oneida Nation | Department of Public Instruction (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Oneida are one of the original Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, with the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga and Onondaga.
The Oneida Reservation lies in Brown and Outagamie counties in northeast Wisconsin.
Pawnee, Oklahoma, United States; ancestral homeland on the central Plains
The Pawnee Business Council is the supreme governing body of the Pawnee Nation, acting within the nation's Constitution and federal law.
As of 2026 Source: Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Government | Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
Pawnee people have served in every United States conflict since the Pawnee Scout Battalion of 1864, including as Code Talkers.
Source: Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee History | Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Pawnee Nation is made up of four bands: the Čawî’ (Grand), Kitkahaki (Republican), Pitahawirata (Tappage) and Skidi (Wolf).
Source: Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee History | Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
Reservation near Mayetta, northeastern Kansas, United States
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation says its Kansas reservation is unchanged from what the Treaty of 1846 established.
As of 2026 Source: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal History: Origins, Separation, and Stewardship (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation originated in the Great Lakes region and moved to present-day Kansas after 1846.
The Nation has offered Potawatomi language classes since 2007 as part of its work to revitalize the language and culture.
As of 2007 Source: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Prairie Band Potawatomi Language Revitalization Efforts (opens in a new tab) Checked
Scott County, Minnesota, United States
Following the Dakota tradition of helping others, the SMSC gives millions of dollars each year to other tribes, organizations and local governments.
As of 2026 Source: Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Scott County, MN (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community became a federally recognized Indian tribe on November 28, 1969.
As of 1969 Source: Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Our History - Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Scott County, MN (opens in a new tab) Checked
The community says plainly that it is still here, living traditional Dakota lifeways that will pass on to future generations.
Around Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States
Every citizen of the Cayuga Nation belongs to one of the Nation's five clans.
Source: Cayuga Nation, History & Culture - Cayuga Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Signed in 1794, the Treaty of Canandaigua made peace between the Haudenosaunee and the United States, and it remains in force today.
Source: Cayuga Nation, History & Culture - Cayuga Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
After more than 200 years away, Cayuga Nation citizens once again live on their ancestral homeland in New York's Finger Lakes region.
Source: Cayuga Nation, History & Culture - Cayuga Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States; homelands along the Delaware River
The Tribe's online Lenape Talking Dictionary holds about 15,380 words, along with recorded stories and songs, and is still growing.
As of 2026 Source: Delaware Tribe of Indians, Language Revitalization - Delaware Tribe of Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
On September 17, 1778, Delaware people signed the first Indian treaty with the newly formed United States.
Source: Delaware Tribe of Indians, About Us - Delaware Tribe of Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Delaware Tribe of Indians is a federally recognized tribe of the Lenape people, headquartered in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Source: Delaware Tribe of Indians, Home - Delaware Tribe of Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
Central New York, United States
Oneida Indian Nation Members learn Onyota’a:ká:, the Oneida language, through intensive courses, a preschool curriculum, e-books, smartphone apps and an Oneida language keyboard.
Source: Oneida Indian Nation, Language Preservation (opens in a new tab) Checked
During the American Revolution, Oneidas fought alongside the colonists and carried corn to feed General Washington's starving soldiers; the Nation honors them as America's first allies.
Source: Oneida Indian Nation, America's First Allies (opens in a new tab) Checked
Big Cypress, Brighton, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, Immokalee and Tampa reservations in Florida, United States
Adding the Tampa and Immokalee reservations brought the Seminole Tribe of Florida's federal trust lands to more than 90,000 acres.
Source: Seminole Tribe of Florida, Seminoles Today (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Seminole Tribe of Florida describes itself as the only tribe in America that never signed a peace treaty.
Source: Seminole Tribe of Florida, Seminole Tribe of Florida (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Tribal Council, with a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and representatives from each reservation, is the chief governing body of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Source: Seminole Tribe of Florida, Seminoles Today (opens in a new tab) Checked
In and around the Town of Southampton on the eastern end of Long Island, New York, United States
The Shinnecock Indian Nation has over 1,589 enrolled tribal members.
As of 2026 Source: Shinnecock Indian Nation, Shinnecock Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Shinnecock people have lived on Long Island for about 13,000 years, were master whalers, and keep their history and culture very much alive today.
Source: Shinnecock Indian Nation, WHO WE ARE | Shinnecock Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
On October 1, 2010, the Shinnecock Indian Nation was formally recognized by the United States as the 565th federally recognized tribe.
As of 2010 Source: Shinnecock Indian Nation, Shinnecock Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Tuscarora Nation territory near Lewiston, western New York, United States; earlier homelands in what is now North Carolina
The Tuscarora Environment Program works as part of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force, established in 1992 by the Grand Council.
Source: Tuscarora Nation, Tuscarora Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1722 Tuscarora people living in what is now North Carolina traveled north, were invited into the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and became its sixth nation.
The Tuscarora Language Program works with one clear mission: to revive a community of Tuscarora speakers.
Source: Tuscarora Nation, Tuscarora Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Aquinnah, on the western end of Martha's Vineyard (Noepe), Massachusetts, United States
The Aquinnah Wampanoag care for 477 acres of their ancestral lands on Martha's Vineyard.
As of 2026 Source: Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Wampanoag History (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1998 the town of Gay Head returned to its former Wampanoag name, Aquinnah.
As of 1998 Source: Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Wampanoag History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Ancestors of the Wampanoag people have lived at Aquinnah for at least 10,000 years, as the first people of Noepe, now Martha's Vineyard.
Source: Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Wampanoag History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Pueblo of Zuni along the Zuni River in western New Mexico, US, with reservation land in Arizona
The Pueblo of Zuni counts about 18,692 people and holds about 463,287 acres of reservation land.
As of 2026 Source: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Pueblo of Zuni (opens in a new tab) Checked
For about the last 300 years most Zuni people have lived in one main village, the Pueblo of Zuni, with farming villages used at planting and harvest.
Source: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Pueblo of Zuni (opens in a new tab) Checked
Acoma Mesa and surrounding lands in west-central New Mexico, US
Since 2017 the Acoma Language Program has been building a Keres dictionary, with about 5,000 words and phrases being edited by fluent speakers.
As of 2026 Source: Pueblo of Acoma, Acoma Language Program (opens in a new tab) Checked
Archaeologists agree that Acoma has been lived in continuously since at least AD 1200, and Acoma oral history reaches back much further.
Source: Pueblo of Acoma, About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1999 Acoma set up a Historic Preservation Office to keep traditional skills alive, among them stone cutting, wood carving, pottery making and weaving.
As of 1999 Source: Pueblo of Acoma, Cultural Preservation Efforts of Acoma (opens in a new tab) Checked
Gila River Indian Community, south of Phoenix, Arizona, US, shared with the Pee Posh (Maricopa)
The Akimel O’otham welcomed the Pee Posh (Maricopa) to the Gila River long ago, and the two peoples still share its lands and resources today.
As of 2026 Source: Gila River Indian Community, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1859 Congress created the first reservation in Arizona along the Gila River, in appreciation of the Akimel O’otham role in westward travel.
As of 1859 Source: Gila River Indian Community, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Akimel O’otham basket weaving is in revival, and in 2004 the community dedicated the Huhugam Heritage Center to care for its heritage.
As of 2004 Source: Gila River Indian Community, Culture (opens in a new tab) Checked
Lower Colorado River and delta: south of Yuma and near Somerton, Arizona, US, and the Mexicali valley of Baja California and San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico
About 1,000 Cocopah tribal members live and work on or near their reservation south of Yuma, Arizona, which was established in 1917.
As of 2026 Source: Cocopah Indian Tribe, Welcome to Cocopah Indian Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Cocopah, known as the River People, have lived along the lower Colorado River and its delta for centuries.
Source: Cocopah Indian Tribe, Welcome to Cocopah Indian Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Since 2003 the Cucapá of El Mayor, Baja California, and the Cocopah of Somerton, Arizona, have met each year with dances, songs, crafts and food.
As of 2003 Source: Sistema de Información Cultural, Secretaría de Cultura (Mexico), Cucapás (opens in a new tab) Checked
Havasu Canyon in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, US (village of Supai)
Supai is so remote that the US Postal Service carries all mail in and out of the canyon by mule train.
As of 2020 Source: Havasupai Tribe, About Supai (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Havasu Baaja, People of the Blue Green Waters, have made the village of Supai below the Grand Canyon rim their home for over 1,000 years.
Source: Havasupai Tribe, About Supai (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Havasupai reservation was set up in 1880 and greatly enlarged in 1975. It covers 188,077 acres beside the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
As of 1975 Source: Havasupai Tribe, About Supai (opens in a new tab) Checked
Texas, United States, with tribal administration in McAllen and historical homelands spanning Texas and northern Mexico
In 2021, the City and County of Presidio donated a Lipan cemetery parcel to the Lipan Apache Tribe.
As of 2021 Source: Lipan Apache Tribe, El Cementerio de los Lipanes Transferred to Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Tribe recounts that by 1880, Lipan communities lived along the Rio Grande on both sides of the United States-Mexico border.
As of 1880 Source: Lipan Apache Tribe, About Us, Who We Are (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Lipan Apache Tribe in Texas maintains a Tribal Council responsible for community welfare and protection of its heritage.
Source: Lipan Apache Tribe, About Us, Who We Are (opens in a new tab) Checked
South-central New Mexico, US (Mescalero Apache Reservation)
Today three peoples, the Mescalero, Lipan and Chiricahua Apache, together make up the Mescalero Apache Tribe on a 463,000 acre reservation.
As of 2026 Source: Mescalero Apache Tribe, Our Culture (opens in a new tab) Checked
Chiricahua Apache families arrived at the Mescalero reservation in 1913 after imprisonment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
As of 1913 Source: Mescalero Apache Tribe, Our Culture (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Mescalero Apache Tribe owns and runs the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and the Ski Apache ski area.
As of 2026 Source: Mescalero Apache Tribe, Official Website of the Mescalero Apache Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Tribe is governed by an eight member Tribal Council with an elected President and Vice-President, each chosen by secret ballot for two years.
As of 2026 Source: Mescalero Apache Tribe, Our Culture (opens in a new tab) Checked
Where the Rio Grande and Rio Chama meet, northern New Mexico, US
Ohkay Owingeh is the headquarters of the Eight Northern Pueblo Tribal Council.
As of 2026 Source: U.S. National Park Service, Mission San Juan Bautista (opens in a new tab) Checked
The people have long called their home Ohkay Owingeh, place of the strong people in Tewa, and officially restored that name in place of San Juan, given in 1598.
As of 2006 Source: New Mexico Legislature, Senate Joint Memorial 2 (2006) (opens in a new tab) Checked
People have lived at Ohkay Owingeh since about AD 1200, farming with irrigation along the Rio Grande.
Source: U.S. National Park Service, Mission San Juan Bautista (opens in a new tab) Checked
Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Mexico, with smaller communities in Durango, Sonora and Sinaloa
Rarámuri artisans make violins, drums, palm baskets, clay pots and wooden masks, and sell them in towns such as Guachochi, Creel and Batopilas.
As of 2019 Source: Sistema de Información Cultural, Secretaría de Cultura (Mexico), Tarahumaras (opens in a new tab) Checked
From the 1700s to today the Rarámuri have practiced a quiet resistance, and some moved to remote parts of the sierra to keep their traditions.
The Rarámuri ball race is a contest in which runners cover long distances while kicking a wooden ball, and it is held as part of community fiestas.
Southern Ute Reservation around Ignacio, southwestern Colorado, United States
The Tribe's Brunot Area guide explains the hunting right reserved in the 1873 agreement, despite the loss of reservation lands.
As of 1873 Source: Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Brunot Area Hunting and Fishing (opens in a new tab) Checked
Southern Ute government is based on a constitution adopted in 1936 and revised in 1975.
As of 1975 Source: Southern Ute Indian Tribe, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is made up of the Mouache and Caputa bands and is headquartered in Ignacio, Colorado.
Source: Southern Ute Indian Tribe, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
An elected Tribal Council governs the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, which maintains its own constitution, laws and tribal courts.
Source: Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Living in La Plata County (opens in a new tab) Checked
Payson, Gila County, Arizona, United States
In 2010, land for the Tonto Apache Tribe was acquired in trust following a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service.
As of 2010 Source: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Reservation proclamation for trust land belonging to the Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1875, Tonto and Yavapai people were forcibly moved from the Rio Verde Reserve to San Carlos. Some Tonto families later returned to Payson.
As of 1875 Source: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Tonto Apache Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Tonto Apache Tribe is based beside Payson in northwestern Gila County, Arizona.
Source: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Tonto Apache Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Uintah and Ouray Reservation, northeastern Utah, with tribal government at Fort Duchesne, United States
In an April 2026 statement, the Ute Indian Tribe announced it would appeal a federal district court decision concerning split-estate reservation lands.
As of 2026 Source: Ute Indian Tribe, Tribe will appeal Utah Federal District Court decision on split estate lands (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1881, the United States forcibly removed White River Utes from Colorado to the Uintah Reservation.
As of 1881 Source: Utah Division of State History, History to Go, Ute Indians (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Ute Indian Tribe elects Business Committee representatives from the Uintah, Uncompahgre and Whiteriver bands.
Source: Ute Indian Tribe, Business Committee (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Tribe delegates protection, restoration and management of Uintah and Ouray Reservation water resources to its Water Resources Department and Commission.
Source: Ute Indian Tribe, Water Resources (opens in a new tab) Checked
Towaoc and reservation lands in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico; White Mesa, Utah, United States
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe identifies itself as the Weenuche band of the Ute Nation, with its tribal offices in Towaoc, Colorado.
Source: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Weenuche Band organized a tribal government and adopted a constitution six years after the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.
Source: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
White Mesa Administration supports community members with employment, education and access to basic services in White Mesa, Utah.
Source: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, White Mesa Administration (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council is elected by the tribal membership and governs the reservation.
Source: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (opens in a new tab) Checked
Foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental on the Chihuahua and Sonora border, Mexico
Warihó and Macurawe families weave baskets, mats and hats from palm and fiber and build harps, violins and guitars. Their craft work is family based and rests with women.
As of 2022 Source: Sistema de Información Cultural, Secretaría de Cultura (Mexico), Guarijíos (opens in a new tab) Checked
In colonial times the people formed two branches, one in Chihuahua influenced by the Rarámuri and one in Sonora influenced by the Yoreme.
The people call themselves Macurawe in Sonora and Warihó in Chihuahua. Their Uto-Aztecan language has two variants and bridges Tarahumara and Mayo.
39 First Nations across Ontario, Canada, from Pikwàkanagàn in the east and Aamjiwnaang in the south to Lake Nipigon in the north
The Anishinabek Nation speaks for 39 First Nations in Ontario with about 70,000 citizens, roughly one third of the province's First Nation population.
As of 2026 Source: Anishinabek Nation, About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1949 the Nation set up the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat, replacing the Grand General Indian Council, which first met under that name in 1870.
Source: Anishinabek Nation, About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
It is Ontario's oldest political organization, with roots in the Confederacy of Three Fires that long predates European contact.
Source: Anishinabek Nation, About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
Denendeh, the western Northwest Territories, Canada
The Dene Nation brings together five regional groups, the Gwich'in, Sahtú, Deh Cho, Tłı̨chǫ and Akaitcho Dene, each with its own language and territory.
As of 2026 Source: Dene Nation, Our Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
In July 1975 more than 300 delegates meeting in Fort Simpson unanimously adopted the Dene Declaration, affirming the Dene as a distinct nation.
Source: Dene Nation, Our Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
Dene simply means 'the people'. Their homeland, Denendeh, lies in the western Northwest Territories.
Source: Dene Nation, Our Nation (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, centred on Bella Bella (Wáglísla) on Campbell Island
In 2025 Heiltsuk members ratified a written constitution, a milestone in self-governance.
As of 2025 Source: Heiltsuk Tribal Council, Heiltsuk Nation: Haíɫzaqv (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1997 the Supreme Court of Canada, in R. v. Gladstone, recognized a Heiltsuk Aboriginal right to harvest and sell herring spawn on kelp.
Source: Heiltsuk Tribal Council, Heiltsuk Nation: Haíɫzaqv (opens in a new tab) Checked
Haíɫzaqv means 'to speak and act correctly', principles that guide Heiltsuk ancestral and present-day ways of life.
Source: Heiltsuk Tribal Council, Heiltsuk Nation: Haíɫzaqv (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the western Arctic, Northwest Territories and Yukon, Canada
Six communities lie within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region: Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok.
As of 2026 Source: Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Communities (opens in a new tab) Checked
Signed on June 5, 1984, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was the first comprehensive land claim agreement north of 60 degrees latitude, and only the second in Canada at the time.
Source: Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvialuit Final Agreement (opens in a new tab) Checked
One of the agreement's basic goals is keeping Inuvialuit cultural identity and values strong as northern society changes.
Source: Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvialuit Final Agreement (opens in a new tab) Checked
ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa: the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, with Kootenay Tribes also based today in Montana and Idaho, United States
The Ktunaxa Nation Council helps represent the shared interests of four Ktunaxa First Nations within ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa, the Ktunaxa homelands.
As of 2026 Source: Ktunaxa Nation Council, Home (opens in a new tab) Checked
Ktunaxa people have lived beside the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers and the Arrow Lakes for more than 10,000 years.
Source: Ktunaxa Nation Council, ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa (opens in a new tab) Checked
ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa, the traditional territory, covers about 70,000 square kilometres in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.
Source: Ktunaxa Nation Council, ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa (opens in a new tab) Checked
Mi’kma’ki: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the Gaspé in Canada, with relatives in Maine, United States
Mi'kmaw communities in Nova Scotia wrote their own Netukulimk Livelihood Management Plans so members who fish can support themselves and their families.
As of 2020 Source: Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative), About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1999 the Marshall decision of the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the Treaties of 1760 and 1761, along with a right to hunt, fish and gather to earn a moderate livelihood.
Source: Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative), About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 2006 the 13 Mi'kmaw Chiefs of Nova Scotia formed the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs to guide the Nation's negotiators on rights and title.
Source: Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative), About Us (opens in a new tab) Checked
Treaty 6 territory in central Saskatchewan, Canada, with urban reserve land in Saskatoon
Muskeg Lake Cree Nation planned a gathering for August 20 to 23, 2026 to mark 150 years since Treaty 6 was signed.
As of 2026 Source: Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Band No. 102 (opens in a new tab) Checked
The community credits its veterans, who served in both World Wars, Korea and peacetime, with shaping how Muskeg Lake developed.
Source: Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1988 Muskeg Lake Cree Nation created Asimakeniseekan Askiy in Saskatoon, the first commercial urban reserve in Canada.
Source: City of Saskatoon, Urban Reserves and Land Holdings (opens in a new tab) Checked
East of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; part of the Blackfoot Confederacy
Siksika Nation has about 7,800 members, and its language is Siksika, or Blackfoot.
As of 2026 Source: Siksika Nation, About (opens in a new tab) Checked
Treaty 7 was signed in 1877 at Blackfoot Crossing, on Siksika land.
Siksika's coat of arms, registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority in June 1992, was the first registered by any Nation in Canada.
The Okanagan, Similkameen and Nicola areas of British Columbia, Canada, and northern Washington State, United States
Historically the Okanagan Nation Alliance represented eight member communities: seven in Canada and the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State.
As of 2026 Source: Okanagan Nation Alliance, Member Communities (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 1846 the border that now divides Canada and the United States was drawn across Syilx territory without the Nation's consent, separating lands and families.
Source: Okanagan Nation Alliance, Home (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Okanagan Nation Alliance reports that the new Okanagan Dam Fish Passage, after years of advocacy and planning, lets salmon reach Okanagan Lake for the first time in nearly 100 years.
As of 2026 Source: Okanagan Nation Alliance, Home (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Wolastoq (Saint John River) watershed, from the Bay of Fundy to the St. Lawrence: New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada, and Maine in the United States
Six Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick, Matawaskiye, Neqotkuk, Pilick, Sitansisk, Welamukotuk and Wotstak, work together through the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick.
As of 2026 Source: Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick, Our History (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the Peace and Friendship Treaties remain legally binding, and they are the foundation of Wolastoqey treaty rights.
Source: Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick, Our History (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Wolastoqiyik are the people of the Wolastoq watershed, a homeland of land, sea and fresh water reaching from the Bay of Fundy to the St. Lawrence River.
Source: Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick, Our History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Southwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, near the Pacific coast, including Juquila, Yaitepec, Quiahije and Nopala
Since 1994, La Voz de la Costa Chica in Santiago Jamiltepec, Oaxaca has broadcast in Mixtec, Amuzgo, Chatino, Tacuate and Spanish.
Traces of Chatino culture in the coastal zone of Oaxaca date back to around 400 BCE.
Chatino weaving and embroidery continue in Yaitepec, Quiahije and Nopala, where blouses, shoulder bags, sashes and tablecloths are made.
The Sierra of the Costa Chica on the Guerrero and Oaxaca border, Mexico, including Xochistlahuaca, San Pedro Amuzgos and Santa María Ipalapa
After a struggle that began in 1920, Amuzgo lands were restored as an ejido on August 25, 1933, covering 6,384 hectares.
Amuzgo oral history says the people came from the sea, from islands they call ndyuaa xenncue, the lands in the middle.
Amuzgo women weave huipiles, rebozos and tablecloths on the backstrap loom, while men make bamboo and palm baskets.
Gunayala on Panama's Caribbean coast and islands, plus Madungandí and Wargandí in Panama and communities in northwestern Colombia
Gunayala's 49 communities govern themselves together through the Guna General Congress, their highest political and administrative body for land, resources and education.
As of 2026 Source: Cultural Survival, Gunayala: A Living Model of Autonomy and Self-government (opens in a new tab) Checked
Guna authors note that their self-government existed long before any state law recognized it; Panama's Law 16 of 1953 legally organized the comarca now called Gunayala.
As of 1953 Source: Cultural Survival, Gunayala: A Living Model of Autonomy and Self-government (opens in a new tab) Checked
Gunayala runs along Panama's Caribbean coast to the Colombian border, with about 315 km of coastline and over 400 small islands and islets.
As of 2026 Source: Cultural Survival, Gunayala: A Living Model of Autonomy and Self-government (opens in a new tab) Checked
Western highlands of Guatemala (Huehuetenango, San Marcos, Quetzaltenango) and neighboring Chiapas, Mexico
In October 2025, the Mam communities of Cajolá and Todos Santos Cuchumatán joined two other Maya communities in reporting to a UN committee on their community radio rights.
As of 2025 Source: Cultural Survival, Indigenous Communities and Cultural Survival Urge CERD to Address Community Radio Rights Violations in Guatemala (opens in a new tab) Checked
An 1882 border treaty between Mexico and Guatemala left the Mam people divided between the two countries.
B'alam Stereo in Cabricán, among the longer-running Indigenous stations in Guatemala's highlands, has served the Maya Mam since 1976, with work promoting education, health, water and justice.
As of 2019 Source: Cultural Survival, Announcing Our 2019 Community Media Grants Partners (opens in a new tab) Checked
Mam crafts vary by community and include baskets, pottery, wool mantillones, palm hats, wooden toys and decorated gourds.
Western El Salvador, especially Sonsonate and Ahuachapán departments
In Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Nahuat-speaking teachers created Nahuatl cribs where children learn the language, and Radio Sensunat promotes Nahuat Pipil culture.
As of 2020 Source: Cultural Survival, Radio Sensunat: Broadcasting to Revitalize the Nahuat Language in El Salvador (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 2014 El Salvador amended article 63 of its constitution to recognize Indigenous Peoples and commit to policies supporting their identity and culture.
As of 2014 Source: Cultural Survival, The Resilience and Resistance of the Nahuat Pipil Peoples of El Salvador (opens in a new tab) Checked
Izalco is the only municipality in El Salvador with an ancestral Indigenous government, made up of mayordomos and mayordomas.
As of 2020 Source: Cultural Survival, Radio Sensunat: Broadcasting to Revitalize the Nahuat Language in El Salvador (opens in a new tab) Checked
South-eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta near Valledupar, Cesar, Colombia, centered on Atánquez
In 2022 UNESCO recognized the ancestral knowledge system shared by the Kankuamo, Arhuaco, Kogui and Wiwa as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
As of 2022 Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 17.COM 7.B.3 (opens in a new tab) Checked
Since the late 1980s, supported by neighboring Sierra Nevada peoples, the Kankuamo have led a process of cultural renewal and peaceful resistance.
The Kankuamo resguardo, about 24,212 hectares near Valledupar, was collectively titled to the people in 2003.
As of 2003 Source: Ministerio de Cultura de Colombia, Dirección de Poblaciones, Kankuamos, guardianes del equilibrio del mundo (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Macizo Colombiano in southern Cauca, with communities in Huila and Valle del Cauca, Colombia
The Yanacona are recovering their identity and culture, including their traditional language, Quechua, and strengthening their cabildo authorities.
Yanacona leader Juan Gregorio Palechor, of the Guachicono resguardo, was among the community leaders who formed the CRIC in Cauca in 1971.
As of 1971 Source: Ministerio de Cultura de Colombia, Dirección de Poblaciones, Los Yanacona, reconstruyendo la casa (opens in a new tab) Checked
Yanacona territory covers a large part of the Macizo Colombiano, the mountain region of southern Cauca.
Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia around Olivença, in Ilhéus, Buerarema and Una, with Tupinambá communities also in Pará, Brazil
The Tupinambá of Olivença live in the Atlantic Forest region of southern Bahia.
Source: Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), Tupinambá - Povos Indígenas no Brasil (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 2001 Funai, Brazil's Indigenous affairs agency, officially recognized the Tupinambá of Olivença as an Indigenous people.
As of 2001 Source: Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), Tupinambá - Povos Indígenas no Brasil (opens in a new tab) Checked
Taimyr Peninsula in Krasnoyarsk Krai (Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets District) and the Anabar District and city of Yakutsk in Sakha (Yakutia), Russia
During an August 2026 folk culture expedition to Khatanga, the Dolgan dried-fish dish kerdiileek was added to the list of Taimyr's intangible cultural heritage.
The Dolgan formed as a people in the north of the Yenisei region between the 17th and 19th centuries and took final shape in the early 20th century.
Dolgan is a Turkic language, close to Sakha (Yakut), from which it separated through isolated development.
Avanersuaq (the Thule region) in northwest Greenland, centred on the town of Qaanaaq
The Inughuit have their own language, or dialect, and a hunting culture that is distinctive in several ways.
Source: Lex, Danmarks Nationalleksikon, Qaanaaq (opens in a new tab) Checked
Arctic explorers relied on Inughuit skill and knowledge of the far north to succeed, and Inughuit elders later shared their knowledge to help a US museum document that history.
Hunting is still a significant part of the livelihood of several families in Qaanaaq, Greenland's youngest and northernmost town.
Source: Lex, Danmarks Nationalleksikon, Qaanaaq (opens in a new tab) Checked
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, northern Kamchatka Krai and the Nizhnekolymsky District of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia
Researchers at Russia's Kunstkamera museum published a 2018 study on the mobile dwellings of Chukchi reindeer herders, covering both traditions and innovations.
As of 2018 Source: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences, Arctic Research Center (opens in a new tab) Checked
Chukchi have used pictographs since ancient times, and their oldest known documents are inscribed walrus tusks.
Carving bone and walrus ivory and embroidering with reindeer hair are long-standing Chukchi arts, practised alongside reindeer herding and hunting.
the Afar region of north-eastern Ethiopia, the Dankalia coast of Eritrea, and Djibouti
Ethiopia's Afar State is home to about 1.8 million Afar people, by a government projection.
As of 2017 Source: IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs), The Indigenous World 2024, Eritrea chapter (IWGIA yearbook PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked
In Eritrea, the Afar are one of at least four Indigenous peoples, who have lived in their traditional territories for about two thousand years.
In 2008 Afar pastoralists set up the Afar Pastoralist Council so they could raise their voices at regional, national and international level.
As of 2008 Source: Pastoralist Communication Initiative, Afar Pastoralist Council holds Inaugural General Meeting (opens in a new tab) Checked
the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, in Kween, Kapchorwa and Bukwo districts
In May 2023 Uganda's Office of the Prime Minister directed the wildlife authority (UWA) to stop evictions of Benet communities.
As of 2023 Source: IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs), The Indigenous World 2024, Uganda chapter (IWGIA yearbook PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Mosopisyek Benet have lived on Mount Elgon in Uganda for more than five hundred years.
In 2005 Uganda's High Court recognized the Benet as the historical, indigenous inhabitants of Mount Elgon, a landmark land-rights ruling.
As of 2005 Source: Cultural Survival, Momentous Ruling Recognizes Land Rights of Indigenous Community (opens in a new tab) Checked
the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa
Early Griqua communities governed themselves through leaders called kaptyns, with magistrates drawn from leading families.
Source: South African History Online, Griqua (opens in a new tab) Checked
Klaarwater, the settlement Griqua people founded, later took the name Griquatown.
Source: South African History Online, Griqua (opens in a new tab) Checked
Griqua communities live today in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
the Ituri forest of north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
A 2022 national law in the DR Congo, in force since February 2023, recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples, including the Mbuti, to their lands, territories and resources.
As of 2023 Source: IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs), The Indigenous World 2024: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Mbuti, with the Baka and Batwa, are widely acknowledged as the first inhabitants of the DR Congo's rainforests.
Mbuti and Efe peoples live in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Ituri forest, which is essential to their economy and culture.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (opens in a new tab) Checked
UNESCO calls for ensuring the involvement of the Indigenous Mbuti and Efe peoples in the management of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (opens in a new tab) Checked
southern Namibia and the Richtersveld and Namaqualand areas of South Africa's Northern Cape, with smaller communities in Botswana
In 2003 South Africa's Constitutional Court recognized the Richtersveld Nama community's communal Indigenous right to its land and the resources in it.
As of 2003 Source: IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs), The Indigenous World 2026: South Africa (opens in a new tab) Checked
On 28 May 2025 Namibia held its first official Genocide Remembrance Day, remembering atrocities against the Herero and Nama peoples under German colonial rule.
As of 2025 Source: IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs), The Indigenous World 2026: Namibia (opens in a new tab) Checked
In South Africa's Richtersveld, Nama families still build portable rush-mat houses called haru oms and move herds between seasonal grazing grounds.
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, India
India's government names the Bhil among the tribal peoples whose movements strengthened the country's freedom struggle.
Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, and parts of northeast India
The Chakma make up more than half of the Indigenous population of Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts.
As of 2018 Source: Minority Rights Group, Adivasis in Bangladesh (opens in a new tab) Checked
Regulations of 1900 confirmed that the Chittagong Hill Tracts were largely self-governing in internal matters.
As of 1900 Source: Minority Rights Group, Adivasis in Bangladesh (opens in a new tab) Checked
Hill Tracts peoples are sometimes called Jumma, after jum, their traditional method of shifting cultivation.
Source: Minority Rights Group, Adivasis in Bangladesh (opens in a new tab) Checked
Eastern Myanmar, including Karen State, and western and northern Thailand
Karen is a name for several related peoples who speak 12 related Karenic languages; about 85 percent of Karen belong to the S'gaw or Pwo branches.
Source: Minority Rights Group, Karen in Myanmar (opens in a new tab) Checked
Karen communities have lived in what is now northern Thailand for many centuries.
Source: Minority Rights Group, Indigenous peoples in Thailand (opens in a new tab) Checked
Mizoram, northeast India
Mizoram became a full state of India on 20 February 1987; its Legislative Assembly first met on 10 May 1972.
As of 1987 Source: Mizoram Legislative Assembly, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
Historically, every Mizo village had its own chief, who was assisted by a council of elders.
Source: Mizoram Legislative Assembly, History (opens in a new tab) Checked
India's government names the Mizo among the tribal peoples whose movements strengthened the country's freedom struggle.
Peninsular Malaysia
Orang Asli, a Malay collective term meaning original or first peoples, covers 18 officially listed groups of Peninsular Malaysia.
Source: Center for Orang Asli Concerns, A Brief Introduction (opens in a new tab) Checked
Orang Asli were collectors and primary traders in the peninsula's economy as early as the 5th century CE.
Source: Center for Orang Asli Concerns, A Brief Introduction (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Orang Asli are not one group: each people has its own language and culture and sees itself as distinct.
Source: Center for Orang Asli Concerns, A Brief Introduction (opens in a new tab) Checked
Some Temuan, Jakun and Semai families now run their own rubber, oil palm or cocoa farms.
Source: Center for Orang Asli Concerns, A Brief Introduction (opens in a new tab) Checked
Lanyu (Orchid Island), Taitung County, Taiwan
The Tao, who live on Lanyu, also called Orchid Island, numbered 4,684 in January 2020.
As of 2020 Source: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan, Yami (opens in a new tab) Checked
In Tao migration history, the ancestors lived on the Batanes islands of the northern Philippines before settling on Lanyu.
Source: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan, Yami (opens in a new tab) Checked
The people call themselves Tao, meaning human, while Yami is the name used officially.
Source: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan, Yami (opens in a new tab) Checked
Ita Thao Village by Sun Moon Lake and Dapinglin, Nantou County, Taiwan
Thao people live mainly in Ita Thao Village in Yuchi Township and in Dapinglin, Shuili Township, both in Nantou County. They numbered about 817 in January 2020.
As of 2020 Source: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan, Thao (opens in a new tab) Checked
Thao oral history tells of ancestors who followed a white deer to Sun Moon Lake and found a fertile place full of fish.
Source: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan, Thao (opens in a new tab) Checked
Eastern Sri Lanka, including the Maduru Oya area
In 1983, 51,468 hectares of Wanniyala-Aetto customary land were declared the Maduru Oya National Park.
As of 1983 Source: Minority Rights Group, Wanniyala-Aetto (Veddhas) in Sri Lanka (opens in a new tab) Checked
Their own name, Wanniyala-Aetto, means forest dwellers, and their ancestors lived on the island long before the Sinhalese and the Tamils arrived.
Source: Minority Rights Group, Wanniyala-Aetto (Veddhas) in Sri Lanka (opens in a new tab) Checked
Kosrae, an island state in the east of the Federated States of Micronesia, with the municipalities of Lelu, Malem, Tafunsak and Utwe
In 2017 Kosraean elders proposed protecting Kosrae's mountain range, seen as the figure Mahkontowe, now the Mahkontowe Conservation Area under Kosrae State law.
As of 2017 Source: Kosrae Island Resource Management Authority, Kosrae State Historic Preservation Office (opens in a new tab) Checked
The Mahkontowe pihlengfong, a Kosraean night story, tells how the Tokosra's seat of political power moved from Likinlulem to Lelu Island, home of the Lelu Ruins.
Kosrae State has its own constitutional government, with a legislature elected by voters in the districts of Lelu, Malem, Tafunsak and Utwe.
Source: Legal Information System of the Federated States of Micronesia, Kosrae (opens in a new tab) Checked
Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia, on Pohnpei island and its outlying atolls
Nan Madol, a World Heritage site since 2016, is traditionally owned and managed under the Nahnmwarki system, a chiefly institution that continues in Pohnpei today.
As of 2016 Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (opens in a new tab) Checked
Nan Madol's more than 100 islets off south-east Pohnpei hold the remains of stone palaces, temples and residences built between 1200 and 1500 CE.
Pohnpei State's constitution protects the customs and traditions of Pohnpei's traditional kingdoms alongside its elected government.
Source: Legal Information System of the Federated States of Micronesia, Pohnpei (opens in a new tab) Checked
Rapa Nui (Easter Island), in the south-eastern Pacific, Chile
Tapati Rapa Nui, the island's main cultural festival, filled two weeks of February 2026 with ancestral competitions, arts and celebrations of Rapa Nui identity, language and traditions.
Rapa Nui is the Indigenous name of Easter Island, whose Polynesian society built shrines and raised the stone figures called moai from the 10th to the 16th century.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Rapa Nui National Park (opens in a new tab) Checked
In 2017, 642 votes were cast in a formal consultation with the Rapa Nui people on a marine protected area for their island, and yes won all three questions.
In 2017 Chile handed administration of Rapa Nui National Park to the Rapa Nui people, through the Ma'u Henua indigenous community, for 50 renewable years.
In the Tapati's Takona contest, competitors paint their faces and bodies with natural pigments and explain the meaning of their designs to the community.
Source: Memoria Chilena, Biblioteca Nacional de Chile, Rapa Nui (opens in a new tab) Checked