Local information for Native American Culture and resources in every state and province of the United States and Canada, including casino’s, powwows, places to visit and tribal information. Read more...
Indigenous peoples in the United States
Indigenous peoples in the USA are mainly American Indian peoples and Alaska Native peoples. In May 2016, 567 tribal entities were federally recognised, and most of these have recognised national homelands.
In 2010, the United States announced that it would support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as moral guidance after voting against it in 2007. However, it has not ratified ILO Convention 169, an international legal instrument dealing specifically with the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. Around 6.6 million people in the United States, or 2% of the total population, identify as Native American or Alaska Native, either alone or in combination with another ethnic identity. Around 2.5 million, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian or Alaska Native alone.
23% of the Native population lives in American Indian areas or Alaska Native villages. The state with the largest Native population is California, while the place with the largest Native population is New York City. While socioeconomic indicators vary widely across different regions, the poverty rate for those who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native alone is around 27%.
Recognized Native nations are sovereign but wards of the state. The federal government mandates tribal consultation, but has plenary power over indigenous nations. American Indians in the United States are generally American citizens.
