What Indian tribes lived in my area.

[kyheadhunter]

How do I figure out what tribes of Indians lived in the areas I'm hunting? Can anyone tell me how to figure this out.
jane

[slhill109]

http://www.native-languages.org/kentucky.htm

  This website shows 4 different tribes that lived in Kentucky.
The Cherokee tribe
The Chickasaw tribe
The Shawnee tribe
The Yuchi tribe
  Sherry   

[Paleolution]

That is not an easy thing to do!  For one, the majority of the tribes probably didn't have the same names, or cultural practices thousands of years ago.  The introduction of horses in North America is what brought about the powerful tribes that we know about from historic times.  They were able to move around, hunt, and making warfare more common among the tribes.  They were also pushed around a lot from the settlers and calvary, so the places they were most recently aren't necessarily the same areas they have been for thousands of years. I think there was more trading, communicating, and tribe intermixing than any text or expert will tell you.  Just look at the similarities between point types that span massive regions, and for thousands of years!  It's fascinating to think about how complex and intelligent these "savages" (in the minds of the early white settlers) were...

[Wildhorse]

Not to far off this subject. If you have not read (Bury my heart a Wounded Knee), Do it is a great way to see just what happened to the Indian tribes across the country.

[greywolf22]

I am part Cherokee and that part of me is still pissed off about the "Trail of Tears". It shows that total power corrupts, but that is the way of man.

[CliffJ]

Hi Jane,
   I think these are some very good answers to your question, but not the entire picture. The artifacts that you may find go back 12000 years or more, and cannot be assigned to any tribe until those made in much more recent times of the historic period. Back beyond the Contact period, we have only the oral traditions of the existing historic tribes to tell where they lived. The Cherokee (they call themselves Tsalagi), for instance, have a traditional migration story whereas they anciently moved from the Great Lakes region. Also, when European diseases spread inland from trade with the Europeans, many tribes were nearly decimated without ever having seen a white man. The survivors moved and often banded with other tribes, and tribes were often named by the white man for the river or region they inhabited- or even by what their enemies called them! So even the tribal names themselves are phonetic bastardizations- mostly guesses of what an immigrant thought that tribe was named.
So, the artifacts you find were made by whatever tribe or family or group that happened to live and hunt in the place that you find their tools, in one time period. An Archaic sidenotched point was made by the specific Archaic culture that existed in your particular field. In later times, a cultural continuity can be proven in the archaeology of some sites, that may show that a Contact period tribe was there on that site for say, 500 or 1000 years until they were removed or decimated or replaced by another tribe. 
(More than you wanted to think about LOL)

[kyheadhunter]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Cliff it's never more than I want to know. The more I  learn, even if it is bits and pieces, here and there...the more knowledge I hunger for. There's just something about finding, holding, and examining the artifacts I find that leave me hungry to know what they were all about... such as their lifestyles and way of life.
My fav place to hunt has shown evidence that it was once a huge, huge...and I mean huge...campsite and from the types of artifacts the land has given up...I have no doubt they inhabited this area for generation upon generation. I have found artifacts that date from the paleo period all the way to the mississippian period and found so many stone tools such as the lapstones, pestals, drills and axes that I store them in big boxes...since there's way too many to display. So this tells me...indians lived and died there for many many generations...but who were they?
jane

[Wildhorse]

Again if you guys have not read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee you should. It tells the Indian side of a lot of things that happened. Really get it and you will not be sorry.greywolf22 wrote:

I am part Cherokee and that part of me is still pissed off about the "Trail of Tears". It shows that total power corrupts, but that is the way of man.

[wmwallace]

I just finished reading "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee" about one week ago. An excellent read, and gives all new meaning to the old cliche,"History is always written by the victorious." Dee Brown (The author) did extensive research and told the native american's side of the story. Many references include journal entries from calvary that were appauled by the treatment of the Indians. A definate must read.

[wmwallace]

As far as inhabitants the Cherokee were recorded to live in the SE, other tribes within the now state were Chickasaw which were said to dwell in the western area of Kentucky. Mesopelea lived there briefly on there move from Ohio to Mississippi.
  The Shawnee had a village where what is now Lexington, KY. Where their well known chief, Blackhoof was born. Though they had much to do with KY history, they used it mostly for a hunting ground and had no real long settlements there.
  Other notable tribes who would have migrated to and through Ky for hunting grounds are the Illinois, Miami, Iriquois and the Delaware. That gives you a little reference.
  But as Cliff said, some of the older artifacts you are finding have little to do with the above, but at least you have a few tribal references to check into. Bill

[Pullenrock]

Jack I knew there was something bout you as I am part also.I live five minutes from that trail now..in east texas..I like gathering from the comanchee and others from archaic periods in NM..But my area is caddo.

[spanky]

Jane a good book to have is the Atlas of The North American Indian by Carl Waldman. Has alot of info for you. The new one is the 3rd edition.

[spanky]

wmwallace I've read it along time ago, but just bought it again in its Illustrated Edition and looks interesting. ISBN 978-1-4027-6066-2.