Native Americans Indigenous peoples of the American continent.

North America

Native North Americans are believed to be descended from Asian peoples who crossed via the Bering Strait or the Aleutian Islands around 20,000 bc or earlier. They may be divided into eight distinct cultural and geographic groups: the Arctic area; the Northeastern-Mackenzie area; the Northwest Coast area; the Southwestern area; the Plains area; the California-Intermountain area; the Southwestern area; and the Mesoamerican area. See separate articles for individual tribes.

South America

Native South Americans derived from North American groups who migrated s. Three main culture groups inhabiting distinct geographic areas are recognized: (1) Native Americans of the Andean area developed the highest cultures of the continent. After ad 1300, the Quechua culture dominated almost the entire region. (2) Native Americans of the Amazon Basin are mainly isolated, primitive, agricultural communities of many localized tribes. (3) Native Americans of the pampas successfully resisted Inca and Spaniard alike. In the southernmost portion of the continent live the Tierra del Fuegans, who are now few in number.

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Native Americans see Americas, antiquity and prehistory of the ; Natives, Middle American ; Natives, North American ; Natives, South American .

Na·tive A·mer·i·can • n. a member of any of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. • adj. of or relating to these peoples.