Native American Nations in the North Central States - George Caitlin Portraits

The Native American groups of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado have been outlined earlier in this series, showing how they migrated from the Pacific Northwest US to the east.. First Nations groups also migrated southward from Canda into these states. The remaining four North Central States also experienced migration from western and northwestern indigenous groups.

In 1786, just 10 years after we became a free nation, the USA set up its first Native American reservation by some accounts. Bu other accounts, the first reservation was established before the American Revolution in South Carolina in 1760-62 by the Pine Tree and Augusta Treaties with the Catawba Indians in Catawba County. Massachusetts followed suit in 1786.

National Indian policy remained unchanged for over one hundred years. However, President James Monroe said profoundly in his 1821 second inaugural address that mistreating Native Americans with reservation placement "...flattered their pride, retarded their improvement, and in many instances paved the way to their destruction."

21st Century TV public service announcement show Native Americans extolling the virtues of staying on "The Rez" with government help.

North Dakota

• Devils Lake Sioux Tribe a.k.a. Mni Wakan Oyate Tribe
• Standing Rock Sioux
• The Three Affiliated Tribes - Fort Berthold Reservation
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa

South Dakota

• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
• Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Council
• Flandreau Santee Sioux
• Lower Brule Sioux Tribal Council
• Oglala Sioux Tibal Council
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe
• Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
• Yankton Sioux

Nebraska

• Omaha Tribal Council
• Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
• Santee Sioux
• Winnebago Nation

Kansas

• Iowa Nation of Kansas & Nebraska
• Kickapoo (Kansas)
• Pelathe Community Resource Center
• Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe
• RedNation of the Cherokee
• Sac & Fox of Missouri

In the 1830s, George Catlin made five different trips to the West in order to submerse hmself in Native American culture and paint individuals from the various Plains tribes or nations. He did them a great tribute in doing so, because his works have been preserved for the future. They depict the native Americans with respect and dignity.

As Catlin traveled west in his firt trek in 1830, the US had just passed the Indian Removal Act to force Native Americans in the Southeast to relocate west of the Mississippi River. He saw the disruption of their lives through no fault of their own. Attempting to raise funds by having the indigenous peoples visit Europe and the US East to reenact their cultural traditions, Catlin actually formed the first Wild West Shows. With this, he inadvertently sentenced them to 200 years of stereotyping.

Mr. Catlin went bankrupt in 1852, but a wealthy American purchased his 500 Native American paintings and paid off his debts for him. When Catlin died, this wealthy man donated all of the paintings immediately to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., where they are now known as the Indian Gallery. Paintings from the Gallery tour the USA regularly.