Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

Before Europeans came, many different Native peoples already lived across North America, each with their own languages and cultures. In U.S. civics, these first inhabitants are commonly called American Indians or Native Americans.

Native Americans were the original peoples of North America, living here for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. They formed many different tribes and nations with their own languages, cultures, and governments. Their communities were spread across the entire continent.