Practically every tribe called themselves by a name meaning "the people", "real people", "first men", "true men", "men of men" and so on:
Tribe.................Real Name.......................Meaning
Cheyenne.........tse-tsehese-staestse......our people
Arapaho............hinono-eino.....................our people
Illinois...............inoka................................people
Delaware..........leni lenape.......................true men
Powhatan.........renape.............................people
Mandan.............rua'kaki...........................men, people (or ru'eta...........ourselves, our people)
Ojibwe...............anishinaabe....................original people
Cherokee...........aniyunwiya.....................principal people
Tanaina..............dena'ina..........................the people
Navajo...............dine'e..............................the people
Chippewyan.......dene...............................the people
Kiowa.................gaigwu............................principal people
Gwich'in..............gwich'in..........................the people
Eskimo.................inuit..............................the people
Apache................nde................................the people
Comanche...........numinu..........................the people
Ute......................nuutsiu..........................the people
Hidatsa................nuxbaaga.......................original people
There are many more examples.
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.