The term Native American is a common term we use to describe the people who were here when European explorers arrived. The term Indian was born when explorers thought they had landed in the "Indies" of the Asian continent. Nowadays we refer to the natives of this country as Native Americans, even if they do not consider themselves this group. You see, Native Americans prefer to be identified by their tribes, such as Apache, Cherokee, Shoshone, and Cheyenne. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Apache people are said to originate from Alaska and Canada and are considered close relatives of the Navajo. The ancestors of the Apache arrived here in the United States shortly after the 14th century and before 1540. They eventually established settlements on the Four Corners and faced serious political and economic turmoil. These interruptions came first from Spanish explorers and then from the Camacnhes tribe. In the early 1700s, the Comanche tribe would devastate many Apache settlements and things would not improve from there. In 1886, after Geronimo's defeat, many Apaches became prisoners of war and were shipped to several American states. Modern Apaches can be found in Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico with a population of 30,000. The ancestors of the Cherokee tribe can be traced back to around 800-1600 AD in Georgia, United States. For much of the 18th century, the Cherokee tribes were actually close allies of the English who were here in the United States. In this alliance there was much trade with European tools, weapons, and other technologies in exchange for buckskin. During the Seven Years' War, the Cherokee sent 1,000 warriors to help the English defeat the French in Ohio, but the American Revolution was a little different. During the American Revolution, the Cherokee were divided in two, one on the side of the English and the other on the side of the Americans. In the early 1800s, the Cherokee were driven out of the state of Georgia and the Trail of Tears became a harsh reality. Today the Cherokee population numbers 300,000, most residing in Oklahoma. The Shoshone tribe, also called the Shoshoni tribe, originally lived in the Great Basin and the Great Plains. The Shoshone tribe is closely related to the Comanche, Ute and Paiute Indians. In the 18th century, the Shoshone were surpassed in weapons and speed by other tribes with weapons and horses. The Shoshone were pushed south from the northern plains. In the 1840s the Shoshone tribe was decimated by smallpox and other diseases brought by white settlers who moved into their territory. In 1939 the land of the Shashone went from 5 states to 1/20 of its original size! Today their population numbers more or less 10,000 inhabitants distributed between Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming. The Cheyenne tribe was one of the most important tribes on the plains. They hunted mainly in the hills and grasslands and called themselves "Tsitsistas". Before 1600 they lived in permanent settlements in log houses. During the 1600s, however, they migrated due to conflict with neighboring tribes. In the 1700s they were hunters, gatherers and nomads. They purchased horses from the Spanish and continued to move due to the conflict. Around 1860 they began to attack camps, caravans and everything of value. Many battles occurred afterward, such as the Sand Creek Massacre and the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. 1884 was the last of the major events in the history of the Cheyenne, that is, when they got their reservations. Their population is now about 17,000 and they live on two large reservations in Montana and Oklahoma. Keep in mind: this is just/