Quapaw

Quapaw, Native American tribe of the Siouan language family and of the Great Plains culture area. After migrating from the Atlantic coast, the Quapaw lived in what is now eastern Arkansas, near the mouth of the Arkansas River. An agricultural people, they resided in villages in communal longhouses. The Quapaw were skilled artisans, known for their pottery. In 1818 they ceded their lands to the U.S. government. When the land was opened to white settlers, the tribe was moved first to Louisiana and, in the mid-1800s, to a reservation in Oklahoma. Most Quapaw still live in the Oklahoma area. In the 2000 U.S. census about 1,200 people identified themselves as Quapaw only; an additional 1,000 people reported being part Quapaw. See Native American Languages; Native Americans of North America: Great Plains.