When Spanish explorers came to the Southwest region of the United States in the 1600s, they found over 20,000 American Indians already living in the region.
When explorers and traders moved west across the United States in the 1800s, they found many nations of American Indians already living in the Plateau region near the Columbia River.
A long time ago, before the Plains region of the United States was divided up into states such as Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming, this land was home to American Indians.
When explorers and traders moved west across the United States in the 1800s, they found many nations of American Indians already living in the Plateau region near the Columbia River.