American Indian American Indians ( or Native Americans ) were the indigenous Human inhabitants of the North and South America n continents of Earth . Those areas were heavily colonized by more technologically advanced Humans from other continents after the 15th century , leading to the destruction of many indigenous cultures . Some Native American cultures experienced a resurgence in the 23rd and 24th centuries . They adapted to their times and circumstances , some tribe s included alien species such as the Ferengi , Klingon s , and Vulcan s as totem spirits . ( ) In the distant past , extraterrestrials known as Sky Spirit s came from the Delta Quadrant to Earth , where they genetically altered a group of primitive Humans . These inheritor s carried a similar affinity to the land as the Sky Spirits and spread across the globe , giving rise to the Native American and Amazonian peoples . The Sky Spirits returned but eventually found no trace of their inheritors . Descendants of their inheritors who still had the Sky People appearance , the Rubber Tree People , were however still living in hiding on Earth in the Central America n rain forest even in the 24th century . ( ) Kukulkan , a benevolent alien being , visited the Mayan s and influenced their architecture and agricultural development . Kukulkan was worshiped as a god by the Mayans who encountered him . Kukulkan gave them their remarkably accurate calendar and told them to build a city according to its cycles . On the date the city was finished , Kukulkan was supposed to return . The Mayans built their city , but Kukulkan never appeared , as they had only built parts of the design , they never finished the energy amplification system that was supposed to signal Kukulkan . Kulkukan was remembered in many Native American cultures , including the Aztec , Comanche , and Toltec peoples . ( ) A group of alien anthropologist s , called the Preservers , visited Earth several centuries before 2268 . The Preservers transplanted a group of Native Americans , including people from the Delaware , Navajo , and Mohican tribes , to a class M planet where they were able to live undisturbed . ( ) Scenes of Native American life , including tepees and a canoe , could be seen in the resetting time stream as the timeline realigned itself . ( ) Davy Crockett was a celebrated " Indian fighter " . ( ) Native American tribes had traditions about displays of dominance , such as " counting coup , " which were noted by Data when observing similar behaviors in the Ligonian s . ( ) By the 2270s , Starfleet permitted Native Americans to express their culture as part of their uniforms . At the time of the " V ' ger " threat , at least three Native Americans were among the crew of the . ( ) One group of Native Americans left Earth in the mid - 22nd century , dissatisfied with changing Terran attitudes towards nature . After two centuries of searching , they created a new colony on Dorvan V , although the system it was in was disputed ground . With the Federation - Cardassian Treaty , the planet was ceded to the Cardassian s , and the was sent to relocate the tribe . The tribe however , decided to stay and leave the Federation . ( )