There are over 1,000 distinct Native American tribes in the United States and Canada. The use of colors used by bead workers varies widely, but there are usually some color schemes hat are preferred in many tribes. These are general guidelines for predominant colors of some of the better known beadworking tribes, grouped by the areas of their original territories.
Actual color hues can vary depending on the era in which they were manufactured, and these can also vary from one factory to another, or even in different dye lots from the same factory. That is why it is important to purchase an ample amount of beads for your projects, because you may not be able to match the color exactly later.
Lakota, Dakota and Lakota Sioux
Background Colors:
Chalk White
Light Blue
Occasional Use:
Greasy Yellow
Cheyenne Pink
Light/Medium Green
Design Colors:
All shades of Light, Medium and Dark Opaque Blues
Transparent Navy Blue (Cobalt)
Medium Green
Dark Green
White-lined Red
White-lined Rose
Greasy Yellow
The Northern Sioux typically used more colors than the Southern Sioux, including Black, which was occasionally used as a highlight color, and Pumpkin Yellow (Butterscotch).
Cheyenne and Arapaho
Background Colors:
Chalk White, almost exclusively.
Design Colors:
Light Turquoise Blue
Opaque Navy Blue
Transparent Navy Blue
Opaque Royal Blue
Medium Mint Green
Dark Transparent Green
Cheyenne Pink
White-lined Rose (replaced by Red in later times)
Corn Yellow
Limited use:
Black
Pumpkin Yellow (Butterscotch)
CROW & PLATEAU TRIBES
Background Colors:
Light Blue
Cheyenne Pink
Sometimes Lavender
Chalk White
Occasionally Yellow.
Design Colors:
Red
White
Cheyenne Pink (Lavender)
Light Blue
Medium Blue
Dark Blue
Yellow
Green
Pumpkin Yellow (Butterscotch)
Occasionally:
Purple – especially for the Plateau Tribes who used more colors, shades and hues than the Crow, as well as more Cut Beads.
Comanche
Background Colors:
Chalk White
Pony Trader/Powder Blue
Transparent Red
Occasionally:
Medium Green
Cheyenne Pink.
Design Colors:
Dark Red
Dark Transparent Red
Navy Blue
Royal Blue
Pony Trader/Powder Blue
Turquoise Blue
Ocasionally:
Greasy Yellow
White-lined Red
Light or Medium Green
Blackfeet
Background Colors:
Chalk White
Light Blue
Occasionally:
Medium Blue
Design Colors:
Black
Transparent Red
Opaque Red
Yellow
Green
Cheyenne Pink
Transparent Cobalt Blue
Opaque Royal Blue
Navy Blue
Occasionally:
Medium Blue
Greasy Yellow
Orange
Pumpkin Yellow (Butterscotch)
Blackfoot
Background Colors:
Chalk White
Light Blue
Occasionally:
Medium Blue
Design Colors:
Black
Transparent Red
Opaque Red
Yellow
Green
Cheyenne Pink
Transparent Royal Blue
Opaque Royal Blue
Opaque Navy Blue
Occasionally:
Medium Blue
Greasy Yellow
Orange
Pumpkin Yellow (Butterscotch)
Upper & Western Great Lakes Tribes: Winnebago, Chippewa (Ojibwe), Forest Potawatomi, Menomini, Ottawa
Background Colors:
Chalk White
Yellow
Light Blue
Cheyenne Pink
Crystal
Occasionally:
Black
Navy Blue
Dark Transparent Red
Medium Transparent Green
Design Colors:
A wide range of virtually all shades of all colors were used, with stylized floral motifs worked on a background of buckskin or Navy, Red or Black cloth without a fully beaded background.
Cherokee & Other South Eastern Tribes
Background Colors:
Stylized floral motifs were usually worked on a background of buckskin or
Red, Navy or Black cloth, without a fully beaded background.
Design Colors:
Chalk White
Dark Transparent Red
Light Blue
Greasy Yellow
Dark Green
Light Green
Cheyenne Pink, and many others in a wide range of old colors and shades
A good numbers of cut beads are being used as well. Generally, smaller sizes of beads were typical.
Shawnee and Delaware
Background Colors:
Pony Trader/Powder Blue
Cheyenne Pink
Royal Blue
Dark Transparent Red.
Design Colors:
Chalk White
Pony Trader/Powder Blue
Cheyenne Pink
Dark Transparent Red
White-Lined Red
Medium Green
Very rarely:
Yellow and Pumpkin Yellow were used as highlight colors.