Oto Indians, a tribe of the Siouan language family. They are related to the Winnebagos and in prehistoric times lived in the Great Lakes area. They later migrated to the plains region and by the time of European exploration were settled along what is now the Platte River in Nebraska. They were mainly farmers, traders, and trappers. In the 18th century, the Oto numbered about 900. Early in the 19th century, they absorbed the Missouri tribe, which had almost been wiped out by warfare and disease. By an 1881 treaty, they ceded their lands to the government and were removed to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
The official name of the tribe today is Oto-Missouri. Its members live in Oklahoma.
