A papoose (from the Algonquian papoos, meaning "child") is an English loanword whose present meaning is "an American Indian child" (regardless of tribe). The word came originally from the Narragansett.

The term also sometimes refers to Cradle boards and other child carriers, which were used by Native American Indians and went by many names, but in the United States and the United Kingdom, the term papoose is used to refer to a child carrier, many of which are similar to those used by Indians. Some are simple slings and others are similar to a rucksack; unlike rucksacks, papooses can be worn on either the front or the back.

In Dentistry, many pediatric dentists use a papoose to tie down a child for dental treatment.

Shamele Mackie (born December 31 1978), better known by his stage name Papoose ( ), is an American rapper.

Born and raised in the notorious Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Papoose made his first attempts at being a rapper at the young age of 11. He was given his name by his grandmother because of his childhood resemblance to an American Indian child. Inspired by rap legends Rakim, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane, he has been well respected on the underground hip-hop circuit for a long period of time now. In early 2006, his StreetSweepers crew linked up with Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Inkprint to