Boarding School:
- School that includes housing
- Indian children on reservations were once sent to these schools
Bullboat:
- Round tub-like boat
- Made from bison bull hide stretched over a willow frame
- Light-weight but could carry heavy loads
- Used to cover the smoke hole on the roof of an earthlodge
Counting coup:
- A warrior touching an enemy with a stick or with the hand instead of killing him
Cradleboard:
- Baby-carrier
- Made of two boards fastened together and lined with soft fur
- Carried on a mother’s back
Culture:
- The way of life of a group of people
- Includes livelihood, family life, foods, clothing, religion, and other ways of life
Eagle feather:
- Sacred object
- Symbol of the Creator (God)
- Only American Indian tribal members may possess eagle feathers
Eagle Staff:
- Traditional American Indian flag
- Symbol of the First Nation
- Contains sacred eagle feathers
Earthlodge:
- Dome-shaped home made of logs and covered with willow branches, grass, and earth
Edible:
- Fit to eat
Elders:
- Older persons
- Most respected members of a tribe
Extended family:
- Parents and children plus other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins
Give-Away:
- Ceremony in which possessions are given away in honor of someone
- Shows the importance of generosity
Hides:
- Animal skins
Loincloth:
- Strip of soft skin or cloth worn between the legs and folded over a belt in front and back
- Item worn by men in the summer
Medicine bundle:
- Collection of objects with spiritual value
- Started when a baby was born
- Person would add more objects throughout life
- Buried with the person at death
Medicine Wheel:
- Symbol showing the circle of life
- Reminder that all things are connected
- The center of the Wheel represents the person’s will
Parfleche:
- Rawhide case used for storing pemmican
Pemmican:
- Healthful food made of dried meat mixed with dried fruit
- Often used by hunting parties because it was nutritious and easy to carry
Plains Indians:
- Indians who live on the plains
- Includes all of North Dakota’s Indian tribes
Powwow:
- Gathering of dancing, singing, and getting together with friends
- Oldest public festival in North America
- The drum is the basic instrument
- Whole setting of a powwow is in a circle
Rations:
- Allowance of food
- Provided to Indians on reservations after the bison were gone
Regalia:
- Special outfits worn for special occasions
Sun Dance:
- Most important religious event of the Lakota and other Plains Indians
- People took part in this sacred ceremony when they wanted something special
Tipi:
- Cone-shaped tent covered with hides
- Sioux word that means “dwelling”
- Main home of nomadic tribes
- Could be set up and taken down quickly
Tipi ring:
- Circle of stones used to hold the bottom of the tipi in place
- Many tipi rings have been found in North Dakota
Transition:
- A change from one condition to another
Travois:
- Triangle-shaped pole frame used for transporting goods
- Pulled by dogs or horses
Vendor:
- Person who offers items for sale
Veteran:
- A person who has served in the military
- Shown special honor and respect
Vision:
- Seeing something in a dream or in the mind
Warrior:
- Originally, an Indian who went to war
- Today, a man or woman who serves in the military
White Buffalo Calf Woman:
- Story about how the Lakota people received the sacred pipe
Wigwam:
- Cone-shaped dwelling made of poles set in the ground and covered with bark from birch trees
- Main type of home used by the Chippewa
Wisdom:
- Wise thinking