Social Studies Vocabulary
Unit 1, Chapter 2, Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4
1. tribe – group of families bound together under a single leadership.
2. league – union of people or groups.
3. cultural region – area in which people with similar cultures live.
4. longhouse – building used for shelter by Iroquois.
5. wampum – belts or strings of polished seashells that were used for trading and gift-giving by
Iroquois and other Native Americans.
6. reservation – land set aside by the U.S. government for Native Americans.
7. lodge – large, round hut built by Plains Indians.
8. tepee – dwelling built by Plains Indians, made of poles arranged in a circle covered by buffalo
hides.
9. travois – sled made of poles tied together; used by Native Americans to transport goods
across the plains.
10. powwow – Native American ceremony that often includes traditional dances and games.
11. pueblo – Spanish word for “village”.
12. potlatch – Native American ceremony in which hosts give gifts to their guests.
13. totem pole– wooden post carved with animals and other images; often made by Native
Americans in the Pacific Northwest to honor ancestors or special events.
14. shaman – Native American doctor or healer.