GLOSSARY

Alliances agreements to work together allotments equal shares or parts ancestral related to people of the past whom a person is descended from anthropologist a person who studies the ways of life of people of different cultures archaeologist a person who learns about the past by digging up and examining objects archaic old and not used anymore artifacts objects of the past made by humans assimilation the process of absorbing something into another body, group, or culture bias preferring one person or point of view more than another

Bilingual being able to speak two languages well

Clan a large group of families confederacy a union of states, tribes, or people with common beliefs and goals culture the life, customs, and traditions of a group of people

Descendants children, children of your children, and so forth

Directive instructions issued by someone in authority

Epidemic an infectious disease that spreads through the population

Ethnologist a person who studies human races and characteristics

Exposure harmful effect of severe weather on a person

Extinct when something such as an animal or plant has died out genocide extermination of a race of people

Heritage important traditions handed down from generation to generation homesteader a settler on a piece of land immigration the process of coming to another country to live permanently indigenous native to a specific area; can be people, animals, or plants infectious able to be spread from one person to another through germs or viruses intolerant unwilling to accept someone else’s thoughts or behavior

Irrigation the supply of water to crops by artificial means

Kerosene a colorless fuel made from petroleum

Kiva a chamber, at least partially underground, used for ceremonies or meetings in Pueblo villages

Liaison communication or cooperation between two people or groups linguist a person who studies languages mammoth an extinct animal that looked like a large, shaggy elephant mesa a hill with steep sides and a flat top migration the process of moving from one country or region to another mission a church or other place where missionaries live and work missionaries people sent by a religious group to teach that group’s faith to others nation a large group of people who share the same language, customs, and government; a nation of people usually live in the same region origin the point where something began paleontologist a person who studies fossils and ancient life forms

Peninsula a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, but attached to a larger land mass

Petroglyph a drawing or carving on rock made by ancient people

Policy a general plan or framework that helps people make decisions proclamation a public announcement provisions a supply of food or other basic items ranchero ranch or rancher reservation an area of land set aside by the government for a specific purpose resource something valuable or useful sacred holy; something deserving great respect sacrificial the offering of something to a god sovereign independent; also a king or queen strategist a person who creates a plan to achieve a military victory or a goal of some kind syntax grammar rules that dictate how words should be put together to make sentences treaty a formal agreement between two nations tribal of or belonging to a tribe tribe a group of people who share ancestors and a culture

Warfare the fighting of wars