Indians, American, the original inhabitants of the Americas. The name was given to them by Columbus, who thought he had discovered the Indies. See more »

Totem poles are, quite literally, family trees. They're massive tree trunks carved with symbols to commemorate family history and special occasions. See more »

Rain Dance, an American Indian ritual dance. Tribes in the arid Southwest held traditional dances to get rain by winning the favor of their gods. See more »

Smoke Signal, a means of communication used by North American Indians, especially in the plains and southwest. See more »

Totem, in anthropology, an animal or other object that is associated with a group of people, usually a clan (a group claiming descent from a common ancestor). See more »

Wampum, beads made of various kinds of shells by American Indians for ornamental and ceremonial purposes. See more »

Adobe, a building material of sun-baked clay, usually mixed with straw or an asphalt solution as a binder. See more »

Calumet, the ceremonial “peace pipe” used by North American Indians. The bowl was made of soapstone or red pipestone. See more »

Fort Snelling, a former fort at the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, 10 miles (16 km) south of present-day downtown Minneapolis. See more »

Gall, the nickname of Pizi (1840-1895), a Sioux Indian chief. He was born in South Dakota, a member of the Hunkpapa Sioux. See more »