animistic: of or associated with animism - a belief that there are living souls in trees, stones, stars, etc.

B

blubber: the fat of whales.

C

caribou: any of several kind of North American reindeer.

cede: give up one's rights to or possession of; transfer possession of.

coureurs de bois: the coureurs de bois were skilled woodsmen, trappers & canoeists, important to the fur trade.

Crown land: one-seventh of all public lands were set aside for the government and called Crown land.

D

decimate: destroy much of; kill a large part of.

dentalium: a tubular shell found on the west coast, used for ornamentation and traded to interior tribes.

disenfranchised: deprived of the right to vote.

E

extinct: no longer in existence.

F

fasting: going without food or going without certain kinds of food, especially meat.

franchise: the right to vote.

H

harpoon: a barbed spear with a rope tied to it, used for catching whales and other sea animals.

hierarchy: a system that divides people into higher and lower ranks.

I

immunity: resistance to disease.

J

K

kayak: an Inuit canoe in which the wood or bone frame is covered with skins and completely closed in except for a space for one person.

L

M

monopoly: the exclusive control of something, with no competition.

N

nomadic: people who move from place to place in search of food or fresh grazing lands.

O

oar: a long pole with a hand grip at one end and a broad, flat blade at the other. It is positioned in a U-shaped notch called an oarlock which adds power from leverage.

ochre: any of various earths ranging in colouring from pale yellow to orange, brown and red, used as pigments.

ossuary: a place to hold the bones of the dead.

P

patrilineal: tracing one’s direct line of descent through the father.

pemmican: dried lean meat ground into a paste with melted fat; this preserved food was used by the voyageurs.

plateau: a flat plain in the mountains or at a height above sea level.

potlatch: a gift-giving ceremony and festival practised by the native peoples of the northwest coast of North America.

R

rations: a fixed allowance of food.

S

sapling: a young tree which is supple and easy to bend.

scythe: a long, slightly curved blade on a long handle, used for cutting grass.

shaman: a medicine man in North American native culture. Someone with special spiritual gifts and the ability to heal.

sinew: a tough, strong band or cord that joins muscle to bone; tendon.

sod: a layer of ground containing grass and its roots, usually cut into pieces or strips.

spawn: to produce eggs, give birth to.

subsistence: a means of keeping alive; just enough to keep alive with nothing leftover or surplus.

surplus: extra quantities leftover after basic needs are met.

T

totem: a natural object, often an animal, taken as the emblem of a tribe, clan, family, etc; the image of a totem.

totem pole: a pole carved and painted with representations of totems, erected by natives of the northwest coast, especially in front of their houses.

travois: a wheel-less vehicle used for transportation; made of two shafts or poles to which a platform or net was attached to hold cargo.

tundra: a vast, level of treeless plain in the arctic regions. The ground beneath the surface of the tundras is frozen even in the summer (known as permafrost).

U

V

W

weir: a fence of stakes or broken branches put in a stream or channel to catch fish.

X

Y

Z