Allotment Period
Beginning in 1887 with the passage of the Dawes Severairy Act, lands were allotted to individual natives as a means of destroying the tribal system. Allotment was meant to give natives an opportunity to lead a more "civilized" life. If the prospective landowner was deemed "competent" within twenty-five years, he/she was given the land. The result, however, was rarely in favour of the natives. In fact, what would generally happen was the natives would sell their land to non-natives, who had the financial means to develop the land, leaving the natives, once again, dependent on the federal government.

Big Knives
Term used by natives to describe the Americans; distinguishing them from the Frenchmen and the Englishmen. Probably derived from the long swords carried by military generals. Other variations of this name include long knife, great knife, and big-knife person.

Gray Gold
Term used to refer to raw lead ore deposits on Mesquakie territory in Dubuque, Iowa and Galena, Illinois. The discovery of the rich deposits of lead ore in this region predated the California Gold Rush, making it the first large mining rush in U.S. history.

Great Father
A term Black Hawk used in addressing the President of the United States. Natives often used father-son terminology when referring to their relationships with European or white officials.

Indian Territory
Name applied to the country set aside - by the U.S. government - for Native Americans by the Intercourse Act (1834). The Indian Removal Act of 1830 gave the President authority to designate specific lands for them, and in 1834 Congress formally approved the choice. The Indian Territory included present-day Oklahoma - north and east of the Red River, as well as Kansas and Nebraska. Tribes other than the original five (Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Choctaw, and Chickasaw) also moved there, but each tribe maintained its own government. As white settlers continued to move westward, pressure to abolish the Indian Territory mounted. With the entrance of Oklahoma into the Union in 1907, the Indian Territory became extinct.

Krewes
A group of African American youths who chose Sauk chief Black Hawk as their "Big Chief" and began parading in "Indian costumes." The group banded together in the late 1860s or early '70s in the black neighborhoods of New Orleans. Today, they are still active participants in New Orleans' community life.

Wigwam
Housing commonly used by the Algonquian natives originating from the Eastern United States. The wigwam is a conical or dome shaped structure covered with bark, reed mats, or grass. They vary in size from single family dwellings to large communal style units.