Beringia: During one of the earth’s periodic ice ages, water froze into
glaciers, reducing sea levels 200 to 300 feet, exposing a subcontinent
known as Beringia.  This subcontinent connected Asia and North
America and formed a migration route for hunters and animals
searching for food.

Clovis tradition: A sophisticated form of tool making that appeared
about 12,000 years ago.

Mississippian cultural patterns: A form of social organization that
appeared among the Indian peoples east of the Mississippi beginning in
the seventh century, characterized by permanent villages and towns,
political and economic stratification, specialized crafts, and extensive
trade.

Mound Builders: Early Indian people, including the Adena, Hopewell,
and burial sites and as sites for temples and religious ceremonies.

Kinship Terminology

Lineage: A group of persons tracing descent from a common ancestor.

Clan: Two or more lineages claiming descent from a common
ancestor.

Moiety: One of two basic complementary tribal subdivisions.  Among
some people, the members of one moiety were responsible for burying
the dead of the other moiety.

Association: An organization whose members were not related. 
Among the Plains Indians, associations were often organized
according to age.

Patrilineal descent: Land use rights and membership in the political
system flow through the father.

Matrilineal descent: Group membership is determined by the mother’s
family identity.

Political Organization

Band: The form of political organization customarily found among
hunter-gatherers.  Bands usually have no permanent leaders; decisions
are based on building consensus.  Leadership tends to be situational,
arising for short periods of time.

Tribe: Larger than a band, tribal organization is customarily associated
with agriculture and more permanent settlements.  Kinship is generally
the central organizing principle.  Leaders are usually chosen by
consensus and rule by consensus.

Chiefdom: Usually larger than a tribe, chiefdoms show the beginning
of social stratification and the emergence of a distinct ruling class. 
Customarily, the chiefs must redistribute the resources they control. 
Chiefdoms are often engaged in some kinds of extensive trade.

Federation: A union of a number of distinct tribes of chiefdoms.

State: Unlike bands, tribes, and chiefdoms, states have a true class
structure and a distinct ruling class.  It is a more extensive system of
political control, often involving rule over subjugated groups.

Religious Terminology

Agrarian tradition: A religious system associated with farming
communities, which was characterized by rituals associated with
changing seasons.

Ghost Dance: A messianic religious ritual originating among the
Paiute, which later spread to the Plains, and was supposed to bring the
return of the spirits of the dead.

Hunting tradition: A religious system of beliefs that emphasized the
ties between hunters and the animal world.

Kiva: A Pueblo Indian ceremonial structure that is usually round and
partly underground.

Potlatch: A ceremonial feast held by Indians of the Northwest Pacific
Coast marked by the host’s lavish distribution of gifts.

Shaman: An individual with a special relationship with the spirit world. 
Whites often called shamans “medicine men” because they were
responsible for curing the sick.

Southern cult: A system of religious ritual that shared many customs
and symbols with Mexican Indian religions.

Sun dance: A religious ceremony among the Plains Indians to mark the
renewal of nature.

Totem: An object, such as an animal or plant, that serves as the
emblem for a lineage or clan.  The totem often serves as a symbolic
representation of a guardian spirit or an ancestor.

Totem pole: A carved or painted pillar erected by Indians of the
Northwest Pacific Coast or mark an important even, such as a
religious ceremony or acquisition of a title or the death of a relative.

Vision quest: A rite in which a young person or young adult goes to
an isolated place to seek, in a vision, a protective spirit.

Forms of Shelter

Hogan: An earth lodge found among the Navajo, consisting of a frame
built of poles or logs covered with dirt.

Longhouse: Large, rectangular structure found among the Iroquois. 
Some longhouses wee 100 feet long and housed ten or more families.

Pit house: An insulated structure built in a pit several feet deep and
covered with sod, dirt, or other materials.

Plank house: Form of housing found in the Pacific Northwest.

Pueblo: Multistoried apartment building built out of adobe (sun-dried
bricks) found in Arizona and New Mexico.

Tipi: Cone-shaped structure built on a pole framework.  On the Plains,
it was covered with buffalo skins.  Elsewhere, it was covered with
animal skins or tree bark.

Wickiup: Form of shelter found among the Apaches and Paiutes
constructed of brush and matting.

Wigwam: A dome-shaped structure found in the eastern woodlands
that was built on a pole framework and covered with leaves and bark.

Source:
Mintz, Steven.  "Glossary"  Native American Voices A History and Anthology.  Brandywine Press.  New York.  1995.