| As many children learn about Native American | | | | consisted of strings of beads made from the |
| culture during November, here are some | | | | shells of clams and other shellfish. Purple |
| activities and information about our first | | | | was worth more than white. Here is how to |
| citizens. | | | | make your own wampum. |
| | | | |
| Do you like barbecues? How about clambakes? | | | | Put half of a small box of macaroni into a |
| Well, the next time you attend one, thank the | | | | bowl and cover it with purple paint, letting |
| Indians! Native Americans invented them, | | | | it soak for two hours. Strain the macaroni |
| along with chewing gum, ponchos, chocolate, | | | | and let it dry on paper towels during the |
| snowshoes, parkas, and moccasins. Do research | | | | night. At last, create your wampum by |
| to find out what else our first citizens | | | | stringing purple and white macaroni. Tie the |
| invented! | | | | ends of the string together for a necklace or |
| | | | a bracelet. |
| Chief Seattle's Lesson | | | | |
| | | | For variation, try stringing the macaroni in |
| Seattle was a teacher Who taught us how to | | | | various patterns and assigning different |
| care For all the living things on earth, | | | | numbers to the purple and white. How much is |
| Fresh water, and clean air. "The earth does | | | | your wampum worth? Open a little store and |
| not belong to us," Great Chief Seattle said. | | | | use your wampum for money! If you can find |
| "We sometimes think it does, but we Belong | | | | seashells with small holes for stringing, try |
| to earth, instead." | | | | using them instead of macaroni. |
| | | | |
| This poem was written by Helen H. Moore and | | | | League of the Iroquois |
| reflects a basic belief of the Indians. | | | | |
| Discuss its meaning and make a collage of | | | | One of the first governments in America was |
| fresh water vs polluted water and the effects | | | | the Five Nations, or the League of the |
| of each, as well as clean air vs smog and the | | | | Iroquois. The Mohawk chief, Hiawatha, helped |
| effects of each. | | | | found it in 1570 to unite the separate |
| | | | tribes, or nations, in war and peace. |
| Beanbag Bunt | | | | Consisting of the Mohawks, Oneidas, |
| | | | Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, each tribe |
| Many games that were played by Native | | | | took care of its own business. When their |
| American children when the Pilgrims landed | | | | affairs affected another tribe, however, the |
| are still played to this day. Here is a | | | | League Council stepped in. |
| variation of a game played by the Zuni | | | | |
| Indians of the Southwest. | | | | Answer these True or False statements about |
| | | | the paragraph above...using the Cree Indian |
| Create a circle about 30' in diameter and | | | | letters for T and F! The T looks like a |
| make a horizontal starting line inside toward | | | | lowercase b with more of a heart-shaped right |
| the edge. Put two different-colored beanbags | | | | side than a circle; and the F looks like an |
| behind the starting line and choose two | | | | inverted capital V with a vertical side on |
| children to be the first players; other | | | | the right rather than a diagonal. |
| children should be forming a ring around the | | | | |
| circle. | | | | Mohawk chief Hiawatha helped start the Five |
| | | | Nations. ____ The Seminoles were part of the |
| The object of this game is to be the first to | | | | League of the Iroquois. ____ The League told |
| kick your beanbag around the inside of the | | | | all its members how to conduct their |
| circle without crossing its border. If a | | | | business. ____ The Five Nations was one of |
| player misses, he must step outside the | | | | the first governments in America. ____ |
| circle. In order to win, the other player | | | | |
| must successfully complete his trip around | | | | Research to find out more about the Iroquois |
| the circle. Should there be a tie, or both | | | | nation. Does the League still exist? |
| players miss, they play another round. The | | | | |
| winner of each round chooses a new opponent | | | | Totem Poles |
| from the rest of the children. | | | | |
| | | | In the Pacific Northwest, Native Americans |
| Bird Feeder | | | | such as the Tlingit, pronounced klink-it, |
| | | | still make totem poles to record their family |
| After a good harvest, Native Americans made | | | | and clan histories. The poles are carved of |
| an offering of three ears of Indian corn tied | | | | wood and brightly painted to resemble birds, |
| to a gourd filled with corn kernels; this was | | | | animals, or people. An angry-looking bear, |
| hung outside their teepee in order to feed | | | | for instance, could symbolize a warlike |
| the birds. When the birds ate, the Indians | | | | relative; while a deer might symbolize a |
| were happy because they believed their | | | | gentle one. Make a totem pole to reflect your |
| offering had been accepted by the gods. Here | | | | family! Here's how. |
| are directions for you to make a bird feeder. | | | | |
| | | | Measure various colors of construction paper, |
| Cut a gourd in half vertically, scoop out the | | | | exactly, to fit 6-8 1-lb cans, such as coffee |
| insides, and use a skewer or metal dowel to | | | | cans. Laying the papers flat, use crayons, |
| poke two holes about 1" from the top through | | | | markers, or paint to draw a different face or |
| both sides of each half of the gourd. Using a | | | | design on each. Wrap a paper around each can |
| long piece of thin wire, thread one of the | | | | and tape the edges together. Place each can |
| halves and wrap a loose end around an ear of | | | | down with the open side up and decorate with |
| Indian corn at the husk near the top of the | | | | eyes, ears, noses, teeth, and other |
| ear. The longer end of wire should still be | | | | 3-dimensional features. Use fabric, buttons, |
| through the other hole so you can add another | | | | sticks...any odds and ends you have. |
| ear of Indian corn, then the other half of | | | | |
| the gourd, and end with another ear of Indian | | | | Decide the order in which the cans will be |
| corn. Finally, tie the loose ends together to | | | | stacked; then add sand to the bottom one to |
| form a loop and hang your bird feeder | | | | prevent the totem pole from tipping over. Put |
| outside. Put some birdseed in each hollow end | | | | one can on top of another, taping them |
| of the gourd and watch the birds eat! | | | | together as you go. Decorate the top of your |
| | | | totem pole! |
| Learn the names of birds in your area and | | | | |
| keep a record of the kinds of birds that come | | | | There are many Native American tribes in our |
| to your feeder. Choose several birds and | | | | country today. On a map, pinpoint where each |
| count how many of each kind come within a | | | | tribe lives. Find out which live in your |
| certain time frame; then make a pictograph | | | | region and take a field trip to learn more |
| showing the data. | | | | about them. |
| | | | |
| Wampum | | | | I hope these ideas are useful and have |
| | | | inspired your own creative thinking. |
| The Indian money was called wampum and | | | | |