Native American Culture Activities

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