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