Herron’s Whisper
Native American Ways

 

Teacher Information

For thousands of years the Native people of this land have followed the ways that they believe were given to them by their creator. Today, Native people still follow many of these special ways while also participating in the cultures of later settlers. In Native American Ways, we will look at some of the customs of the first inhabitants of this continent, which they called “Turtle Island.”

Goals

• To promote understanding of authentic Native American culture, to offset myths and stereotypes ingrained into general society, and to correct erroneous information.

• To present factual, hands-on projects that respectfully represent Native culture while staying within the skill levels of the young people targeted by this activity.

• To set up specific guidelines for teachers that will enable them to present Native American information to their students in a manner that preserves the integrity of the information, that helps them to convey a sense of the beauty of the culture, and gives them the tools to avoid stereotypical and erroneous information that is so prevalent throughout modern American media.

• To learn about Native American people of past and present.

• To have fun!

As you approach the Native American Ways activities and prepare for your presentation to your students, there are some areas of consideration. In this program we will deal with specific projects that will increase your understanding of Native culture and acquaint you with some of the ways that Native people dealt with their environmental needs. One of the main Native American virtues is respect. In this activity we will approach Native culture from that perspective.

Much of the information available through the media is unfortunately stereotyped. Over the years the misinformation has been perpetuated by its repetition in books, cartoons, movies, schools, and youth organizations that have unwittingly contributed to the continuation of this erroneous information.

Through these activities we hope to make available correct information and build a bridge of understanding for the student.

Stereotypes are a powerful thing! Our images of Native American culture include tom-toms, war bonnets worn by chiefs, tepees and violence. We represent Native culture by making oatmeal box “tom-toms,” construction paper “war bonnets” or dyed macaroni crafts that have led children to some confused conclusions about Native people. A great rule of thumb is to ask, “Would I do that?” If the answer is “no,” in most cases, neither did Native people.

Note: Because of the popularity of Native American culture, there is a prevailing feeling that the religious ways of Native people are open to be borrowed from. This is not true. There are many books on the market today that detail supposed Native ceremonies and encourage people to do them. These books do not represent Native people. Please be aware of this, and avoid them.

 

Areas Covered

TO KNOW # 1: Who are the real “Indians?” There are three activities.

TO KNOW # 2: Where and how did Native Americans live? There is one activity.

TO KNOW # 3: Did all Native Americans live in the same way? There are two activities.

TO KNOW # 4: What does Native American music sound like? There are three activities.

TO KNOW # 5: Why do Native Americans dance? There are four activities.

TO KNOW # 6: Why did Native Americans play games? There are four activities.

TO KNOW # 7: What did Native Americans eat? There are four activities.

TO KNOW # 8: How did Native Americans communicate? There are four activities.

TO KNOW # 9: What are examples of Native American stereotypes? There are four activities.

TO KNOW #10: Are there any more Native Americans? There are three activities.

To do these activities, you will need to use some of the skills you have learned in school. You will need to do research at places such as libraries, museums and historical societies to look for information on the subject and then use the information to meet the activity requirements. Making notes and being accurate are the marks of a good researcher.

Here are some areas to consider when talking about Native Americans.

Food	Clothing
Shelter	Tools
Music	Dance
Games	Stories
Social Structure	Government
Stereotypes	Language
Removal	Medical Plants
Spirituality	Current Events

To do these activities, you will need a notebook. Many of the requirements ask you to find the answers to specific questions and then write them down. Your first activity requirement is to start a Native American Ways notebook! Good luck and have some fun!

 

Things to Know and Do

TO KNOW #1: Who are the real “Indians?”

Native Americans are not “Indians.” Christopher Columbus wanted to find India. He decided to try to get to India via a new way. Everyone else who went there from Europe sailed south around Africa and then east to India. He decided to try to get there by sailing west. What he found was not India, but he believed it was. It is said that he made three separate trips here from Europe before he would believe it was not India. He called the people who lived here “Indians.” That name has stayed with the Native people of this land since then.

To Do:

1. Look at a world globe and see if you can determine the different ways sailors would have to go to get to India from Europe. See if you can find the way Columbus sailed to get to the Caribbean.

2. What did Native Americans call this land before Europeans called it America? Find out what one group of Native Americans called themselves before Columbus came here. Write the answers down in your book.

3. Did any other people from Europe come to this land before Columbus? (Hint: Look for stories of the Vikings and St. Brendan, an Irish monk and sailor.) Write the answer in your book.

 

TO KNOW # 2: Where and how did Native Americans live?

Native Americans at one time lived all over the continents that are today called North and South America. Wherever you live, at one time or another, Native people lived there. They lived as families, cooked, made clothing, built houses and cared for one another. They lived with their environment and used it to help them survive and be happy.

To Do:

Go to a library, museum or historical society and find out about the Native Americans who lived where you do today. Find out who lived there before Columbus came to this continent. Find out who lived there after Europeans began to settle and move west into the middle of this continent. How did the Natives before Columbus dress? What did they eat? What did they make their tools out of? What did their houses look like? After European settlement, did things change? Find out about the food, clothing, tools and housing of the Native Americans of your area after European settlement. Write your answers in your book.

 

TO KNOW #3: Did all Native Americans live the same way?

In different parts of this continent, there are different types of environments. If you live near the coast, your environment is not the same as someone who lives in the desert. If you live way up north, it is much different than living in the south. There are differences in the types of trees and plants, animals, rocks and soil and types of weather. Native Americans learned to live in different places and to use the things around them to be comfortable. Our continent can be broken into several areas of environment. The Native people who lived in those areas all have certain attributes in common with each other, even though they do not belong to the same tribe.

Here are the main areas in which Native Americans lived:

Arctic	Great Basin	Northeast
Subarctic	California	Southeast
Northwest Coast	Southwest	Middle America
Plateau	Great Plains	Caribbean

 

To Do:

1. Pick one of the above areas that is not a part of where you live and find out about the Native Americans who lived there by doing four of the following activities:

• Make a model or drawing of a type of housing found in that area.

• Find out what type of clothing they wore. Make a drawing and explain why that clothing is good to wear in that environment. Did the clothing change with the seasons?

• What did they eat and how did they get their food? Make a model or drawing of either a typical garden or a way of hunting.

• What types of tools did they use for farming, hunting, cooking, sewing and hide tanning? What did they make their tools out of? Write the answers in your book. See if you can make a working tool out of some of the materials that they had.

• Read a Native American story from the area you picked. Retell it to your class. Find out how the Native American tribes in the area that you picked governed themselves. Who was in charge of the village? How did they get to be in charge? Was there more than one person in charge? Did the whole village help make decisions? Did women have a voice in the village government? Draw a graphic organizer that shows how this form of government worked. Show the different positions of responsibility and how they interconnected.

• Learn how to say hello, please and thank you in a Native language from the area that you picked.

• Are there still Native Americans living in the area that you picked? If so, find out if they still live as they did a long time ago. If they are not in the same area as before, find out where they are today. When were they moved to where they are today, and why? Write it in your book.

Bonus: Learn about two famous Native Americans who lived in the area that you picked. Tell your class what they did and why it is important in the history of North America. (Here is a partial list to get you started!)

• Middle America (Mexico) — Montezuma (Aztec )

• Southeast — Sequoya and Nancy Ward (Cherokee); Osceola (Seminole)

• Northeast — Corn Planter (Seneca); Killbuck (Delaware)

• Great Plains — Roman Nose (Cheyenne); Spotted Eagle (Blackfoot)

• Southwest — Geronimo (Apache); Quanah Parker (Comanche)

• Great Basin — Sacajawea (Shoshoni )

• Plateau — Chief Joseph (Nez Perce)

This is only a partial list! You can find more information about Native American leaders at your library, if you look!

 

TO KNOW #4: What does Native American music sound like?

Native American music is as varied as the Native people themselves. The music you hear on the television and in the movies is not Native American music. Most people think of Native music as deep throbbing “tom-toms” beating fiercely as wild “Indians” whirl and dance around a bonfire. When you hear a drum beat that goes BOOM-boom-boom-boom, BOOM-boom-boom-boom, BOOM-boom-boom-boom, you can picture in your mind all the things that are in the cartoons and on the television: screaming “Indians” with war whoops and tomahawks, who attack helpless settlers who are slowly moving west. Is this really what Native Americans did?

To most Native Americans the drum is very special. Some even believe that the drum is sacred. Many Native people use the drum in their special ceremonies. It is treated with great respect. Some Native people say that the beat of the drum represents a heartbeat. Normally your heart goes, LUB-dub, LUB-dub, LUB-dub!

If you run fast, your heart might sound like this, LUB-LUB-LUB-LUB-LUB-LUB-LUB-LUB-LUB! Your heart never sounds like this: BOOM-boom-boom-boom! BOOM-boom-boom-boom! BOOM-boom-boom-boom!

When you hear music that is supposed to be Native American, which beat do you hear? Hopefully from now on you will be able to tell the difference between Native music on television and real Native music!

To Do:

1. Find out what other instruments Native Americans used besides the drum. (Hint: Look for instruments such as rattles, flutes, split sticks, bull roarers, Apache fiddles and whistles.) Draw pictures of four Native instruments besides the drum.

2. Make an instrument out of materials that were available to Native Americans a long time ago. Tell in your notebook how difficult it was to make it. How does it sound? (Hint: Dried gourds can be used to make a variety of rattles. Save the seeds and plant them in the spring!)

3. Many types of Native American music have been recorded. Listen to three different types of Native music. In your notebook tell how the three types of music are different. Tell how they are the same. (Hint: There is even Native American rock ‘n’ roll! There are also recordings of the Native American Chipmunks, who sound just like the other Chipmunks! The difference is that they sing Native American songs.)

 

TO KNOW #5: Why do Native Americans dance?

Like Native American music, Native American dance is not what we see on television. Native American dance also varies in different geographical areas. The dances done by the Seneca are not the same as those done by the Hopi. The reasons for doing a dance can also vary. Some dances are done for fun. Some tell a story. Some dances are part of very special ceremonies. Some dances are done the way they were done a long time ago. Some dances are quite modern. Dancing is an important part of Native American culture.

To Do:

1. Today, Native people from different parts of this continent get together for what is called a “powwow.” Some people think powwow means, “get together and talk.” It does not. It is a time for Native Americans and their friends and families to come together and share their culture. It is a happy time and a time to pass on some of the traditions that make Native American culture special. Learn a social dance used at a modern powwow. Is it a northern or southern style of dance? Teach it to your class. If possible, visit a pow wow in your area.

2. Find out about three Native American ceremonial dances. Describe the dances to your class, and explain why the dances were done. Please do not do the dances for your class! As we wish the special things in our lives to be respected, we must respect the special ways of Native Americans! While we can appreciate the beauty of these ways, we do not have the right to “play Indian” by imitating something that is sacred to Native people.

3. Collect six pictures of Native Americans wearing dance clothing, and put them in your notebook. Find out something about each outfit and write it in your book with the pictures. These people are not wearing “Indian” costumes. A costume implies that you are dressing up and pretending to be something you are not. Native Americans in traditional clothing are honoring their heritage and helping to keep their traditions alive. They are not “playing Indian.”

4. Go to a library and see if you can view a videotape that shows real Native American dancing. (Hint: Try “Dances with Wolves,“ ”Ann of the Wolf Clan,” “Navajo Moon” or “Into the Circle.”)

 

TO KNOW #6: Why did Native Americans play games?

Native Americans played many games. In the old days, this was one of the ways that Native people, young and old, had fun. A long time ago, people all over the world had to create their own fun. They did not have the things that we can buy today that entertain us.

We usually play games for three reasons: to have fun, to learn and for exercise. Some Native American games were played as part of certain ceremonies. They had a very serious meaning, but the people still had fun when they played them. Many games were used to teach young people the skills that they would need to survive in their environment. For most Native people, being physically fit was one of the ways to survive in the environment in which they lived. Team sports were a great way to teach cooperation and team work. Competing against your friends helped you to sharpen your hunting, running and hiding skills. Adults played very competitive games as often as they could. Native American people loved to laugh and have a good time!

To Do:

1. Learn to do three Native American races and have your class do them. (Hint: Find out about the bear race, crab race, frog race, catch the fish or fox and geese.)

2. Many games taught eye-hand coordination. Learn to make and share with your class such games as toss stick, corn cob darts, spear the moose or catch the rock.

3. Make a tracking game by cutting out of construction paper the tracks of many different animals. Cut out enough tracks of each animal to make that animal’s trail very long. Lay them out on the floor so that there are many trails to follow. Invite your class to play. Give each person a specific set of tracks to follow. Hide a drawing of the animal that made the track at the end of the trail. When they find that animal, have them tell something about the animal.

4. Many games were done in silence to teach people to move quickly and quietly. Learn to play “sneak-up” or “tell me once.” Both games are played in silence and the directions are only given once to teach young people to listen. Play these games with your class.

 

TO KNOW #7: What did Native Americans eat?

Native Americans ate many foods that our European ancestors had never heard of. They ate a wonderful variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, grains and the meat of many different animals. What they ate depended on where they lived. If they lived along the ocean, they ate different things than the people who lived on the Great Plains. Native Americans did not keep domestic animals such as chickens, sheep, goats, pigs or cattle. The only animal that lived in the village with them was the dog. The dog was used to help carry things, and earned his place in the village. Native Americans did not have horses until after Columbus came here.

To Do:

1. Many of the foods we eat every day were given to us by the Native Americans. When we eat French fries or potato chips, we can thank Native people of long ago for growing the potatoes and then teaching the first settlers from Europe what a potato is and how to grow it. In your notebook make a list of 10 foods that we use today that were given to us by Native people. Pick three of the foods, then try and find out where on this continent the food originated. An example is maize (corn), which originated in central Mexico and eventually was grown over most of North America by the Native Americans. (Hint: Look for the “Three Sisters!”)

2. Find recipes and prepare two different Native American dishes from two different geographical areas. Share them with your class. Try to use the same ingredients that would have been used before Columbus came to this land. (Hint: Native Americans had no dairy products such as cheese and butter. They did not have animals such as cows, sheep or goats that give milk.)

3. When Europeans began to settle here, they brought European foods to this land. Wheat, barley, oats, beef, chicken and cheese are just a few of the many foods that Europeans shared with the Native Americans. Today, some Native American foods are a combination of Native and European ingredients. One of the best-known Native foods that uses ingredients from both groups of people is fry bread. Most modern Native Americans make fry bread. Make some and share it with your class. It’s really good covered with honey!

4. Find out and write in your book about four different cooking methods used by Native Americans before Columbus came here. Make a drawing or model of two of them to show to your class. (Hint: Many Native people could not put the fire under their pots; they had to put the heat into the pot. Find out how they did it!)

 

TO KNOW #8: How did Native Americans communicate?

Language is the way that we communicate with each other. There can be a spoken language, a written language, sign language or signals such as Morse code, flags or even smoke. Anything that communicates a message to us that we can understand is a form of language. Native Americans had many ways to communicate with each other before Columbus came here. The languages that Native Americans spoke were different from the languages in Europe. Native American languages were usually different from tribe to tribe. Native people who lived as neighbors usually spoke languages that sounded alike and used many of the same words, but the languages were not quite the same! Some Native people are grouped together by their shared languages. There are many tribes that speak a form of Iroquois. Some of them are the Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, Tuscarora and Cherokee. Although the languages of these tribes are related there are still many words that are different, yet usually they can understand each others’ speech.

Native Americans did not have a written language such as the one you are reading right now. Some Native people had a written language known as “pictographs.” Pictographs are pictures drawn on a hide, bark sheet or rock wall, or sometimes woven out of wampum beads into a long belt. If you knew what the pictures meant, you could read them and explain them to someone else.

Sign language was a very important part of Native American communication. The ability to talk to other people by using hand gestures meant that you could talk to people who did not share a common language with you. As long as you both understood the hand signs, you could communicate. This was very important if you were traveling a great distance from your home. Signals could be used to get messages to people who were far away from you. If you needed to let a distant neighbor know that something important was happening, during the day you could go up on top of a hill and light a huge, smoky fire. They would see the smoke and light their own fire to let you know that they had seen yours. Their fire would also alert others who lived beyond them. At night, to have your signal seen, you would make a bright, smokeless fire. Mirrors made of copper or mica could be used to flash reflected light across distances and could convey a message. Native people used what was on hand to make their systems of communication work.

To Do:

1. Native American language is in use all around us! We use many Native words in our everyday speech. Many of the names of foods, animals, rivers, lakes, towns, states, oceans and even countries come from Native Americans. Find out and write in your notebook 10 states that have Native American names. Here are two to start with: North Dakota and South Dakota!

2. On a map of your county, mark all the places that have Native American names.

3. Make a “winter count” hide out of a large piece of construction paper or poster board. If you would like to, cut or tear the edges of the paper to make it look like a hide. For one week or longer, keep a pictographic record of the most important thing to happen each day. When your “hide” is done, read it to your class.

4. Using Native American sign language, tell your class something you learned about Native people as you did this activity. Use at least 10 different signs. You can repeat a sign as often as needed.

 

TO KNOW #9: What are examples of Native American stereotypes?

Stereotypes are things we think we know about a group of people that are usually not true. There are many stereotypes of Native Americans. Television, movies and some books teach us things about Native people that are not true. Many times we are asked to sit “Indian style.” How does a Native American sit? Just like you! He sits on chairs, couches or wherever he needs to. Did all Native men wear the big feather bonnets? Did only the chiefs wear them? If you lived in the woods, could you wear a big bonnet like that or would it get torn up? Had all chiefs earned enough feathers to make a huge bonnet? Did Native Americans really say “How?” The Sioux people say “Hau kola” (Haaa ko’la) which means, “Hello friend.” We use such names as squaw, buck, brave and papoose to identify Native people. While historically these words were used, unfortunately, today they help keep the stereotypes alive. As you study Native people, be sure you are not using stereotypes.

To Do:

1. View a movie or television show about Native Americans and see if you can find any stereotypes in it. Write down what you find in your notebook.

2. Go to the grocery store and see how many products you can find that have a Native American on the label. Look at five of them and decide if the image of the Native American on the label is a good image or a stereotyped image. Write down your findings in your book.

3. Look in newspapers or magazines and find five things about Native Americans. Cut them out and paste them in your book. Decide if they represent Native people in a good or bad way and then write your decision next to the article.

4. Watch a cartoon on television that has Native Americans in it. Write in your book if Native people were shown in a good or bad way.

 

TO KNOW #10: Are there any more Native Americans?

Native Americans are not dead! We tend to think of them as long ago and far away. Native people still live on this continent. They still practice their own cultural and spiritual ways. Native American culture is still growing and evolving. Today, across this land, many Native voices can be heard. Many of these voices are seeking to make the lives of Native American people better. Once, the Native voices were almost completely silenced. Today, we can hear voices that speak of Native American pride.

To Do:

1. Many Native American nations have their own newspapers. Some have radio stations. They use modern technology to help preserve their old ways. Check with your local library and find a newspaper, tape recording, videotape or book that has been written and produced by the Native American people. Find out what it is about.

2. Sometimes people have trouble living together as neighbors. Sometimes the two groups of people have to go to court to reach an agreement that is fair to all concerned. Native Americans are no different. Native people today are trying to get their neighbors to recognize what are called “treaty rights.” Most of the treaties made with Native people have not been kept. Today, Native people are going to the courts of this land and asking for help with this problem. Find out and write in your book the names of two Native American nations that are working with the courts on such a problem.

3. Look in magazines and newspapers and find a true story about a modern Native American person. Cut it out and put it in your book.

 

 

 

The contents of Herron’s Whisper were created by Rena Dennison.