BRINGING NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES TO LIFE IN YOUR CLASSROOM MMTTC - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

BRINGING NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES TO LIFE IN YOUR CLASSROOM

MMTTC FALL INSTITUTE 2016 OCTOBER 14, 2016

WELCOME! BOZHO, NIKONS!

WHY SHOULD WE TEACH ABOUT NATIVE CULTURES?

• Because young children LOVE to imagine themselves as living in another time and place
• Because it’s a major part of American history that has been ignored for way too long
• Because it’s an integral source of racism that needs to be identified and fixed if this

country is ever going to change for the better.

• Because children still encounter stereotypes that need to be countered and eradicated.

But more on that later.

• Mandates because of presence of Native reservations in area
• Because _____

WHY DO YOU TEACH?

• HOW have you taught?
• WHEN have you taught?
• What has worked?
• What hasn’t worked?

MARIA SAYS,

“We must ourselves feel—and inspire in the children—

admiration for all pioneers, known and unknown, possessors of the flame which has lighted the path of humanity.”

To Educate the Human Potential, p.77

MARIA SAYS:

“History must be alive and dynamic, awakening enthusiasm, destruction of intellectual egoism and selfish slots…the history of human achievement is real, a living witness to the greatness of man, and the children can easily be brought to thrill to the knowledge that there are millions of people like themselves, striving mentally and physically to solve the problems of life, and that all contribute to a solution, though one may find it.”

To Educate the Human Potential, p. 80-81

EXCUSES, EXCUSES…

• No set curriculum, very few Montessori materials!
• Many teachers weren’t taught as students, themselves, and don’t necessarily have

the background knowledge.

• Lack of time.
• Unsure where to plug it in.
• Mind is willing but flesh is weak
• Not even sure if they should be called Native Americans or American Indians!
• Not covered in standardized tests

We do need to be careful.

It is complicated. We do need to be careful.

It is complicated. What’s accurate? What’s culturally sensitive? What’s appropriate for my age group? We do need to be careful.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Create an interdisciplinary unit. Include art, literature,

music, foods, games, field trips, resource speakers, models and artifacts, dance and games.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Children need to know that Native people are still here

today.

• Start with the big picture, then choose two different

cultural groups to study (one from your area!)

STEREOTYPICAL THINKING STARTS EARLY!

• A Michigan study of children entering Kindergarten found that
• 75 percent of children entering Kindergarten described Native

people as wearing feathers or animal skins, hunting with bows and arrows and living in tipis—TODAY!

• 20 percent of these children described Native people as “mean

and hostile” and “likely to kill and shoot people.”

STEREOTYPICAL THINKING STARTS EARLY!

• Other studies have shown that by the age of 10, children have

ell-established racial prejudices that are highly resistant to change.

TWO BASIC KINDS OF STEREOTYPES

THE BLOODTHIRSTY SAVAGE THE HERO LIVING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

STEREOTYPES IN DISNEY FILMS

STEREOTYPES IN DISNEY FILMS

STEREOTYPES IN DISNEY FILMS

STEREOTYPES IN DISNEY FILMS

STEREOTYPES IN DISNEY FILMS

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

AND THEN THERE’S MASCOTS.

A LOWER ELEMENTARY FRAMEWORK

• Always start with KWL and keep chart throughout to track

knowledge through unit.

• 1st years- review or introduction of cultural areas puzzle map,

Native stories, fundamental needs cards, VEC, touchboxes, presentations on local tribe (I do the Potawatomi)

A LOWER ELEMENTARY FRAMEWORK

• 2nd years-all of above, plus comparison of cultural areas; tribal

research, Potawatomi books and worksheets. Map of area showing sites and trails. Botany, zoology, science, literature activities.

• 3rd years-all of above plus Fundamental Needs cards, tribal

research, Intro to Great Native Civilizations work

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Geography- cultural areas maps; Touchboxes; Fundamental Needs of

Traditional Native people; historic tribal locations of your state; maps of local tribal villages, camps and trails; locations of ancient civilizations across country and in your area; a look at ancient trade routes

CULTURAL AREAS PUZZLE MAP

This “Hello Wood” product introduces young students to the names and locations of the major traditional Native American cultural groups in what is now the United States.

FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS

Create materials that show how traditional Native cultural groups met their needs for food, clothing, houses, transportation,

• etc. and have students determine

their similarities and differences as well as compare to life today.

TOUCHBOXES

Start with your school’s cultural area and have students compare and contrast with another cultural area. Match objects to labels to information cards.

TOUCHBOXES

Create boxes for each Native cultural area filled with items for the child to explore and match to name labels and information cards. Pack enough items to neatly fit on a rug and rotate them so the child will re- visit the work often.

MAPS OF YOUR AREA

Maybe your Upper elementary

• r Middle School students could

research and create maps that show Native villages and trails of your area and create excitement for backyard history!

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• History—origin of names of months/activities for local Native

moons; timeline of Native civilizations; comparison of fundamental needs between cultures

NATIVE AMERICAN MOONS

Create a 13-month calendar based on the names and activities of a local tribe’s moons for your students to contrast with the names of

• ur Greco-Roman month

names.

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Botany- parts of the cattail; local tribe plant foods, local tribe

medicinal plants; Three Sisters Garden growing (experiment with fish fertilizer); unit on corn; cooking local tribal plant recipes

THE CATTAIL AND ITS USES

The Cattail plant was very useful to people of the Woodland

• culture. Make 3-part cards that

showed how its parts were used for food, weaving mats, seasoning and for lighting the trail at night.

NATIVE PLANT FOODS

Create a work to show the diversity of plant tubers, leaves, seeds and fruit used by Native people in your area.

CREATE A “THREE SISTERS” GARDEN

Start some corn, bean and squash seeds to transplant into a school or home garden and re-create some staple food crops traditionally used by historic Native people. Plant extra so you can experiment with light, moisture and fertilizers.

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Zoology—VEC cards-parts of buffalo, deer, sturgeon (or other

animals important to local tribes); uses of deer; uses of buffalo

ZOOLOGY VEC CARDS

Make Vocabulary Enrichment Cards

• f some of the creatures important

to Native people in your area. Include such food animals as the Deer and Buffalo, some culturally important creatures as the Bear, Coyote, Eagle, Raven and Sturgeon.

“USES OF” WORKS

Once students know the names of the parts of certain animals, create works that help them learn the uses of those parts by traditional Native people.

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Science—Flintknapping (making arrowheads); bow drill

firestarting; grinding corn; crushing shells for pot making

EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY

Consider giving your students hands-on opportunities to create arrowheads through flintknapping, grinding corn, or starting a fire with a bow drill.

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Language—comparison of common phrases of major tribes in various

cultural areas; a look at the Cherokee syllabary, phrases and words in local tribal language.

LOCAL NATIVE LANGUAGE MATERIALS

There are a number of online dictionaries with sound files so your students can learn basic words and phrases in a local

• language. Or even better, ask a

Native speaker to come in to give lessons!

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Literature—Books by Native Authors for read aloud and classroom

library, reading groups, non-fiction books for research, and book reports; Native author research; Creation stories, analyzing books for stereotypes.

• BE CAREFUL. Many books carry hidden stereotypes, especially if written by non-Native
• authors. Look for sensitivity and authenticity and take a pass on books that:

Talk about Native people in the past tense Use Indian-sounding-hyphenated names (“Heart-of-the-Wind”) Portray Indians as objects or things Have characters speaking in subhuman grunts or partial sentences QUESTIONS? Consult https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com, Nambe Pueblo Debbie Reese’s reviews of books and links to other essential sites.

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

READ-ALOUD

There are some wonderful Native authors and some amazing books perfect for read-aloud. One of my favorite series is by Louise Erdrich. Start with the Birchbark House and keep going! Your students will experience a full range of emotions and absorb a lot

• f Ojibwe history and culture without

realizing it.

CREATION STORIES

Find some local Native Creation Stories to share at the beginning

• f the year. Analyze their

similarities and difference or compare to those of other cultures.

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Literature—creation stories; books by Native Authors for read aloud and

classroom library, reading groups, non-fiction books for research, and book reports; Native author research; analyzing books for stereotypes.

• Drama– Do some Readers’ Theatre around a Native-inspired play.

READER’S THEATRE

Native author Joseph Bruchac has compiled some wonderful plays based on traditional stories from a number of cultural areas that are perfect for Elementary staging.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT FOOD!

• The Three Sisters= succotash!
• The many faces of corn
• Something different—sunflower seeds, fiddlehead ferns, sassafras tea, cattail roots.
• Pemmican! Tanka Bars or Bites
• Make sure it’s appropriate to the cultural area you’re discussing!

AND INCLUDE THE ARTS

• Native Music– powwow drum songs, flute and contemporary music.
• Fine to make shakers to play along with music, but please don’t make or

use drums!

AND INCLUDE THE ARTS

• Native Music– powwow drum songs, flute and contemporary music.
• Fine to make shakers to play along with music, but please don’t make or use

drums!

• Native Dance—show videos of traditional powwow dances and “specials” like

the hoop dance. But prefer you don’t ask the children to duplicate—they’re sacred!

• OK to do “intertribal” dances like the Friendship dance and the Round Dance.

ART ACTIVITIES TO AVOID

(BECAUSE THEY HAVE RELIGIOUS OR SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE)

• Drums
• Pipes
• Totem poles
• Masks
• War shields
• Paper bag vests
• Feathered headdresses

SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

• Writing—Writers workshop-your own creation story; research; Pen Pal

with reservation children or Elders

APPROPRIATE ART ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Make sure it’s appropriate to the

cultural area you’re studying

• Make sure it’s age-appropriate
• Tie it in with literature or a historical

event

APPROPRIATE ART ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Clay pottery
• Gourd or can shakers
• Weaving
• Dream catchers
• Talking sticks
• Corn husk dolls
• beadwork

APPROPRIATE ART ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Ledger Art
• Winter counts
• Replicating the art of a Native artist such as

George Littlechild

LOOKING AT A HISTORIC NATIVE CULTURE

LOOKING AT A HISTORIC NATIVE CULTURE

MINI- ETHNOGRAPHIES

I created books about the Potawatomi

• n a variety of topics, illustrated by a

Potawatomi artist from Michigan. Each book has its own “research sheet” that basically tests reading comprehension, and also has fun word searches and

• ther word games to reinforce key

vocabulary on the topic.

GO BEYOND THE DIORAMA!

• Talk about treaties
• Talk about relocation to reservations
• Notable Native people
• Bring in guest speakers, go on field trips
• Analyze books for stereotypes
• Talk to peers on reservations, record Elders’ oral histories
• Engage in a community service project on a reservation

BOOKS ABOUT CONTEMPORARY NATIVE CHILDREN

BOOKS ABOUT CONTEMPORARY NATIVE CHILDREN

INCLUDE COLUMBUS DAY AND THANKSGIVING!

• Make a “pre-Columbian visits to the Americas” material
• Research the origins of the word “Thanksgiving”
• Explore the Columbian Exchange
• Investigate how these holidays came about
• Go to my website, www.MINASIllinois.org for lesson plans and ideas

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

• Traditional timing—between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.

COLUMBUS DAY

COLUMBUS DAY BOOKS

PRE-COLUMBIAN VISITS TO THE AMERICAS

I’ve made a book with a chronological look at the cultures who may have visited here before 1492 with matching cards on a Timeline and pictures

• f the evidence found.

THANKSGIVING FROM THE NATIVE PERSPECTIVE

RECOMMENDED THANKSGIVING BOOKS

RECOMMENDED THANKSGIVING BOOKS

..AND SOME FOR ELEMENTARY READ ALOUD

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

• Traditional timing—between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.

Other segue options:

• With Creation Stories and the Big Bang

CREATION STORIES

Compilations like this are OK, but you can find the stories from individual tribes that have more details and are usually nicely illustrated!

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

• Traditional timing—between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.

Other segue options:

• With Creation Stories and the Big Bang
• With the study of North America

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

• Traditional timing—between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.

Other segue options:

• With Creation Stories and the Big Bang
• With the study of North America
• With Fundamental Needs

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

• Traditional timing—between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.

Other segue options:

• With Creation Stories and the Big Bang
• With the study of North America
• With Fundamental Needs

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

• Traditional timing—between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.

Other segue options:

• With Creation Stories and the Big Bang
• With the study of North America
• With Fundamental Needs
• Backtime to a culminating activity—like planting a Three Sisters

garden!

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Get your administration “on Board” with your plan

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Get your administration “on Board” with your plan
• Start working a year ahead of time so you’re not rushed

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Get your administration “on Board” with your plan
• Start working a year ahead of time so you’re not rushed
• Pick up those curriculum resources and figure out what your focus is

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Get your administration “on Board” with your plan
• Start working a year ahead of time so you’re not rushed
• Pick up those curriculum resources and figure out what your focus is
• Start gathering artifacts for Touchboxes:

Museum stores, Michael’s craft stores

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Get your administration “on Board” with your plan
• Start working a year ahead of time so you’re not rushed
• Pick up those curriculum resources and figure out what your focus is
• Start gathering artifacts for Touchboxes:

Museum stores, Michael’s craft stores Online vendors for Native regalia and crafts Powwow vendors

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Enlist the help of local Native communities for cultural presenters, field trips, or setting

up pen pals or Elder interviews

MAKING IT ALL HAPPEN

• Enlist the help of local Native communities for cultural presenters, field trips, or setting

up pen pals or Elder interviews

• And I’m here to help, too!

I’ll be moving soon—best way to contact me is through email: potawproj@gmail.com

• r through my website,

www.MINASIllinois.org

Questions? Comments? Ideas?

Migwettch! (thank you in Potawatomi)