Native American Resources

MINI TOTEM POLES:
http://kinderart.com/multic/mtotems.shtml
First examine some examples of Native American totem
poles online, and then try designing your own--with re-
cycled materials--and following the easy directions here.
Shapes and color can be stressed for younger students.

SAND PAINTING:
http://kinderart.com/multic/sand.shtml
It may help your students to view several examples of
Navajo sand painting before beginning this art project.
If you live near a beach, you only need collect sand,
tempera water colors, paper, and glue. Let your stu-
dents take their time composing their pieces with geo-
metric designs before beginning the actual sand paint-
ing.

DESIGN A TOTEM POLE:
http://www.u.arizona.edu/ic/kmartin/School/tlingit31.htm
Read about the meanings behind Native American totems
and totem poles, view some excellent examples, and then
create your own meaningful totems--as a class or indi-
vidually.

SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN:
http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=ny
Click on New York, Online, or Past Exhibitions for a multimedia journey into topics such as Beadwork in Iroquois Life, Mohawk Ironworkers Build New York, The Art and Articles of Plains Indian Children, and Native Ranching and Rodeo Life on the Plains and the Plateau.

NATIVE TECH:
http://www.nativetech.org/
This site is an exceptional resource for exploring the crafts and tools of New England Native American tribes. Check out the map of regional clothing styles, identify various feathers used in dress, or investigate the uses of birch bark.

PEOPLE IN THE WEST:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/
Click on a name to read biographies of explorers, farmers, settlers, mountain men, women, Native Americans, and others who played important roles in settling the West.

THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY--NATIVE AMERICANS:
http://www.npg.si.edu/col/native/index.htm
Scroll through the list of Native Americans and click on a name to find a portrait or photo.

NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFT BULLETIN BOARD:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/bulletinboards/na.shtml
Here's a great November bulletin board for elementary
classes. Complete with craft instructions for each of
the art projects, when complete it will include rattles,
dream catchers, paper canoes, and totem poles.

NATIVE AMERICAN STORYTELLING BLANKET:
http://www.kinderart.com/littles/blanket.shtml
Use brown butcher paper or a large roll of brown wrap-
ping paper to construct a whole class "blanket". You
can either draw and color on the symbols, or look in
magazines to cut and paste them onto your blanket. Then
have your preschool students create their own story to
accompany their art project--let them act it out along
with music for an extension of this exercise.

MESOAMERICAN CODEX BOOKS:
http://kinderart.com/multic/meso_codex.shtml
Visual art becomes a means of communication, as students
study Meso-American cultures, and then create a class
book of their own codices, following the directions at
this site.

NATIVE AMERICAN PINCH POTS:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/summer/pinchpot.htm
Eastern Woodland tribes are the focus for this activity,
where students will create their own clay pots, follow-
ing the instructions here.

THANKSGIVING -- A FOCUS ON CLOTHING:
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/Thanksgiving.html
Lots of hands-on activities supplement this unit on
Thanksgiving, with a major focus on clothing worn and
made by the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims. Students will
consider the general suppositions held about these types
of clothing, and then look at the garments worn--or not
worn--by different classes and cultures of peoples at
this time and location. Students will also learn how
to make dyes from natural materials, dye a t-shirt,
and create their own jewelry.

STRAWBERRY THANKSGIVING:
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/straw.html
How much do your students know of Thanksgiving tradi-
tions? To broaden their knowledge past typical Ameri-
can celebrations, try this lesson plan on the Narra-
gansett and Niantic tribes, who would celebrate thir-
teen thanksgivings, corresponding with thirteen moons.
Explore the Strawberry Thanksgiving in particular, as
well as legends associated with this festival. Students
will be examining the format of legends, creating their
own legend, and participating in a forgiveness creative
writing activity.

TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS:
http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/1996/reese96.html
In order to avoid teaching fallacies or stereotypes
about Native Americans and their traditions, try this
resource for a discussion on introducing indigenous
peoples to early elementary children. Teaching stra-
tegies and suggestions are included, along with a list
of general practices to avoid.

LIFE AS A WAMPANOAG:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/thanksgiving/plimoth/wampan1.htm
Meet Fast Turtle, a warrior counsel of the Wampanoag
tribe. An interview presents Thanksgiving at Plimoth
in 1621 from a Wampanoag point of view in this fic-
tionalized, online presentation.

A VIRTUAL TOUR THROUGH THE EASTERN WOODLANDS:
http://nativetech.org/scenes/
Journey back to the year 1550, before the Pilgrims ar-
rived, and learn about daily life in this excellent on-
line exhibit. Learn how woodlands tribes built wigwams,
made stone tools, caught fish, prepared food, and more.