A Kid's Guide to Native American History

More than 50 Activities

Chicago Review Press Incorporated

Contents

Who Are Native People?

James ran to catch the bus and jumped on just before the doors closed. It was after 6 P.M., and he had to get home and have dinner before his school friends came over to work on their class history project. He hadn't had time to change from his ribbon shirt into his street clothes. That afternoon, he and other students at the Native American Education Program had posed for pictures in their regalia. James only wore his Native clothing on special occasions, like powwows and ceremonies.

"Are you an Indian?" an elderly white lady asked, her booming voice echoing throughout the bus.

"Yes," James answered in a quiet voice, trying not to draw any more attention to himself.

"Why's an Indian riding a bus instead of a horse? Indians aren't supposed to be in New York City. Don't you belong in a tipi on a reservation?"

Twelve-year-old James felt everyone's eyes on him. He wasn't sure what to do. His family taught him to be respectful to elders, but what if they were disrespecting you?

Finally James answered in a firm but polite voice. "Indian people live everywhere in this country. After all, it is our country. And I live in an apartment building, like other New Yorkers. In fact, my people never lived in tipis. There are all kinds of Native people and we are all different, but today more Indians live in cities than on reservations."

People began to cheer at his response to the rude woman. But this just embarrassed James even more. He was relieved when the bus reached his stop and he could get off.

Stereotypes of Native People

Native American people often have to deal with these kinds of uncomfortable encounters. Native people are from this country, but others are often surprised to meet them and know little about them. One reason is that books and movies often do not present the truth about Native peoples. Some make it seem as if they have all vanished. Others present all Native people as if they were all the same. When people believe that every person in a group is the same, it is called a stereotype. It is also a stereotype if people believe something untrue about an entire group of people. Stereotypes are hurtful and damaging about any group.

A way that stereotypes can be hurtful is the way Native images are used for sports teams' logos or mascots. Using these images gives the impression that Native people are objects, not real human beings. Today, many school sports teams have changed their "Indian" mascots and names to less controversial ones, making sports more enjoyable for Native people, too.

Here are some stereotypes and truths about Native people.

Native Powwows

Many different American Indian communities and organizations hold powwows, which are social gatherings. Usually social dances, not religious dances, are featured. Many powwows have dance competitions in different categories for men, women, children, and even tiny tots. Native artists and business-people add to their income by selling jewelry, books, CDs, food, and art. Powwows are a chance for people to catch up with friends and spend a day enjoying Native culture. Because Native people live all over the United States, you may have the opportunity to attend a Native event like a powwow in your area. The Resources section of this book lists Native American festivals and powwows across the country. You can also check online for a powwow in your area and plan a visit. It's important to be a polite guest and observe proper manners at a powwow.

Powwow Manners

• Don't wear "fake" Indian clothes or go barefoot. Do not wear swimsuits or clothing that bares the midriff.

• Don't use bad words or speak loudly. Do not make "whoops" or other sounds that have been used in movies to portray Indian people.

• Don't take the seats around the arena, as these are for dancers only. Bring your own seating, and ask permission before you set up your chair or blanket.

• Donate money to the Drum group, which is referred to as just the "Drum" during a blanket dance. Dancers dance around the arena with a blanket or lay it on the ground to collect donations. The money covers travel expenses for the musicians.

• Listen to the master of ceremonies for important information. Stand and remove your hat during special songs like the Grand Entry, when all the dancers enter the arena, during veteran songs, or any other time that the master of ceremonies announces a special song.

• Do not take pictures of dancers, people in regalia, or the dance arena unless you ask permission.

• Do not litter. Be responsible for your belongings.

• You can ask people questions, but don't interrupt their dancing or take up too much of their time. Do not walk across the dance arena or join in a dance unless you are invited. Guests are usually asked to dance during a round dance, or friendship dance.

• Have a good time, and be a polite guest!

Learn a Round, or Friendship, Dance

Almost every powwow features a round, or friendship, dance. Guests are invited to join the circle — it represents the circle of life, which has no beginning and no end. It is a social dance, and it's one of the few where men and women dance together. It is easy to learn and lots of fun. There are variations of the dance, but it usually starts off with the dancers going clockwise or from left to right, holding hands. Sometimes the head dancer reverses the circle for a time. Often at the end of the dance, everyone dances to the middle, still holding hands, and then back into a circle. The tunes vary and are sung in a Native language, English, or vocables. Vocables are syllables, sung to a tune, that have no meaning, like "tra-la-la." Borrow a round dance or powwow CD from the library, order one from Canyon Records (see Resources), or find a song online. You can also sound out the beat as you dance.

What You Need

Friends

Open area

Music

What You Do

1. Join hands in a circle.

2. Repeat the beat, "BOOM, boom," for a few seconds. When you feel that you have the beat, start with your feet together and step to the left on the "BOOM." Bring your right foot next to the left on the soft "boom." Keep going round and round. Think about all the good things in your life, like good friends or a sunny day.

3. After going round and round, change direction. Now step to the right on the "BOOM," and bring your left foot next to the right on the little "boom." Think of some sad or frustrating things in your life, like when you forgot to do your homework or scraped your knee. Life is full of both good and bad times.

4. Quick! Think of some good times again and change the direction to the right, the way you began.

Northeast

Checking, cradling, dodging, and cutting moves make the lacrosse playing field vibrate. Young Iroquois (IR-uh-kwoy) teammates charge through the game their ancestors played for centuries before Europeans came to North America. Lacrosse has been a way of life for the Iroquois. Since ancient time, Iroquois men have played this fast-paced ball-and-stick game that requires speed, stamina, and precision. Called Tewaaraton (little brother of war) in Mohawk, it was often played as a way to train for war. To the Iroquois, lacrosse is a sacred game from the Creator that heals and rejuvenates individuals and communities. It is also a competitive game, played both on the field (field lacrosse) and in enclosed arenas (box lacrosse). As a sport, lacrosse has grown increasingly popular among non-Iroquois. Across the United States and Canada boys, girls, men, and women play in high schools, colleges, and in youth and professional leagues.

Many Iroquois children receive their lacrosse sticks as soon as they can walk. At the age of three, they begin to play the game, just like their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers before them. They even carry their curled hickory sticks around with them when they are not practicing. Some grow up to become members of the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team, a sports organization that not only competes, but also teaches the history and skill of the game to young children. It is the only Native national sports team in international competition.

The Northeast Region

The Northeast spreads from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. The enormous area includes New England, the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, and the Atlantic states as far south as Virginia. The area also includes the present-day Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, plus parts of Quebec and Ontario. The Northeast is sometimes called the Woodlands area because of its huge forests of birch, elm, hickory, maple, oak, and willow. The region includes lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges. Because the area is so big, the climate and geography differ in some parts. In general, most of the Northeast has warm-to-hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

The Iroquois

The huge, complex woodland region of the Northeast has been home to dozens of First Nations for thousands of years. Most of the tribes spoke either Iroquoian or Algonquian (al-GON-kwee-in). The Iroquoian-speaking tribes lived in what are now parts of Quebec and Ontario in Canada and upstate New York and Pennsylvania in the United States. Many tribes spoke the Iroquois language, but the Seneca (SEN-eh-ca), Onondaga (OWN-ah-DA-ga), Oneida (oh-NI-da), Mohawk (MO-hawk), and Cayuga (ki-YOU-ga) peoples are the best known. These five nations originally called themselves the Haudenosaunee (hoe-de-no-SHO-nee), which means "People building an extended house." They are more commonly referred to as "People of the Long House." Their name symbolizes the fact that, long ago, Iroquois lived in large, permanent longhouses. Some were as long as 200 feet and housed several families under one bark roof. Iroquois villages were made up of many longhouses belonging to related families.

Iroquois were great farmers. During the spring and summer, people worked the soil with bone, antler, and wooden tools. They called their three main crops, corn, beans, and squash, "the three sisters." Important religious festivals honored corn as well as other plant foods. In the fall and winter, Iroquois men, who were master boatmen, made long river journeys far from home to hunt. The canoes were made from large logs that they hollowed out and covered with birch, elm, or spruce bark.

Iroquois Corn Husk Dolls

There are several different accounts as to why Iroquois corn husk dolls do not have faces. Some say it is because only the Creator can create a face. Others say it is so children can learn a lesson about not being vain. This story is based on an Oneida explanation.

Oneida Traditional Account

A long time ago, children were getting into trouble or getting hurt because the adults were busy and not watching them every second. The Creator fashioned a beautiful doll from corn husks to watch over the children. Corn Husk Doll was not only beautiful, she could walk and talk, and she seemed like a real person. She took good care of the children and taught them many things. She entertained them with stories, played games with them, and sang them to sleep.

One day after a very heavy rainfall, Corn Husk Doll took the children outside to play. She spied her reflection in a puddle and was quite struck with her beauty. From then on, she only wanted to make herself even prettier. She stopped doing her chores and was only interested in having beautiful clothes and looking at herself in the water. She became lazy, vain, and selfish. The children were getting into trouble again because no one was watching them. The Creator warned her, but still she only thought about her looks. Finally, the Creator sent Owl to take away her face and her powers to walk and talk.

Today, the Oneida and other Iroquois people make corn husk dolls without faces so children can be reminded to think about other people and to chip in with chores and other responsibilities. Most of the dolls are dressed in beautiful clothing of a particular nation and many are prized by collectors all over the world.

Make a Corn Husk Doll

Children around the world have many different kinds of dolls. A long time ago, many Indian children had dolls made of corn husks.

What You Need

5 or 6 dried corn husks (available in craft or Mexican grocery stores)

Bucket of water

Waterproof work surface

String

Scissors

What You Do

1. Soak the corn husks for at least 20 minutes. Don't take them apart until they are softened and pliable. Separate 5 husks and shake off the excess water.

2. Lay them out on a waterproof work surface. Line up three husks on top of each other. Fold them in half.

3. Tie a string one inch from the fold to form a head and neck.

4. Stack two more husks on top of one another. Tie a string half an inch from each end to make hands.

5. Slide the arms underneath the top three husks of the body. Push them up to the string you tied for the neck. Tie a string around the body underneath the arms to form a waist and to hold the arms in place.

6. For a boy doll, form pants by cutting the husks below the waist into two pieces to ½ inch below the waist. Tie a string ½ inch from the bottom of each leg to form a foot. Trim the strings.

If you'd like to dress your doll, you can sew or draw clothes. Research traditional Iroquois corn husk dolls for ideas.

The Iroquois Confederacy and the Great Law of Peace

Long ago, the Iroquois groups of the Northeast were often at war with each other. Sometime around 900 (the precise historical date is uncertain), a great man from the Huron nation came to the Iroquois with a message of peace, friendship, and unity. At first the people did not want to listen to him because he was an outsider, and his ideas were foreign to them. He and his helper traveled among the Iroquois, healing old grudges and teaching them how to settle differences without anger and hatred. He proposed that the five nations in present-day New York and Ontario unite to form a confederacy. It took quite a while for the Iroquois to accept his teachings, but they finally did and united, vowing to never be at war with each other again. The Huron leader was so respected that to this day it is considered disrespectful to his memory to speak his name aloud except on special occasions. He is lovingly called the Great Peacemaker.

The five (later six) Iroquois groups have lived under the Great Law of Peace for centuries. It was first written down in English in the 19th century. It is a constitution that spells out rules for governing. Each nation of the Iroquois Confederation is independent and governs its own internal affairs. The Great Law of Peace established the Grand Council, with members representing all of the member nations, to deal with problems that affect all of the nations within the confederacy. The Grand Council consists of 50 male leaders called chiefs in English. In the Iroquois language, they are called Hoyaneh, which means "Caretakers of the Peace." Although men make up the Grand Council, women elders, called Clan Mothers, help choose them. They look for a male who is honest, kindhearted, knowledgeable about Confederacy laws, and capable of upholding the Great Law. Women have the power to remove the men if they violate the Great Law.

It is required that all the chiefs be of one mind in making decisions of importance to the confederation, such as going to war, peacemaking, and treaty making. A unanimous decision ensures that all the chiefs become committed to the decision and that no one feels left out. The Grand Council does not vote, and majority rule is not practiced. If the chiefs disagree with one another, they meet over and over to work through their differences and reach a decision that everyone agrees to. Each person has the right to express himself and be listened to, even if the person does not have good speaking skills. Sometimes reaching a unanimous decision takes many days. If all efforts to reach such a decision fail, the Grand Council puts the issue aside, and each of the six nations chooses its own way.

European Americans were impressed by this democracy. Among them was Benjamin Franklin, one of the authors of the U.S. Constitution. He was the most vocal of the 19th-century leaders who admired the Iroquois form of government. In 1754 Franklin proposed the creation of a colonial grand council. He challenged the colonists to create a united government similar to the Iroquois representative form of government. One of the good ideas Ben Franklin learned was that each person should be able to speak without being interrupted. Some historians believe that the Great Law of Peace influenced the development of the U.S. Constitution.