Culture
Question: What can games, art, and music tell us about the culture of Woodland Indians?
What is culture? Culture is made up of what people in a group believe or value. It is made up of ideas about how to behave and act. Special traditions are part of culture too. It is important to remember that there were many different Woodland tribes. Although they shared many things in common, they each had their own unique culture. On this page, we will look at the culture of Woodland Indians and the things they had in common. One way to learn more about their culture is to observe their music, art, and games.
Music
Task #1: Click on the video and listen to the song. What do you hear? Is only one person singing the entire time? Do you hear any other instruments? Discuss what you heard with a partner.
Beading
When people create beautiful objects or items, we call this art. Beading was a special type of art that Woodland Indians used to add beauty to their lives. They were very skilled and used broken bits of shell and porcupine quills to create beautiful items. It took a lot of patience and focus to do. Look at the picture of the beaded belt for an example.
Task #2: Create a beaded bracelet using a leather strip and blue beads.
Task #2: Create a beaded bracelet using a leather strip and blue beads.
Task 3: Create a dream catcher using pipe cleaners, hemp string, feathers, and a bead.
DREAM CATCHERS:
The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations. One element of Native American dream catcher relates to the tradition of the hoop. Some Native Americans of North America held the hoop in the highest esteem, because it symbolized strength and unity. Many symbols started around the hoop, and one of these symbols is the dream catcher.
Story of the Dream Catcher :
Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with dreams both good and bad. The dream catcher when hung over or near your bed swinging freely in the air, catches the dreams as they flow by. The good dreams know how to pass through the dream catcher, slipping through the outer holes and slide down the soft feathers so gently that many times the sleeper does not know that he/she is dreaming. The bad dreams not knowing the way get tangled in the dream catcher and perish with the first light of the new day.
How the Dream Catcher is made:
Using a hoop of willow, and decorating it with findings, bits and pieces of everyday life, (feathers, arrow heads, beads, etc) the dream catcher is believed to have the power to catch all of a person's dreams, trapping the bad ones, and letting only the good dreams pass through the dream catcher.
The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations. One element of Native American dream catcher relates to the tradition of the hoop. Some Native Americans of North America held the hoop in the highest esteem, because it symbolized strength and unity. Many symbols started around the hoop, and one of these symbols is the dream catcher.
Story of the Dream Catcher :
Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with dreams both good and bad. The dream catcher when hung over or near your bed swinging freely in the air, catches the dreams as they flow by. The good dreams know how to pass through the dream catcher, slipping through the outer holes and slide down the soft feathers so gently that many times the sleeper does not know that he/she is dreaming. The bad dreams not knowing the way get tangled in the dream catcher and perish with the first light of the new day.
How the Dream Catcher is made:
Using a hoop of willow, and decorating it with findings, bits and pieces of everyday life, (feathers, arrow heads, beads, etc) the dream catcher is believed to have the power to catch all of a person's dreams, trapping the bad ones, and letting only the good dreams pass through the dream catcher.
The Art of Storytelling
Telling stories were a fun way to share important values and lessons. Stories were used to explain the things people observed in nature. It was also a way to remember the important history of the tribe. Elders (the oldest members of the tribe) told stories to the younger children. Stories were told from memory, so storytellers were seen as very special. Children listened carefully so they would be able to retell the stories to their children when they grew older.
Task #4: Make a talking feather.
Task #4: Make a talking feather.